MarioKart 64: Recompiled (Mario Kart 64 PC port)

Mario Kart 64 came out on the Nintendo 64 in 1996. sonicdcer (Sonic Dreamcaster) created the MarioKart64Recomp repository on 17 January 2025. The earliest release still listed on GitHub is v0.9.1 from 17 August 2025, but DSOGaming had already covered a version 0.0.9 build with HD texture pack support in July 2025, so we couldn’t confirm the date of the very first public build. In August 2026 the README’s download link was changed to a GitLab project owned by the same developer. The GitHub repository had about 620 stars on 21 October 2026.

This site is not affiliated with sonicdcer, the N64 Recompiled or RT64 projects, or Nintendo.

What it is

• A static recompilation of the N64 game, made with N64: Recompiled: the game’s code is translated ahead of time into a native program, not emulated.
• RT64 as the renderer, which handles widescreen, high frame rates and texture packs while keeping the original N64 effects, according to the README.
• Not based on the decompilation, though the README says it uses headers and some functions from the Mario Kart 64 decompilation project to patch and enhance the game.
• Plug and play: you pick your ROM in the main menu and the game loads its assets from it, with no separate extraction or build step.

It works like the other N64 recompilations in our recompiled games list.

Current status

Features listed in the README and release notes:

• any aspect ratio, including ultrawide, with an option to keep the HUD at 16:9;
• any frame rate, defaulting to your monitor’s refresh rate, without changing game speed;
• an in-game menu for graphics, controls and audio that works with mouse, keyboard or controller;
• mod support and HD texture packs (the release notes mention the MK64 Reloaded pack), installed by dropping files on the window;
• Controller Pak support for saving ghosts, and a portable mode.

Known problems: the v0.9.2 release notes say only single-player modes are available until multi-controller support is finished; an open issue about missing local multiplayer dates back to July 2025, and a multiplayer pull request was still open on 21 October 2026. The README also warns that Intel GPUs on Linux may not work, the prebuilt Linux binary fails on some distributions, and overlays such as MSI Afterburner can cause rendering problems. Planned features include model replacements, ray tracing and more languages. We didn’t play the game through ourselves.

What you need

• Your own copy of the North American (US) Nintendo 64 release of Mario Kart 64. Other regions are rejected. We don’t explain how to obtain or copy game data.
• A GPU with Direct3D 12 (Shader Model 6), Vulkan 1.2 or Metal Argument Buffers Tier 2. The README names a GeForce GT 630, Radeon HD 7750 or Intel HD 510 as the oldest supported cards.
• On x86-64 PCs, a CPU with SSE4.1. Macs need Apple silicon or a 7th-generation Intel CPU and macOS 13 or newer.

How to install

From the official README, at a high level: download the build for your system from the GitLab releases page linked in the README (Windows, macOS, Linux x86-64 or ARM64, or Flatpak), extract it, start the program and select your US ROM in the main menu. On Steam Deck, extract the Linux build in desktop mode and add the executable to Steam. Saves live in your user profile unless you enable portable mode. The release notes say antivirus warnings are false positives; still, download only from the official links.

Other Mario Kart 64 projects

• SpaghettiKart by HarbourMasters: a separate PC port built on the Mario Kart 64 decompilation, released in June 2025 with a track editor and ultrawide support, as VGC reported. It also needs your own US copy.
• The Mario Kart 64 decompilation (n64decomp): the source code reconstruction both ports draw on. On its own it is not a playable PC port.

Is it legal and safe?

• MarioKart 64 Recompiled is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo. The README says the repository and its releases contain no game assets; the original game is required.
• Use only a ROM from a copy you own.
• Get it only from the official repository and the GitLab releases page it links. Sites offering the port bundled with the game are not the project.

More kart racers and N64 games on PC: Diddy Kong Racing, Mario Kart Wii, Crash Team Racing, Super Mario 64, and the full recompiled games list.

Unofficial. This page is written by an independent directory. It is not made by, endorsed by or affiliated with Nintendo or sonicdcer (Sonic Dreamcaster) (MarioKart 64: Recompiled (Mario Kart 64 PC port)'s author). We do not host any files, and we never link to game files, ROMs or ISOs.