The port comes from two parallel efforts that dropped on the same day. The upstream tmc project by 999sian is the experimental decomp build (v0.1.0), while auto-tmc by ItsDeidara packages it into a ready-to-run Windows executable. Both are available now on GitHub.
This is not emulation. The decompilation project reverse-engineers the original GBA game into C source code, which is then compiled into a native PC binary. The result runs directly on Windows and Linux without a GBA emulator layer.
You still need to provide your own legally-sourced USA baserom.gba. The included extract script pulls assets from your ROM and builds the /assets folder the game needs to run.
This is a v0.1.0 experimental release, so expect rough edges. The developer has flagged several known issues:
The port already includes quality-of-life features you would expect from a PC version. Fast-forward is mapped to Tab (or right trigger on gamepad), fullscreen toggle works with F11 or Alt+Enter, and you can cycle through upscalers with F12. Both keyboard and gamepad input are supported.
The auto-tmc release (v1.0.0) bundles everything into a single 24MB Windows executable. This is the easier option if you just want to play. The upstream tmc release gives you separate Linux and Windows builds with the raw asset extraction pipeline, which is better if you want to tinker or are on Linux.
Both projects are built on the same decomp foundation. As the upstream improves, the packaged builds should follow.
Sources:
Anthony Micallef is the creator of Anton Retro, a platform dedicated to retro gaming enthusiasts. With years of experience in Nintendo homebrew and modding, he creates guides to help gamers get the most out of their consoles.
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