Evidence at a glance #
Based on the linked sources. The author's reported result and independent confirmation are separate checks.
- AI involvement
- Reported models: Claude. Tools: CMake, SDL2, Ninja, Visual Studio 17 2022, MinGW gcc. The writeup below describes the work attributed to AI.
- Reported result
- Partial. This is the directory's source-based outcome classification.
- Independent confirmation
- Not reported.
- Human work and limitations
- The project explicitly distinguishes itself as a static recompiler rather than an emulator. It uses a clean-room approach for hardware modeling and relies on user-supplied ROMs.
Original sources
What was done #
cdirecomp is a research-grade static recompiler for the Philips CD-i. It lifts Motorola 68000 machine code into C and models hardware chips to run the CD-RTOS operating system natively, currently supporting early Hotel Mario gameplay.
cdirecomp is a static recompiler designed to execute Philips CD-i software by lifting Motorola 68000 machine code into portable C. Unlike traditional emulators, it avoids high-level emulation (HLE) of the OS-9 operating system, instead recompiling the entire CD-RTOS system ROM to run as native code. The project models hardware components such as the MCD212 video decoder, CDIC/CIAP audio path, and IKAT input controller. Development is in an early stage, with current progress focused on booting the system shell and running Hotel Mario. The author reports that basic gameplay and title-screen backgrounds function, though minor visual flickering remains under investigation. AI assistance was utilized for retro reverse-engineering and documentation tasks, as credited in project commits. The project is documented at https://raw.githubusercontent.com/mstan/cdirecomp/HEAD/README.md. Limits include unverified full campaign completion, incomplete hardware coverage, and unexercised I2C/MMU paths. Users must provide their own system ROM and disc images for operation.
Reproduce it #
Build the recompiler and runtime using CMake and a C11 compiler. Use CdiRecompBios.exe to recompile the system ROM and CdiRecomp.exe to process game discs. Execute the resulting binary via CdiRuntime.exe.