ApeEscapeRecomp

Ape Escape (USA, SCUS-94423) statically recompiled to a native PC executable with PSXRecomp — the same framework behind TombaRecomp and MegaManX6Recomp.

Ape Escape Recompiled is built with psxrecomp, a PlayStation static-recompilation toolkit that is actively in development. The project is maintained by a single volunteer developer spread across the whole ecosystem, and contributions are very welcome — both to psxrecomp itself and to refining specific games like Ape Escape. PRs are welcome on both. Known issues live in ISSUES.md.

What This Is

This repository contains the game-specific configuration, seeds, tools, and build glue for running Ape Escape on the PSXRecomp framework. The game's MIPS code is machine-translated ("recompiled") ahead of time into native C, then compiled into a real Windows program that runs the game's own logic on a faithful simulation of the PS1 hardware (GPU, SPU, GTE, memory cards) plus the real, recompiled PS1 BIOS — no high-level emulation shims.

It does not contain the Ape Escape disc image, the PS1 BIOS, generated game code, or any decompiled game C. Those are produced locally from your own legally obtained assets.

Important files:

• game.toml: runtime / recompiler / video / controller / widescreen config.
• seeds/: Ghidra-derived function starts and game-specific seed data.
• tools/regen.ps1: regenerates the recompiled C output.
• tools/package_release.ps1: builds the redistributable release zip.
• psxrecomp-v4.pin: framework commit this project is known-good against.
• ISSUES.md: game-specific issue log.
• DISC.md: source-disc identity and verification hashes.

Status

Playable preview — v0.0.5-alpha. Ape Escape boots from the PS1 BIOS and plays — through the intro, the title, and into gameplay, with dual-analog controller input including L3/R3 stick clicks (added in v0.0.3), a controls fix so the analog stick no longer spins the camera (v0.0.5), working memory-card save/load (fixed in v0.0.2), and no known crashes. It has not yet been verified all the way to the end, so treat it as a very playable preview rather than a certified full playthrough.

Area	State
Boot (real PS1 BIOS)	✅ Boots to intro / title / gameplay
Rendering	✅ OpenGL (default) and Software backends
Controller	✅ DualShock analog (auto-bound; the net/movement scheme is dual-stick)
Memory cards	✅ Standard PS1 .mcd save/load
FMV / audio	✅ MDEC video + XA/SPU audio (auto-skip FMV optional)
Widescreen 16:9 / 21:9	⚠️ Experimental (opt-in) — see below
Full playthrough	⚠️ Not yet verified end-to-end

Experimental widescreen

An experimental 16:9 / 21:9 mode is available in the launcher (off by default; the game ships authentic 4:3). It uses the stable GTE projection-and-stretch path for a wider 3D field of view. The title sky and ferris-wheel cabin regressions are fixed; the remaining very-wide draw-distance limitation is tracked in ISSUES.md. Regular 4:3 play is byte-for-byte the original presentation and is unaffected.

Playing

1. Run ApeEscapeRecomp.exe. A launcher window opens.
2. Set your PlayStation BIOS (a legally obtained SCPH1001.BIN, 512 KB).
3. Set the game disc (a legally obtained Ape Escape (USA, SCUS-94423) image — .cue+.bin, pick the .cue). Do not convert to a 2048-byte "cooked" .iso; that discards the XA sectors used for FMV/audio.
4. Adjust options if you like (renderer, supersampling, experimental widescreen), then press Launch.

Ape Escape is a dual-analog title — the right stick swings the catch net — so an analog controller is strongly recommended. Any plugged pad is auto-bound and presented to the game as a DualShock; a keyboard folds onto the analog stick. The selected BIOS/disc paths and options are saved next to the exe.

Development Rules

• Use the real recompiled BIOS and real hardware simulation in PSXRecomp.
• No HLE BIOS shims, no stubs, no fake events, no hand-edited generated files.
• Framework changes go in mstan/psxrecomp, not here.
• Game binaries, generated code, memory cards, Ghidra databases, and build outputs stay local.
• See CLAUDE.md for project-specific rules.

License

PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0. See LICENSE.

Ape Escape is copyright Sony Computer Entertainment / SIE. This repository contains none of the game's original binaries or assets. Release packages contain no game assets, no disc data, and no BIOS image — those are always read from files you supply. The release executable contains a statically recompiled (machine-translated) build of the game's code, the same distribution model used by other static recompilation projects such as N64: Recompiled.

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