The Dreamcast homebrew scene keeps pushing boundaries, and developer Jnmartin84 is about to deliver another AAA port. Star Fox 64 is landing on Sega’s last console, and according to the latest updates from Falco Girgis, the port is 95% complete with an imminent release.

All eyes in the Dreamcast community were on the release of Mario Kart 64, and that port is finally available. But Jnmartin84 clearly isn’t one to rest on his laurels: during the final weeks of Mario Kart’s development, he secretly worked on Star Fox 64, and the results are simply phenomenal.

A 95% port, release approaching

Falco Girgis, a major figure in the Dreamcast scene and maintainer of KallistiOS (the open-source SDK powering the Dreamcast homebrew ecosystem for over 20 years), just shared a direct capture video on real hardware. And it looks nothing short of amazing.

“The port has progressed PHENOMENALLY over the past few months,” says Falco Girgis. “Everything runs ultra-smooth and lightning-fast! The visuals are crisp and clean, rendered in 480p thanks to the Dreamcast’s PowerVR GPU.”

The port is said to be around 95% complete, with the final weeks focused on implementing lighting and other special effects for certain areas. But the real technical cherry on top is the ongoing optimization work: Jnmartin84 is compiling the N64 display list code into SH4 assembly in real time, using Falco Girgis’s SH4ZAM library for another round of performance gains.

Real hardware, not emulation

Contrary to what one might think, this is not emulation but a true native port. The project is based on the Star Fox 64 decompilation by Sonicdcer, which recreated the game’s original source code. Jnmartin84 then adapted that code to run natively on Dreamcast hardware, optimizing every aspect to take full advantage of the SH4 processor and PowerVR GPU.

The result? Iconic barrel rolls, precise laser shots, and intense space battles running perfectly. Even the character voices and sound effects are being implemented for a complete and faithful experience.

Jnmartin84, the magician of N64-to-Dreamcast ports

This isn’t the first time Jnmartin84 has impressed the community. His homebrew résumé is already impressive: Doom 64, widely considered the definitive console version; Wipeout running like clockwork; and now Mario Kart 64, freshly released with Sonic even added as a bonus. Each project showcases exceptional technical mastery and an eye for detail that elevates his work from a “working port” to a “flawless port.”

Falco Girgis confirms it: “We’ve got another AAA-quality Nintendo 64 to Sega Dreamcast port from Jnmartin! Stay tuned for the upcoming release!”

Who is Falco Girgis?

For those unfamiliar, Falco Girgis is a key figure in the Dreamcast scene. An embedded systems and graphics developer, he’s one of the main maintainers of KallistiOS, the open-source SDK that has allowed developers to create Dreamcast homebrew for more than two decades.

Thanks to his work and that of contributors like @sizious (DreamSDK) and @darcag3nt, the Dreamcast now enjoys a modern development environment with support for C23, C++23, and even Rust. KallistiOS was recently ported to GameCube and Wii, extending its reach even further.

Falco is also known for the Elysian Shadows project, an indie RPG that was a hit on Kickstarter in 2014 and was initially designed exclusively for Dreamcast. His passion for Sega’s console dates back to 2004, when at 14 years old he discovered that homebrew games could run on the Dreamcast without any hardware modification.

A homebrew scene more alive than ever

This news is part of a larger wave of exciting Dreamcast projects. The console is currently enjoying a true homebrew renaissance, with ports of GTA III, GTA Vice City, and now an entire series of N64 classics.

Week after week, the Dreamcast proves that a “dead” console can still live on vibrantly thanks to its passionate community. Twenty-six years after its release, it has never been more alive—and Star Fox 64 will soon be one more reason to bring that iconic white console back out of the closet.