Developers introduced OpenGOAL for porting Jak & Daxter series games

A team of enthusiasts has released OpenGOAL — a native decompiler and recompiler designed to port Jak & Daxter series games to the x86-64 architecture. The project allows running classic titles from PlayStation 2 on modern PCs with improved performance and extended modification capabilities.

The tool works by translating the proprietary GOAL programming language, in which the original games by Naughty Dog studio were written, into modern machine code. The process involves full decompilation of the original data, providing support for high resolution, widescreen monitors, and increased frame rates not available on the original hardware.

The implementation of OpenGOAL provides access to game assets and logic, allowing users to embed their own scripts and modify game mechanics. The project is focused on preserving the legacy of classic platformers, ensuring stable operation on modern operating systems without using emulators.

The technical implementation of the project is discussed in detail in the Lobsters community, where developers share code optimization methods. The use of a native recompiler makes it possible to achieve almost complete identity of the gameplay with a significant reduction in the load on the central processor compared to classic emulation.

This approach opens up opportunities for in-depth analysis of game engines from the PS2 era and their adaptation to modern development standards. The toolkit is available for free use, allowing the community to independently expand the functionality of ported games and fix errors that were present in the original releases.