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The Legend of Zelda 1.12.0 - Stopwatch freeze scopes
Seamless Overworld now has a Stopwatch scope dropdown in its Gameplay options:
- Entire map keeps the previous map-wide freeze and remains the default scope.
- Current viewport freezes the visible world rectangle captured at pickup, including adaptive Fit and ultrawide margins.
- Current room freezes the original NES room Link occupied at pickup.
Moving, zooming or resizing afterward keeps the captured area fixed. Another stopwatch captures a new area, and current-build save states retain it.
Fresh profiles enable Seamless Overworld for adaptive widescreen by default. Existing explicit display/mod choices and native saves/settings are preserved. Seamless Overworld remains experimental and local-only; its existing cross-room interaction limitations still apply. The HD rendering improvements from v1.11.0 are retained.
Validated on Windows x64 HLE with real native pickups, enemy movement inside/outside each scope, repeated pickups, ultrawide/portrait resizing, save/load, invalid-state rejection, and startup from the packaged build with developer tool paths removed. Matching crash symbols are included as a separate developer download.
No ROM is included; use your own supported USA PRG0 dump.
SHA256 (LegendOfZeldaNESRecomp-USA-NTSC-cycle-mods-preview-windows-x64.zip): e2716b4b684cec8800a314b924245cbc7b43b6606fe6197912119f5a5df5a74e.
v1.11.0
Owner approved all five NES title builds after the final combined technical gate. This release includes the qualified native execution/presentation optimization package. Exact scoped measurements and limitations: https://github.com/mstan/nesrecomp/blob/886692b/docs/validation/2026-10-31-final-campaign-handoff.md
Feature release: resident HD pack GPU rendering and selectable HD resolution. Zelda Remastered authored2x median CPU improves11.71% across five pairs; true16x4096x3840 runs93–108FPS on RTX3080Ti with zero fallback.32x/64x are experimental; unsupported graphics configurations retain portable authored-resolution rendering. Seamless Overworld remains experimental. Release documentation and dependency notices are updated.
SHA256 (LegendOfZeldaNESRecomp-USA-NTSC-cycle-mods-preview-windows-x64.zip): f11a660dcd89b670e85015ba0b608588256c684a91c33fe1674589558613fc4b. No ROM is included; use your own supported dump. Native saves/settings are preserved.
The Legend of Zelda 1.10.1 - Save-state loading fix
v1.10.1 — Save-state loading fix
Fix save states refusing to load in stock or Seamless Overworld after a
first-person voxel session. Disabled voxel settings were retained in the save
and incorrectly compared with a fresh session's camera defaults.
Disabled voxel views now contribute no camera payload. Existing disabled
records are validated and their unused camera settings are discarded. Active
voxel states still require the same voxel mode and configured camera preset;
invalid records are rejected before loading any machine state. Other mods and
native in-game saves retain their existing behavior.
The Legend of Zelda 1.10.0 - Seamless Overworld
v1.10.0 — Seamless Overworld (experimental)
This minor feature release adds Seamless Overworld as the first bundled
entry in Mods → Camera, with a separate Experimental badge. Enable it before
PLAY; it is disabled by default.
- Follow Link continuously through ordinary overworld and connected dungeon
boundaries, with neighboring terrain and live actors visible ahead. - Fit the view to the window's aspect ratio, including portrait and ultrawide.
Use the mouse wheel for pixel zoom and F4 for the whole map. - Keep the expanded scene during inventory, bomb flashes, death and portal
loading. Game Over and Continue use a responsive layout. - Preserve native puzzle routing at caves, stairs, dungeon entrances and maze
portals. Cave interiors extend their boundary terrain across the view. - Include actual overworld, dungeon and whole-map pictures in the README.
The mod is experimental and local-only. Enemy migration and projectile
interactions across room boundaries are incomplete; the whole-map simulation
is slower. Later dungeons, bosses, both quests and strict replay timing remain
open validation areas. It is mutually exclusive with voxel and Remastered views.
Focused checks cover real overworld crossings, a dungeon key door, cave/Level 1
entry and exit, inventory, bombs, lethal enemy contact, Game Over/Continue/Retry,
window resizing and loading-state picture restoration. No full-game audit is
claimed. Existing native progress is preserved; save states are build-specific.
Supply your original USA PRG0 ROM. No ROM, third-party HD art, personal saves
or settings are included. See README.md and docs/SEAMLESS-WORLD.md for controls,
pictures and the remaining experimental limits.
The Legend of Zelda 1.9.5
Updated to NESRecomp 0.4.3 at 721c68c313e729710203f6825e9bcb9042eb5bcc. This Windows x64 build retains the qualified native PPU/APU services and packed PPU path. The matched stock workload has an 11.25% median CPU reduction.
Performance figures describe five alternating 1,200-frame gameplay pairs with independent pre/post baseline controls on the same host, SDL software rendering and emulated/mixed/queued audio through dummy output. Expanded custom-mode timing is unverified; no every-mode performance claim.
All 124 generated C units across the release suite match the qualified generator output. This exact shipping executable passes 720-frame old/new hardware, PCM, picture and current-build save/load replay comparisons, in addition to the earlier full 13-profile feature gate and owner visual approval. Native in-game saves remain separate from disposable build-specific execution snapshots.
One archive contains the game, required runtime libraries and optional mod catalog. No ROM, owner settings or saves are included.
Full validation and measured scope.
Title commit: d4ad9c6a043e19c7cfc9ce6ea157d8acb27eceae.
v1.9.4 - direct Mesen download support
Open Mods → Zelda Remastered HD → Select file, choose the original ZIP you downloaded, enable the feature, and click Play with your original USA PRG0 Zelda ROM. No manual extraction, Python, conversion command or prepatched ROM is needed.
The general-purpose native Mesen importer handles direct ZIPs, nested wrapper downloads and extracted hires.txt files. The bundled, default-off Zelda-Remastered-Support.nesmod contains integration metadata only. Textures, audio and IPS data come from your own download; the importer preserves creator notices, caches the selected pack locally and applies its verified patch in memory. Your download and ROM remain unchanged.
No Remastered art, audio, IPS or game ROM is distributed. Replacement music/SFX and existing HD sampler limitations remain; original NES audio is used.
The Windows game ZIP includes the support recipe already installed. The separate .nesmod is the same manifest-only recipe. Matching crash symbols and SHA-256 checksums are also attached.
Validated with the original Zelda Remastered v1.3 outer download: all 423 imported files match the validated pack, stock and HD gameplay match v1.9.3, and a fresh current-build save/load replay matches state, hashes and pixels. Native importer checks also pass on Windows and Linux with malformed downloads and an unrelated SMB pack.
v1.9.3 - bundled Mesen HD pack importer
The Windows download now includes the complete general-purpose Mesen HD importer, Zelda's convenience wrapper, creator credits and setup instructions. You can use the original Zelda Remastered 1.3 download ZIP directly. Python 3.11 or later is required for importing; your original ROM stays unchanged.
Extract the Windows ZIP and put your original USA PRG0 Zelda ROM and texture-pack ZIP in that folder. Open a terminal there and run this command, replacing the ROM filename if needed:
python tools/import_hdpack.py --pack "UnZipMeFirstZeldaRemasteredV1_3.zip" --rom "Zelda.nes" --out "Zelda-Remastered.nesmod"Start the game, open Mods, install Zelda-Remastered.nesmod, enable Zelda Remastered HD, and click Play. Replacement music and sound effects remain unsupported; the game uses its original NES audio. Existing unsupported-condition/missing-image sampler warnings are documented in HD-IMPORTER-README.txt.
The standalone importer ZIP is optional for older builds; all of its tools are already included in the main Windows download. Generic pack discovery and conversion live in the shared NESRecomp importer; Zelda's wrapper only supplies its game identity and creator attribution.
Validation of the extracted production archive passed: bundled importer conversion of the supplied v1.3 pack, default-off installation through Mods, 900 stock frames matching v1.9.2 and the interpreter exactly, 3000 HD gameplay frames and an exact final 300-frame fresh-process save/load continuation. Required Windows runtime DLLs and licenses are bundled, and the separate crash-symbol ZIP matches the executable's PDB identity. No ROM, third-party graphics/audio, player saves/settings or forbidden loading-speed packages are included. SHA256SUMS.txt covers every archive.
Source is included in tag v1.9.3 at bc895f4. The native engine/renderer uses the prior validated runtime pin plus a tools-only importer update. Source integration PRs remain open: Zelda #9, framework #84.
v1.9.2 - cartridge header compatibility
Fixes launcher verification succeeding but Play rejecting equivalent original ROM headers. This build uses the shared cartridge correction and regenerated native code. Legacy iNES, NES 2.0 and multi-region containers are accepted for the matching game data and resolved board; board/RAM/console/program-data checks and qualified regional timing remain enforced. No player setting is required.
Validation: 900-frame native/interpreter/header comparisons and real launcher Play pass. Extracted production ZIPs pass dependency and header-boot checks. Existing UI pin, renderer, enhancements and normal player audio defaults are retained. Automated tests use muted output. These checks cover header/startup regression, not a new complete mechanics audit. Native Linux x86_64 recheck passed under Ubuntu/WSL with system SDL2 selected explicitly: released-source game builds, 900-frame legacy/NES 2.0/multi-region native/interpreter comparisons with matching Windows state hashes and pixels, and real SDL/recomp-ui launcher Play under private Xvfb/software OpenGL. Linux GCC/Clang header contracts and source CLI generation/static-library checks also pass. The published Windows archives are unchanged. Default SDL2 discovery is fixed on current engine/game source branches (mstan/nesrecomp#77). For immutable release-tag source, explicitly set SDL2_DIR to the native system SDL2 CMake package, or build the latest source branch for automatic detection.
Extract the entire Windows ZIP and select your own matching original ROM. USA retail inputs are preferred where available. No ROM, player settings, saves, logs or dumps are included. CD Speed and Fast Loading packages are absent. SHA256SUMS.txt covers the game and symbol archives; Zelda-Remastered-HD-Importer.sha256 covers the importer.
Source changes: #7.
HD pack installation update (2026-10-24): Zelda-Remastered-HD-Importer.zip provides the complete import tools that were missing from the game ZIP. Extract it into the game folder and follow its README (Python 3.11+). It accepts the original UnZipMeFirstZeldaRemasteredV1_3.zip download, its inner ZIP, or an extracted pack folder. Create Zelda-Remastered.nesmod using your original USA PRG0 ROM, install it in Mods, and enable Zelda Remastered HD before Play. Textures work in this v1.9.2 executable. Replacement music and sound effects remain unsupported; existing sampler warnings are documented in the importer README. Validated title, registration, inventory and overworld artwork, 3000 gameplay frames, and exact fresh-process save/load continuation.
ZIP discovery and conversion are implemented in the shared general-purpose Mesen HD pack importer, also validated with a Super Mario Bros. pack. The Zelda wrapper supplies only the game identity and creator attribution. The downloads contain no ROM or third-party graphics/audio. Source: framework PR #84, Zelda PR #9.
v1.9.1 — Startup and Crash Diagnostics
Adds Startup and Crash Diagnostics, a bundled mod that is disabled by default. Enable it under Mods → Developer before PLAY to capture startup and session evidence. Windows unhandled crashes also attempt a small minidump.
To report a silent PLAY crash:
- Extract the Windows game archive, open Mods, and enable Startup and Crash Diagnostics.
- Click PLAY and reproduce the problem once.
- Share the newest
.logand matching.dmp, if present, fromdiagnosticsbeside the executable. Include your Windows version, GPU, ROM revision, enabled mods, and whether you updated an existing folder. - Disable the mod after testing. Logs and dumps stay local and may contain paths and process information; review before sharing.
Read-only installations fall back to %LOCALAPPDATA%\NESRecomp\diagnostics. The symbols archive is for maintainers analyzing dumps; normal play only needs the game archive.
This release also displays error dialogs for ordinary ROM, SDL, and renderer startup failures. It does not claim to fix the still-unconfirmed cause of the reported v1.9.0 PLAY crash.
Validation: access-violation, abort and stack-overflow dumps; first-enable and persisted diagnostics; default-off behavior and output redirection; extracted-archive startup and exact matching PDB; identical 600-frame guest hashes against published v1.9.0 with logging off/on; stock, diorama, first-person and HD native/interpreter and save-state replay checks over 3,000-frame routes. No new full-game, Linux or macOS qualification is claimed.
The cycle CPU, original USA PRG0 ROM requirement, voxel modes and modern HD Mods workflow remain as in v1.9.0. No ROM, third-party HD art, settings, saves or personal diagnostic files are distributed.
Source: master at 808dd16a3b5d21fee425dc7d239d7d710b645fd4; shared framework at 629d23433e280308716b3920a6ec20e7905b063f.
v1.9.0 — cycle CPU default
The cycle CPU backend is now the default. The former backend remains available through explicit source-build selection.
Stock, voxel diorama, first-person and Remastered HD passed owner playtests. Remastered is now installed through modern Mods in one executable, using the stock ROM and shared framework importer. Supply your own existing HD pack; third-party art is omitted. Replacement music/audio remains unsupported.
Validation covers the recorded short owner playtests and focused automated checks. Full-game completion and new Linux/macOS runtime qualification are not claimed by this Windows release.
Game archives contain no ROM or personal save data. Select the matching original ROM at first launch. Legacy binary save states require the retained legacy backend; they do not load in cycle mode. Existing cartridge battery/password progress is preserved through the documented storage/import workflow.
Source default: master at 0654a40c94eede9ae1ad0f75d84fe14185e6b8bd.