Resident Evil 2: Rebuilt for Sega Saturn

On September 7, developer Grimfel announced his work in progress to port Resident Evil 2 to the Sega Saturn, and he had it running on real hardware by the 13th! Now after just a few days of community testing and feedback, we have a major update that shows vast improvements.

DISCLAIMER: This project did NOT use Generative AI to fabricate or auto-generate any assets from scratch. However, AI tools were used for backend tasks such as Data Extraction and Debugging. Astra AI was used to read, interpret and extract asset data from the original game ROM, which the developer manually integrated into a new build of the game in JoEngine. AI was also used to identify bugs in the Saturn code, and convert logic to Saturn-friendly code blocks. This project is not a native port of the game’s source code.

Here’s a good demonstration of the game in it’s current build v1.1 running on real hardware via Saroo on a CRT:

Folks may recall that developer NexTech (who ported the first Resident Evil to Saturn) had planned to port the sequel leveraging the console’s 4 MB RAM expansion, only to abandon the project in 1998, after Capcom shifted focus to the development of Code Veronica for Dreamcast. But finding that old source code from NexTech is basically impossible at this point, and even getting hands on the original PlayStation source code is not likely, unless you happen to be Sony or Capcom…

Well, we’re now living in an age where pulling apart a fully compiled game that’s been stamped out onto compact disc is now well within our means, thanks to the advent of amazing tools such as Ghidra, and now LLMs such as Claude and Astra. Just a decade ago, this was unthinkable, but now folks like Grimfel are able to extract all the necessary assets directly from the commercially released game image and then use them to build a ‘new game’ essentially in a completely different engine.

The Development Timeline

The game’s development arc has been remarkably compressed, as it was only announced as early work in progress back on September 7, and as of the 13th, it was released to play testers running on real Saturn hardware!

• 09/07: Project was announced as a work in progress.
• 09/08: Basic RE2 data and game logic running on Saturn.
• 09/09: Cinematics, audio, collision, effects and pickups.
• 09/10: Player systems, inventory, aiming, animations and broader level progression.
• 09/11: Memory/performance work and interactive objects.
• 09/13: Working on real Saturn hardware / beta testers give feedback.

Taking in valuable feedback from Saturn developers in the community, Grimfel was able to implement several improvements, such as the use of optimized Saturn Cinepak per the advice of TrekkiesUnite118.

Resident Evil 2 on Sega Saturn: Prototype v1.1 — DOWNLOAD

As of Wednesday, Sept. 16, a new prototype build was announced, bringing the following improvements:

• Rendering and animation optimizations.
• Smarter shadow caching with fewer repeated memory reads.
• Camera loading and RPD cutscene improvements.
• Expanded room music and revised dialogue streaming.
• Door animation and movie playback changes.
• Wall-hand weapon reactions and further gameplay work.
• Optional 4MB expansion support and menu memory fixes.

There’s progress here, but please expect an unfinished, messy prototype. Crowded scenes can still slow down, audio and movies may glitch, and some interactions or progression can break. Consistent 30 FPS and reliable playback across Saturn hardware, ODEs and Saroo are still being worked toward.
— Grimfel

The AI Usage Debate

Grimfel’s X timeline has been recently filled with much debate regarding the use of AI for this project, and there are a range of opinions and perspectives in this regard. It’s certainly not cut and dry, but we’ve observed the following general sentiment:

Some traditional programmers may feel that bypassing the grueling trial-and-error of understanding Saturn hardware restrictions by using LLMs or AI assistants devalues the achievements of past homebrew developers. Critics speculate that AI cannot “truly understand” the unique quirks of Saturn’s architecture, and point out that the port suffers from heavy slowdowns, room-transition lag, and messy memory allocations. They argue that relying on AI code generates “bloat,” preventing the game from achieving ideal performance on actual hardware. Technically, the game is a new engine running Resident Evil 2 assets rather than a source-code conversion, so purists even argue that labeling it a “port” is misleading when AI is handling the heavy lifting of translation.

On the flip side of the debate, many retro enthusiasts view Grimfel’s project as a groundbreaking proof of concept. Proponents argue that if AI tools can fast-track the tedious process of asset extraction and basic scripting, it lowers the barrier to entry. This shift could allow independent creators to focus on higher-level design, potentially ushering in a wave of cancelled games or “impossible” ports that would otherwise take a solo developer a decade to build.

And, of course, none of this speaks to the moral, ethical or even political aspects of using AI in general, much less for homebrew projects such as this, which have been traditionally done by hand for the past several decades. However, it’s up to each individual to decide how they feel about this aspect of homebrew development in 2026 and moving on into 2027.

In the meantime, SHIRO! will continue to deliver updates and info on this and other projects as they surface.