Retail Console Game Source code (C/C++)

Edit on Github | Updated: 9th April 2022

It is very rare that a commercial game releases its source code to the public, it is even rarer for that to be a console game, but there have been a few exciting cases in recent history which we will explore in this post.

To be considered for this list the game must have at least a quarter of the source code used to make the game/prototype released.

This list does not contain fan decompilations of retail games, for those we have a separate page:

Decompiled Retail Console Games

For the list of decompiled games check out this post.

Nintendo Systems

Nintendo systems have by far the largest selection of official source code to choose from, some of it has been leaked and others have been released officially by the developers.

GameBoy (DMG & GBC)

Days of Thunder

Days of Thunder

Days of Thunder was an unpublished NES game by developer Chris Oberth

Little Mermaid Pinball

Little Mermaid Pinball

Source code for the retail game boy release of Little Mermaid Pinball

Mr Do!

Mr Do! Source Code (Game Boy)

For more information on the Mr Do! Game Boy source code check out this post.

Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow

Reversing Pokemon Red and Blue (Game Boy)

For more information on the Pokemon Red and Blue Game Boy source code check out this post.

Pokemon Silver/Gold

The source code to Pokemon Silver and Gold were released as part of the Nintendo Leaks in early 2020.


Game Boy Advance

The GBA was the first Nintendo portable to have most of its games written in the C language as compilers had finally become good enough to develop full retail games with.

Manic Miner

Manic Miner (GBA)

Manic Miner for the GBA full Source code


Nintendo Entertainment System

Games for Nintendo’s first console was almost exclusivly written in 6502 assembly language as anything higher level would simply be too slow due to early compilers producing less efficient code than human programmers.

Magician

Magician

Source Code officially released by developers

Captain Comic

Captain Comic

Source code for the unlicensed NES game Captain Comic by Color Dreams

Home Alone 2

Home Alone 2 NES Source Code

For more information on the Home Alone Famicom source code check out this post.

Raid 2020

Hero Quest

Hero Quest

Unreleased NES game


Super Nintendo Entertainment System

DOOM (DOOM FX)

DOOM (DOOM FX)

Officially released source code to the FX version of DOOM for Super Famicom

B.O.B.

B.O.B.

Officially released source code for BOB by the development team


Nintendo 64

Most of these games have been leaked due to part 2 of the infamous Gigaleak.

Gigaleak 2 games

Gigaleak 2 Electric Boogaloo - N64 Source Code Leak

For more information check out this post.

Games with Source Code Leaked:

  • 1080 Snowboarding
  • Animal Crossing (Animal Forest)
  • Dr Mario 64
  • F-Zero X
  • Mario Kart 64
  • NBA Courtside 1 & 2
  • Star Fox 64
  • Super Mario 64 (Decompiled + Partial official leak)
  • Yoshi’s Story
  • Wave Race 64

Mortal Kombat Trilogy

Turok 64


Nintendo Wii

Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles

Capcom Leaks

For more information on the Biohazard Umbrella chronicles source code check out this post.


Sega Systems

Finding source code for SEGA systems is many times scarcer than their rival Nintendo.

Sega Mega Drive

Mr Nutz 2 - Hoppin Mad

Mr Nutz 2 - Hoppin Mad

Source code leaked for Mr Nutz 2 - Hoppin Mad on the Sega Mega Drive


Sega CD

Batman Returns

Batman Returns

Source code leaked for Batman Returns on the Sega CD


Sega Saturn

Retail Sega Saturn source code is almost as rare as Hen’s teeth, due to this fact we have included Three Dirty Dwarves but cannot yet confirm if it actually contains complete source code or not.

Three Dirty Dwarves

Three Dirty Dwarves

Currently unconfirmed if this contains actual source code


Sega Dreamcast

Chicken Run

Chicken Run Source Code

For more information on the Dreamcast Chicken Run source code check out this post.

Hydro Thunder

Hydro Thunder

Unconfirmed if this actually contains source code


Sony Systems

Sony Playstation 1

360: Three Sixty

Cryo Interactive's 360: Three Sixty

Source code that was left in the retail disc.

Battle Konchuuden

Battle Konchuuden

Battle Konchuuden's sources as found on the retail CD-ROM

Beatmania APPEND 5th MIX

Beatmania APPEND 5thMIX Psy-Q Source Code

Source code found on another Beatmania game.

California Watersports

California Watersports (PS1) Source Code

The PlayStation source code was released in 2020 with the permission of developer Mark Theyer.

Chill

Silicon Dreams studio's Chill Source Code

An earlier build snapshot with sources found in the retail CD contents.

Jimmy Johnson’s VR Football ‘98

VR Football '98 Source

Source code archive from May 1st 1997.

Pachi Slot Master

Spongebob Squarepants: SuperSponge

Monopoly

Mortal Kombat 3

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (Unreleased)

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Source Code - Incomplete / Not Buildable

Re-Volt

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3

Re Volt Xbox And PC Source Code (Acclaim) C/C++ Game source code. Including unreleased Xbox port.

The Misadventures of Tron Bonne

The source code for the misadventures of Tron Bonne was released as part of the November 2020 Capcom leaks.

Capcom Leaks

For more information on the Tron Bonne source code check out this post.

Tomb Raider II

Urban Chaos

WarCraft II: The Dark Saga

Blizzard's Warcraft II: The Dark Saga - PS1 Source Code

Leaked source code for 'Warcraft II: The Dark Saga' for the Sony PlayStation.

Wipeout

On the 27th March 2022 March42 and Forest of Illusion released the official source code to one of the most popular original Playstation games, Wipeout!

Wipeout

Not known if its buildable


Sony Playstation 2

This section lists all the known leaked source code for retail Playstation 2 games. This does not include Homebrew or decompiled games as they have their own pages.

Tony Hawk’s Underground

Tony Hawk's Underground

Tony Hawk's Underground Source Code

Devil May Cry 2

The source code to Devil May Cry 2 was released as part of the Capcom Leaks in November 2020.

Capcom Leaks

For more information on the Devil May Cry 2 source code check out this post.


Microsoft Systems

This section has all the consoles Microsoft made which are considered retro enough to include here. We currently do not list anything after the original Xbox but this may change in the future when the 360 can safely be classified as a retro system.

Original Xbox

The original Xbox was a joy to program for, especially for PC developers who were familiar with the Direct X API. However very few xbox games have ever has their source code leaked.

Star Wars: Jedi Academy

Star Wars:Jedi Academy

Star Wars:Jedi Academy & Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast Source Code Released

Windows (PC)

Jurassic Park: Trespasser

Jurassic Park: Trespasser

A git-based fork of the Jurassic Park: Trespasser source code.


References