Jet Force Gemini finally has modern dual-stick controls
A new ROM hack rewrites Rare's 1999 N64 shooter to support true twin-stick aiming, fixing one of the console's most notoriously awkward control schemes.
ROM hacker TL Romhacks has released a v0.1.0 beta patch for Jet Force Gemini that fundamentally rewrites the 1999 Nintendo 64 shooter to support modern dual-stick controls. The project, appropriately named Jet Force Gemini DS, is available now.
Rare's original sci-fi epic is a casualty of early 3D hardware design. Developed by the team behind Blast Corps, the game featured massive levels and an incredible soundtrack by Robin Beanland and Graeme Norgate. But the Nintendo 64 controller only had one analog stick, forcing developers to invent bizarre workarounds for third-person targeting. While GoldenEye 007 solved this by rooting the player in place when aiming, Jet Force Gemini mapped movement to the stick and camera controls to the C-buttons. This created a split-axis system that feels completely alien today.
If you try to fix this by simply remapping a modern controller's right stick to the C-buttons in an emulator, the result is still clunky. The underlying math just doesn't translate to modern twin-stick expectations.
Rewriting the aiming logic
To solve this, TL Romhacks had to alter the game's internal code. The beta patch maps standard player movement to the left stick and full reticle and camera aiming to the right stick. It also adds a customizable 1-to-10 aiming sensitivity scale and inverted aim toggles for all four players across the single-player, co-op, and deathmatch modes.
The control overhaul changes how the game actually plays. You can now crawl while aiming and shooting, which was impossible in the retail release. The R button acts as an aim toggle, B handles crouching and rolling, and the D-pad switches weapons. You can see the new mechanics in action in the beta showcase video.
Jet Force Gemini Dual Stick BETA Showcase (Source: TL Romhacks)
Skipping the tribal hunt
Alongside the ROM hack, the developer released version 1.1.0 of the JFG Save Editor. This update adds the ability to warp directly to non-shooter locations like boss landing zones and Goldwood's Tribal Hall. It also includes a dark mode and immediate input validation if you try to give yourself an impossible amount of ammo.
The game famously forces you to rescue every single Tribal (the game's Ewok-like alien race) before you can fight the final boss. That mandatory late-game scavenger hunt is tedious enough without fighting the camera. Being able to aim naturally, combined with a tool to skip the worst backtracking, makes this the most appealing way to play the game in 2026.
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