For several weeks now we’ve been watching how many classic games—titles that for decades could only be played on consoles—are arriving directly on PC. This is the result of dedicated fans creating PC ports that run without emulation, meaning versions that run straight on a computer and take advantage of today’s hardware to offer better visuals and smoother performance than the originals. Yet the latest development sparked controversy: a user uploaded to Archive.org a collection of 26 of these games that can be downloaded and played by simply opening a file, and the community quickly warned that what’s being distributed is piracy.
A collection of 26 games ready to play without installing anything
The collection was presented by its author on X with the note: “List of recompiled games. All of them are ready to run, no installation, no setup. Just launch the game from the .exe,” meaning players only need to unzip the downloaded folder and launch the executable to start playing, with no need to install additional software or follow complex instructions.
At Tarreo we won’t link to this collection, because the files include complete, copyrighted games and sharing the link could expose us to sanctions for distributing pirate material. All we’ll say is that the collection was published in the Archive.org library.
The 26 included games and their original console
The lineup brings together classics from Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Nintendo DS, and the first four PlayStation systems, featuring many of the titles most cherished by the community. Here are all the games and the consoles they originally appeared on.
| Game | Original Console | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time | Nintendo 64 |
| 2 | The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask | Nintendo 64 |
| 3 | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo 64 |
| 4 | Paper Mario | Nintendo 64 |
| 5 | Donkey Kong 64 | Nintendo 64 |
| 6 | Super Smash Bros. | Nintendo 64 |
| 7 | GoldenEye 007 | Nintendo 64 |
| 8 | Perfect Dark | Nintendo 64 |
| 9 | Castlevania 64 | Nintendo 64 |
| 10 | Metroid Prime | GameCube |
| 11 | Animal Crossing | GameCube |
| 12 | The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess | GameCube and Wii |
| 13 | Kirby’s Return to Dream Land | Wii |
| 14 | Pokémon Platinum | Nintendo DS |
| 15 | Crash Bandicoot | PlayStation |
| 16 | Crash Team Racing Turbocharged | PlayStation |
| 17 | Silent Hill | PlayStation |
| 18 | Syphon Filter | PlayStation |
| 19 | Driver You Are The Wheelman | PlayStation |
| 20 | Driver 2 (REDRIVER 2) | PlayStation |
| 21 | The Simpsons Wrestling | PlayStation |
| 22 | Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 to 4 | PlayStation |
| 23 | ICO | PlayStation 2 |
| 24 | Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus | PlayStation 2 |
| 25 | The Darkness | PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 |
| 26 | P.T. | PlayStation 4 |
Why the community warns that it is piracy
The post quickly sparked a wave of cautions on X, because legitimate compilation projects only provide the executable program and require each player to supply the files from their own copy of the game, whereas these packages include all the graphics, sounds, and copyrighted materials. This means distributing commercial content without authorization and potentially endangering Internet Archive, one of the internet’s most valuable digital libraries, which has previously faced lawsuits over protected content.
One user summed it up with a blunt message, “Please do not upload pirated games to Internet Archive. Including compilations that require a game file to function is okay, but uploading pirated content to IA jeopardizes one of the internet’s most precious libraries. Leave ROMs to piracy sites,” while another explained that “compilation projects only ship executables and require users to supply their own legal game files; they do not distribute complete games or assets.”
Over 20 PC ports you can download for free and legally
The good news is that there are legal, free PC ports of many of these classics, and others beyond that collection, which work just as well without emulation, with the only caveat being that you must supply the files from your own copy of the game for them to function.
| # | Game | Original Console | What you need | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time | Nintendo 64 | Your ROM of the game | Ship of Harkinian |
| 2 | The Legend of Zelda Majora’s Mask | Nintendo 64 | US ROM | Zelda 64 Recompiled |
| 3 | Super Mario 64 | Nintendo 64 | US or Japan ROM | Ghostship |
| 4 | Donkey Kong 64 | Nintendo 64 | US ROM | Donkey Kong 64 Recompiled |
| 5 | Banjo-Kazooie | Nintendo 64 | US ROM (v1.0) | Banjo Recompiled |
| 6 | Star Fox 64 | Nintendo 64 | Your ROM of the game | Starship |
| 7 | Mario Kart 64 | Nintendo 64 | US ROM | SpaghettiKart |
| 8 | Perfect Dark | Nintendo 64 | US ROM (v1.1) | perfect_dark |
| 9 | Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon | Nintendo 64 | US ROM | Goemon 64 Recomp |
| 10 | The Legend of Zelda A Link to the Past | Super Nintendo | US ROM | zelda3 |
| 11 | Super Metroid | Super Nintendo | Your ROM of the game | sm |
| 12 | EarthBound | Super Nintendo | Your copy of the game | Tarreo Guide |
| 13 | Metroid Prime (beta) | GameCube | US disc, version 1.00 | Metroid Prime Port |
| 14 | Super Mario Sunshine | GameCube | Your copy of the game | Tarreo Guide |
| 15 | The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess | GameCube and Wii | Your copy of the game | Dusklight |
| 16 | Pokémon Platinum (experimental) | Nintendo DS | US ROM | pokeplatinum |
| 17 | Crash Team Racing | PlayStation | Your copy of the game | Tarreo Guide |
| 18 | Jak and Daxter | PlayStation 2 | Your ISO of the game | OpenGOAL |
| 19 | Sonic Unleashed | Xbox 360 | Your Xbox 360 copy with the update | Unleashed Recompiled |
| 20 | King Kong | Xbox 360 | Your copy of the game | Tarreo Guide |
| 21 | Bloodborne | PlayStation 4 | Your copy of the game | Tarreo Guide |
| 22 | P.T. | PlayStation 4 | Your copy of the game | Tarreo Guide |
| 23 | Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic 2 | 2013 versions | Files from an official release, such as Sonic Origins | RSDKv4 |
| 24 | Diablo | PC (1996) | DIABDAT.MPQ file from your copy | DevilutionX |
Note that Metroid Prime is in beta and Pokémon Platinum is experimental, so they may have bugs or crash unexpectedly.
How to install these PC ports
Each project has its own instructions, but most follow the same basic steps.
- Look up the game in the table and click the download link.
- If the link goes to GitHub, open the Releases section, which sits in the right-hand column of the page, and download the Windows file, which is typically a .zip.
- Extract the folder anywhere on your computer.
- Keep your own copy of the game ready, in the version indicated in the “What you need” column.
- Open the port’s executable; the first time you run it you will be asked to select your game file to prepare the data.
- Adjust the resolution, controls, or mouse settings from the game’s menu, and start playing.
In the games labeled “Tarreo Guide” you’ll find the step-by-step instructions in the respective notes.
Ultimately, the arrival of classic titles on PC without the need for emulation is among the best news in recent months for players who want to relive them with better performance, and the legal route to do so is just a few steps away—no need to download pirate copies that could endanger preservation platforms like Internet Archive.
