Brawl Recompiled Brings Super Smash Bros Brawl to Native PC Play With Mods and Online

Fans of the 2008 Wii fighter can now load Super Smash Bros. Brawl as a regular Windows or Linux program thanks to Brawl Recompiled, an unofficial project by JosiahG that turns the game’s original PowerPC code into native C++.

The process uses the WiiCompiled toolchain to convert the main executable along with all 126 module files ahead of time, so the result runs without Dolphin or any other emulator in the way. Players supply their own disc image in ISO, CISO, or WBFS form, or an already extracted folder, and the setup extracts the necessary data once before the game starts. Saves land in a folder that mirrors a real Wii’s NAND layout, while a virtual SD card handles the game’s own card features and any mods dropped into the matching directory.

Current builds feature the title screen, menus, versus matches, attract demos, the beginning of Classic mode, and the first stretch of Subspace Emissary, which includes all cutscenes and the first combat. Mods such as Project+, Project+Ex, REX, Brawl Minus, and Legacy XP may all be loaded up similarly to a Wii SD card: they put their extra characters, stages, and movesets onto the virtual card and then just run the match once you’ve chosen them. The majority of the original game runs in native code, but select mod-replaced modules and Gecko code updates still pass via the built-in PowerPC interpreter to ensure compatibility without having to redo every change.

The in-game settings panel is quite useful because it covers resolution, audio, controls, cheats, mods, online rooms, and updates, eliminating the need for a separate launcher after installing the game. You can acquire it by pressing the F10 key or the Home button on the controller, and it’s all done in the game’s unique manner.

Resolution scales up to 8 times the original size for 4K output and beyond, and the game maintains its 16:9 framing to avoid distortion when expanded to fill ultrawide windows, such as 32:9. The default frame interpolation rate is 120 frames per second, with options to increase to 180 or 240 frames per second for screens capable of handling it, however the underlying simulation remains at 60. Any gamepad is registered as a GameCube controller with remappable buttons, as well as keyboard and mouse options for any player, and the game will even connect to genuine Wii Remotes over Bluetooth. The game has three save slots, and you can fast skip through gameplay or menus whenever you need to. A few Gecko codes can also be toggled on or off during a match, as they have been thoroughly tested and should function as intended.

To enter online rooms with two to four players, hit the F9 key. The host generates a short code or makes the room available to the public, and a free matching server links the clients immediately, eliminating the need for port forwarding, which is a significant advantage. However, everyone must be running the same build or mod set, and the games must go in lockstep by swapping only the controller inputs per frame. If you have a sluggish connection, you may have a few frames of delay based on your current ping, and sadly, cross-play with Dolphin netcode is not supported due to differences in timing models.

Linux builds starting in 2022 are designed for 64-bit PCs and support Vulkan drivers, as well as a Steam Deck option. There are also Windows builds that include both AVX2 and non-AVX2 packages. Recently, point releases were issued that addressed some of the bugs that were causing mod-related crashes, such as being stuck on the My Music screen in REX, and cleaned up some of the infrequent freezes on specific hardware. As a bonus, after installing the game, you can now update it directly from the settings menu.
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