A native PC port of Rare's 1999 platformer, Donkey Kong 64, has been released by a team of programmers who have stated that no generative AI tools were used in its development. The project, known as DK64 Rekongpiled, represents a recompilation of the game's original code for modern hardware rather than emulation.
To run DK64 Rekongpiled, players will need an original Donkey Kong 64 ROM. The development team highlighted their AI-free approach, with contributor 2dos noting on the platform Bluesky that "no generative AI [was] used at any point in the process." The port retains all original game elements, including its graphics, soundtrack, and gameplay mechanics, while offering modern features such as high-resolution and high-framerate support, along with mouse controls.
The release comes approximately two months after a competing project that heavily utilized AI in its development prompted concerns from experienced programmers. In a post on the N64 Recomp Discord server, 2dos expressed that the use of AI in coding "would make it progressively harder to manage as time goes on." The team behind DK64 Rekongpiled, comprising individuals with over a decade of experience working with Donkey Kong 64's code, stated their preference for clean development practices over AI-assisted methods. Some members of this team were also involved in the DK64 Randomizer project.
The release trailer for DK64 Rekongpiled features a narrative scene where the villain King K. Rool laments his plan to prevent PC play of the game being thwarted by the programmers. The trailer also humorously depicts his henchman expressing disbelief at the game running at 4K resolution and 200 frames per second, before leaving to play it himself.