A group of passionate Donkey Kong 64 fans are working on a native PC port of the beloved 3D platformer, with high-definition support, mod compatibility and more. The ambitious Donkey Kong 64 port in particular will not use any copyrighted assets of Nintendo.
Donkey Kong 64 was a seminal entry for the classic Nintendo franchise when it was first released in 1999. The game was the first 3D platformer in the franchise and the final Donkey Kong games made by Rare before the studio was bought by Microsoft. DK 64 became one of the best-selling titles on the Nintendo 64, sitting in seventh place, beating out beloved games such as Banjo-Kazooie and The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask. A new fan made Donkey Kong 64 port is now looking to bring the classic Rare platformer to PC for the first time, while calling out another similar project.
Donkey Kong 64 gets a native PC port
A new recompilation project for Donkey Kong 64 aims to bring a faithful rendering of the classic game to PC. Donkey Kong 64: Recompiled will feature many major upgrades from the original game at launch, including support for high definition graphics and unlimited frame rates. The port will include native support for mods and is said to have cross-platform compatibility, although the project doesn't go into any details about how its cross-platform support will work. The Donkey Kong 64 the port has also confirmed that it will not use any copyrighted assets from the original game, avoiding potential legal issues from Nintendo.
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Within the announcement of the new Donkey Kong 64 port, the development team also turns to another port under development. The DK64: Recompiled the developer mentioned another recompilation project from a competitor that aims to bring Donkey Kong 64 for PC, but was quick to scrap the other project to use AI to develop the game. The second project is said to use AI “vibe coding” for much of the classic game's port, with the team behind it Donkey Kong 64: Recompiled referring to the AI construction as “poorly made”. No release date has been confirmed for Donkey Kong 64: Recompiled with its announcement.
A new port in Donkey Kong 64 would only mark the third time the game has seen a re-release, even if the PC port is unofficial. The game was officially added to the Virtual Console lineup of classic Nintendo games on the Wii U in 2015, after being absent from the digital selection on the original Wii. Donkey Kong 64 finally joining the Nintendo Classics library on Nintendo Switch in June 2026, with the beloved platformer being one of the top fan requests ahead of its introduction.
The Donkey Kong franchise recently made its triumphant return to the 3D platformer genre with its first major release on the Switch 2. Donkey Kong Banana debuted in July 2025 as the first new Donkey Kong the game on Switch 2, where DK teams up with a teenage version of Pauline. Banana currently stands as the second best-selling original game on Switch 2, behind only the launch title Mario Kart Worldand the game won “Best Family Game” at the 2025 Game Awards, along with a “Game of the Year” nomination. Donkey Kong remains one of Nintendo's most iconic mascots, and fans may soon have another way to experience one of his classic adventures.
- Released
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November 24, 1999
- ESRB
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e
- Publisher
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Nintendo
- Engine
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NEC VR4300
