Tools & Resources
Essential Tools
ROM Analysis & Editing
| Tool | Purpose | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| HxD | Hex editor for ROM binary analysis | Windows | mh-nexus.de |
| ImHex | Pattern-based hex editor (cross-platform) | All | GitHub |
| rn64crc | Fix N64 ROM checksums after modification | CLI | romhacking.net |
| Tool N64 | GUI ROM checksum fixer | Windows | romhacking.net |
Model Extraction
| Tool | Purpose | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Project64 | N64 emulator (host for ripping plugins) | Windows | pj64-emu.com |
| LemD3D9 r22 | P64 plugin that exports rendered geometry as OBJ | Windows | Internet Archive |
| Texture64 | Extract/view/inject N64 textures (all formats) | Windows | GitHub |
| Mupen64Plus | Cross-platform N64 emulator for testing | All | mupen64plus.org |
3D Modeling & Export
| Tool | Purpose | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blender | 3D modeling, rigging, UV mapping | All | blender.org |
| Fast64 | Blender addon for F3DEX2 display list export | Blender | GitHub |
| Blender64 | Simpler mesh-to-display-list converter | Blender | GitHub |
THPS-Specific
| Tool | Purpose | Platform | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| LegacyTHPS | Collection of THPS modding tools | Various | GitHub |
| WAD-Tool | Unpack/repack Neversoft WAD files | CLI | GitHub |
| thps2-tools | Parse THPS-specific file formats (PKR, DDX, DDM) | Python | GitHub |
Python Libraries (for conversion scripts)
pip install pillow # Image processing for texture conversion
pip install numpy # Vertex math
# struct is stdlib - binary packing
Community & Documentation
Discord Servers
- LegacyTHPS:
https://discord.gg/vTWucHS— Primary THPS modding community, decades of knowledge - thpsX:
https://thpsx.com/discord/— Broader THPS community hub - N64brew — N64 homebrew development community
Websites
| Resource | Content | URL |
|---|---|---|
| ThMods Forum | THPS model format research threads | thmods.com/forum |
| The Cutting Room Floor | THPS N64 unused content & data research | THPS1 |
| Retro Reversing | N64 reverse engineering guides | retroreversing.com |
| Hack64 Wiki | F3D display list command reference | hack64.net |
| n64.dev | Curated N64 development resources | n64.dev |
| Ultra64 Manual | Official N64 programming manual (textures, display lists) | ultra64.ca |
| Polycount Retro FAQ | Guide to creating PS1/N64-era 3D art | polycount.com |
Key Technical References
- F3DEX2 Display List Commands — Complete opcode reference
- N64 Texture Formats — CI4, CI8, RGBA16, etc.
- N64 Texture Memory (TMEM) — 4KB limit explained
- N64 Animation Systems — How skeletal animation works on N64
- F3DEX3 (modern reference) — Updated microcode with documentation
GitHub Repositories
Core Tools
- Fast-64/fast64 — Blender F3DEX2 exporter
- queueRAM/Texture64 — Texture tool
- DCxDemo/LegacyTHPS — THPS tool collection
- DCxDemo/WAD-Tool — WAD unpacker
- JayFoxRox/thps2-tools — Format parsers
Reference / Learning
- HackerN64/F3DEX3 — Modern N64 microcode (great docs)
- engerb/Blender64 — Blender to N64 pipeline
- n64decomp — Various N64 game decomps (study data formats)
Hardware (Optional)
| Item | Purpose | Approx Cost |
|---|---|---|
| EverDrive 64 X7 | Load modified ROMs on real N64 | $175 |
| N64 console | Test on actual hardware | $60-100 |
| USB Gecko / IS-Viewer | Debug on real hardware | Rare/expensive |