Someone is building a visual engine for N64 homebrew

Nintendo 64 homebrew development is getting a lot faster thanks to Felipe 64, a new visual editor designed to handle character logic, animations, and hitboxes. Developer N64GameBuilder recently detailed the tool alongside gameplay of Final Fight 64, a custom port of the 1989 Capcom arcade classic built entirely on this new framework.

According to N64GameBuilder, the software stands for Fighting Editor for Logic, Interactions, Properties, and Events. It provides a graphical interface for defining red hitboxes and green hurtboxes on a per-frame basis. This allows for precise combat tuning without having to manually code every single frame of an animation sequence. The developer highlighted how the tool lets you check a box on the last frame of an animation so the final hit of a combo properly knocks an enemy down.

Red hitboxes and green hurtboxes

The Nintendo 64 is famous for its early 3D platformers and shooters. It is light on traditional 2D fighting games and beat 'em ups, partly because the industry was rapidly shifting away from sprites at the time. Building a tool tailored for 2D combat logic on the console fills a gap in the homebrew ecosystem. The N64 hardware is complex to program for, so anything that abstracts the logic into a visual interface is a huge win for developers.

The editor uses a node-based state machine to manage character transitions. Developers can visually map out how a character moves from an idle stance to walking, jumping, or throwing a punch. If a developer forgets to link the walk state back to the idle state, the visual graph makes that missing connection obvious immediately.

It exports straight to Libdragon

Felipe 64 does not actually compile a Nintendo 64 ROM. It functions strictly as a data management tool that exports files for use in Libdragon projects.

Libdragon is an open-source SDK that replaced the original proprietary Nintendo development kits with a modern toolchain based on GCC and standard C libraries. By outputting data directly to this open-source framework, Felipe 64 is a bridge between visual design and the actual code compilation process. Developers can then test their compiled projects on accurate emulators like Ares or flash them to real hardware using a modern flash cartridge.

Metro City on a cartridge

To prove the tool works, N64GameBuilder is using it to develop Final Fight 64. The resulting project is a highly accurate recreation of the Capcom beat 'em up running on Nintendo 64 hardware emulation.

The original arcade game never received an official port to the 64-bit console. Nintendo fans had to settle for the Super Nintendo version, which famously lacked the two-player co-op mode and entirely removed the character Guy due to cartridge space limitations. Sega CD owners got a much better port, but Nintendo players were left waiting. A proper, arcade-accurate version running on Nintendo 64 hardware is a great proof of concept for the new engine.

Seeing a classic beat 'em up running on the Nintendo 64 is impressive on its own. The fact that it is a tech demo for a larger development suite makes it even better. Tools like this lower the barrier to entry for retro development, meaning we will likely see a lot more ambitious homebrew projects hitting the console in the near future.