v1.5.2-pre1

What's new in 1.5.2-pre1

This is a pre-release of the upcoming 1.5.2: the Windows controller fixes for
the 8BitDo 64 and Switch Online N64 controllers, plus the fixes that landed on
main since 1.5.1. Please test it! If anything is off, attach the controller log
(see below).

Added

• A controller log for bug reports: create an empty pad-debug.txt next to
  Birdman64.exe (or set PW64_PAD_LOG) and the game records what your
  controller sends — name, USB ids, every raw button/axis event, and what the
  game receives. It has no personal data. Attach it if you report a controller
  problem.

Fixed

• Windows: the 8BitDo 64 controller in DInput mode now has working C buttons
  (up/down were swapped with left/right) and pressing R no longer leaves C-up
  stuck.
• Windows: the Switch Online N64 controller (USB) now has working C buttons
  (C-left read as C-right and C-up/C-down did nothing).
• Linux: the game no longer crashes at startup on some Wayland setups whose
  graphics driver offers a 16-bit display format first.
• iOS: opening the pause menu (the touch menu button or a controller's
  settings button) no longer crashes the game.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

Android (experimental): sideload Birdman64-android-arm64.apk (64-bit phones,
Android 8+) and start it. The first launch builds the game on the phone (internet
needed once, about 240 MB installed), then tap Choose a game file and pick your
ROM. Prefer copying the file yourself? Android/data/app.birdman64/files/rom/
still works too. Later APKs install over it and keep your saves.

iPhone / iPad (test builds): not attached here and no ready-made
download: you build the app yourself (free, no Mac needed) and sideload it
with your own Apple ID (with iLoader, recommended);
the iOS testing guide has the
steps. Feedback is very welcome.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.5.1

What's new in 1.5.1

Android controller fix: sticks, analog triggers and d-pads now work, including
the built-in controls of handhelds (Retroid Pocket, AYN and similar).

Changed

• iOS: the project no longer provides ready-made test builds. Build the app
  yourself in a private copy of the repository (free, no Mac needed) or on a
  Mac; the README's iPhone section has the steps.

Fixed

• Android: the analog sticks, analog triggers and hat-style d-pads of
  controllers now work, including the built-in controls of Android handhelds.
  Before, only the buttons were read, so you couldn't steer, and Z (on LT by
  default) never fired. The triggers and d-pad can also be picked when rebinding.
• Android: Settings › Controls no longer says "No controller connected" while
  a controller works. It now names the controllers your phone or handheld
  reports and shows the last button you pressed, so you can test your
  controller there. The Switch 2 Bluetooth option is hidden on Android, where
  it never worked.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

Android (experimental): sideload Birdman64-android-arm64.apk (64-bit phones,
Android 8+) and start it. The first launch builds the game on the phone (internet
needed once, about 240 MB installed), then tap Choose a game file and pick your
ROM. Prefer copying the file yourself? Android/data/app.birdman64/files/rom/
still works too. Later APKs install over it and keep your saves.

iPhone / iPad (test builds): not attached here and no ready-made
download: you build the app yourself (free, no Mac needed) and sideload it
with your own Apple ID (with iLoader, recommended);
the iOS testing guide has the
steps. Feedback is very welcome.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.5.0

What's new in 1.5.0

A big one: move the HUD anywhere on screen, export and import your save
(PC ↔ Android), an Unlock everything cheat, a nicer settings menu on phones,
and early iOS support.

Added

• Early iOS support (iPhone and iPad): full-screen play with on-screen touch
  controls or a paired controller, and the ROM and save in the Files app's
  Birdman64 folder. iOS builds are unsigned test builds for now (you sign
  them yourself when sideloading) and not part of the release downloads. As
  on Android, a save change asks you to reopen the app.
• "Unlock everything" in the pause menu: gives a gold medal on every test in
  both save files, which opens every class, the bonus games and Birdman
  (on Android it asks you to reopen the app). Your scores are only ever
  raised, and your previous save is kept as pw64.eep.before-unlock in the
  save folder. "Restore save from before unlock" in the same menu puts that
  save back.
• Move your save between PC and Android (or keep a backup): the pause menu has
  "Export save…" and "Import save…". Importing keeps your old save next to it
  as pw64.eep.before-import and restarts the game (on Android it asks you to
  reopen the app). On Android, "Open save folder" is replaced by these two.
• Move the HUD: pause menu "Move HUD" lets you drag the flight gauges (speed,
  timer, radar, altimeter, fuel, photo count, messages, cannonball gauges) and
  the performance overlay anywhere on screen, by touch or mouse. Reset puts
  everything back; your layout is saved.

Changed

• Android/iOS: the touch Z button (take a photo) now sits on the right, next to
  the C buttons, so you can steer while taking pictures.

Fixed

• The settings menu keeps its size while you move between rows on a page; it
  only changes size when you go to another page.
• Android: the settings lists scroll by dragging with a finger, and a new drag
  continues from where the list was. The rows are bigger and easier to tap.
• Android: the Controls page fits the screen, with the controller beside the
  list, and the close button and dimmed background line up with the screen.
• Android: picking the ROM from some storage apps could close the app
  instead of falling back to a default file name.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

Android (experimental): sideload Birdman64-android-arm64.apk (64-bit phones,
Android 8+) and start it. The first launch builds the game on the phone (internet
needed once, about 240 MB installed), then tap Choose a game file and pick your
ROM. Prefer copying the file yourself? Android/data/app.birdman64/files/rom/
still works too. Later APKs install over it and keep your saves.

iPhone / iPad (test builds): not attached here and no ready-made
download: you build the app yourself (free, no Mac needed) and sideload it
with your own Apple ID (with iLoader, recommended);
the iOS testing guide has the
steps. Feedback is very welcome.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.4.1

What's new in 1.4.1

Android: no more copying the ROM by hand — on first start, the game's opening
screen offers "Choose a game file", which opens your phone's normal file browser.
Pick your Pilotwings 64 (US) file from wherever it is (Downloads, Drive, USB) and
it is copied into the app's storage and remembered: every later launch starts
straight away. A wrong file says why, and you can pick again.

Added

• Android: choose the ROM with the system file picker on first start (or whenever
  the ROM is missing); the choice is remembered across launches. No storage
  permission is needed.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

Android (experimental): sideload Birdman64-android-arm64.apk (64-bit phones,
Android 8+) and start it. The first launch builds the game on the phone (internet
needed once, about 240 MB installed), then tap Choose a game file and pick your
ROM. Prefer copying the file yourself? Android/data/app.birdman64/files/rom/
still works too. Later APKs install over it and keep your saves.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.4.0

What's new in 1.4.0

Android (experimental): Birdman64 now runs on 64-bit Android phones (Android 8+) as a
sideloaded APK, with on-screen touch controls. It is early: tested on one phone so far,
please report problems.

Added

• Android (arm64, experimental): a sideloadable APK with on-screen touch controls, which
  you can move or hide from the pause menu. Bring your own ROM; the first launch builds
  the game on the phone (needs internet once).
• Linux on 64-bit ARM (aarch64): the game now builds and runs from source.

Fixed

• Very short button taps (shorter than one game frame) are no longer lost.
• Stray red dots under the altitude readout and slight edge smudges on the medal icons
  on the results screens are gone.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

Android (experimental): sideload Birdman64-android-arm64.apk (64-bit phones,
Android 8+), start it once, then copy your ROM into Android/data/app.birdman64/files/rom/
on the phone and start it again. The first launch builds the game on the phone (internet
needed once, about 240 MB installed). Later APKs install over it and keep your saves.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.3.0

What's new in 1.3.0

Added

• Performance overlay (Pause menu > Performance overlay): a small corner readout
  that works in fullscreen. The FPS counter is on its own; frame time, 1% lows,
  a frame-time graph, CPU load (busiest core), GPU load and the screen corner
  are each optional. The old "Show FPS" option is now the counter here.
• Texture packs without command-line setup: put a pack folder in the new
  packs folder (Settings > Display & graphics > "Open texture packs
  folder"), pick it under "Texture pack" and restart.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.2.0

What's new in 1.2.0

Big thanks to @djultra64 for contributing the new Infinite LOD and
Infinite view distance options, a first contribution to Birdman64!

Added

• Linux: linux_window setting in pw64.toml (auto, wayland or x11)
  to choose between a native Wayland window and X11 (XWayland).
• Two new Display & graphics options, both off by default and applied after a
  restart: Infinite LOD draws every model at full detail however far away, and
  Infinite view distance lets you see the whole island instead of the haze
  about 2 km out (it can lower the frame rate, more so in split-screen).
  Contributed by @djultra64.

Changed

• The controller's D-pad now moves the stick, so it works in menus and can steer.
  Rebind any D-pad direction to another button (C buttons, A, ...) under
  Settings > Controls.

Fixed

• Linux (Wayland) on laptops with an NVIDIA GPU next to an AMD or Intel one:
  the picture no longer freezes before the main menu, and the game no longer
  crashes right after choosing Start game. The game now opens its window
  through X11 (XWayland) on these laptops. Brought to my attention by https://github.com/Mabec-games.
• Linux: the first-start ROM tip now names the AppImage (or the birdman64
  program) instead of Birdman64.exe.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.1.0

What's new in 1.1.0

Added

• Two-player split-screen: pick 1 Player or 2 Players on the title menu.
  Both players fly the same test at once, each with their own pilot,
  controller, HUD, objectives, sounds, results, replay and photos. Works with
  every vehicle and bonus game (hang glider, rocket belt, gyrocopter,
  cannonball, sky diving, jumble hopper, birdman) and with Free flight, which
  you can start from the test menu.
• A Split-screen page in the settings/pause menu: Assign player 2 (picks
  the next controller you press, including a second pad of the same model),
  Split layout (top/bottom or side by side), Pilots collide, and Share best
  score (when player 2 scores higher, the run counts for player 1's save
  file and class totals). The Assign row names player 2's controller.
• Split-screen: each player's radar shows the other player as a cyan arrow.

Fixed

• The game no longer crashes when a matrix translation goes out of range,
  which could happen after saving a photo.
• Snowy levels in widescreen: falling snow no longer shrinks the picture to
  a 4:3 box, and now covers the whole screen.
• Settings: when rebinding a controller button times out, the
  "No button pressed" message now stays visible.

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.0.2

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.

v1.0.1

Windows: download Birdman64-windows-x64.zip. Linux: download the .AppImage.

You need your own Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM.

Quick start

1. Extract the zip and run Birdman64.exe from the extracted folder (Linux:
   make the AppImage executable and run it). Never run it from inside the zip.
2. If Windows shows "Windows protected your PC": click More info, then
   Run anyway.
3. Put your Pilotwings 64 (US) ROM next to the exe, or pick it when the game
   asks. Only the US version works.
4. The one-time setup downloads the game's open-source code and builds it on
   your PC (usually under a minute, internet needed once), then you are
   flying. Press Esc or F10 for settings.

The other files (debug symbols, checksums) are for bug reports and
verification.