# Little Planet: Sonic CD recompiled from a matching disassembly

> Disassembles every executable file on the Sonic CD disc from runtime coverage and recursive descent, reassembles them byte-identically, and translates the code statically to C on a from-scratch Mega-CD runtime that replaces the BIOS with a high-level implementation. Recompiled blocks run only where memory still holds the code they came from, and a script compares 96 stage runs frame by frame against the interpreter. The project also patches in widescreen and per-zone saves; results remain project-reported.

- Type: Case study
- Targets: Game
- Category: Independent reconstruction cases
- Relationship: Independent reconstruction project
- Sources reviewed: 2026-10-18
- Added to the catalog: 2026-10-18
- Original resource: <https://github.com/carlosrmz009/littleplanet>
- Primary source: <https://github.com/carlosrmz009/littleplanet/blob/658d834d53d90baf6a899fa1e5d81a6fee187bbb/README.md>
- Catalog page: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/little-planet-sonic-cd-recomp-case/>
- Record JSON: <https://awesomerea.org/resources/little-planet-sonic-cd-recomp-case/record.json>
- Chinese version: [简体中文](https://awesomerea.org/zh/resources/little-planet-sonic-cd-recomp-case/index.md)

## Requirements & limits

- **Prerequisites:** Supply your own Sonic CD disc image (cue/bin, iso, ccd/img/sub, chd, or cue with compressed audio). The Japanese G-6021 release, identified by a data-track SHA-1 in README, is the tested one; other releases boot but are untested. No BIOS dump is needed, and no disc data is included.
- **Prerequisites:** Releases target Windows x64 (installer or portable zip), macOS 11+ (not notarized) and Linux x86_64/ARM64 AppImages. Source builds need Python (3.10+ on Windows) and SDL3, with Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools, Xcode command-line tools or gcc/g++. The optional remastered opening also needs a separately built FFmpeg and a fetched video.
- **Scope:** README reports that all 112 executable files reassemble byte-identically to the Japanese release, that 622k instructions recompile into 22,897 blocks, and that boot, gameplay, audio and bit-exact save states work. The disassembly is code only; graphics, sound and level data stay on the user’s disc. True16:9 widescreen and saves after every zone patch the game’s own programs, so those options depart from the original game.
- **Testing evidence:** README documents tools/decomp.sh for extracting the disc, reassembling asm/ and comparing each file; tests/rc_check.sh compares per-frame RAM and CPU-PC hashes of recompiled and --interp runs across 96 scripted stages. README also reports SingleStepTests results: all 1.6M Z80 cases, and all 1M 68000 cases apart from some undocumented DIVS/ASR and address-error cases. CI tests only a homebrew test disc.
- **License:** MIT covers the runtime, tools and installer. third_party/ code, the bundled LGPL 2.1 FFmpeg and LuanUP’s remastered opening, included with permission, keep their own terms, and nothing extracted from a disc is covered. The reviewed LICENSE’s exclusion note names Star Fox 2 rather than Sonic CD. The project is unofficial, unaffiliated with Sega.

## Primary sources

1. <https://github.com/carlosrmz009/littleplanet/blob/658d834d53d90baf6a899fa1e5d81a6fee187bbb/README.md>
2. <https://github.com/carlosrmz009/littleplanet/blob/658d834d53d90baf6a899fa1e5d81a6fee187bbb/LICENSE>
3. <https://github.com/carlosrmz009/littleplanet/blob/658d834d53d90baf6a899fa1e5d81a6fee187bbb/tools/decomp.sh>
4. <https://github.com/carlosrmz009/littleplanet/blob/658d834d53d90baf6a899fa1e5d81a6fee187bbb/tests/rc_check.sh>
5. <https://github.com/carlosrmz009/littleplanet/blob/658d834d53d90baf6a899fa1e5d81a6fee187bbb/.github/workflows/build.yml>

## More in Games

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## About this entry

The description was reviewed against primary sources.
Original editorial content: MIT. Linked projects, papers and assets retain their own rights and licenses.
