What was done
Clockwork statically recompiles the 3DS games ARM code to C on a shared SDL3 runtime with a launcher, mods, save imports and internet-relayed local wireless.
Clockwork is a static recompilation project covering eight Yo-kai Watch releases on Nintendo 3DS, from Yo-kai Watch through Busters 2, with each region becoming its own executable built from the game ARM code translated to C by the in-repo recompiler. The commit history carries Co-Authored-By: Claude trailers, so AI agents helped build it. The repository holds only tools and source, and releases ship the launcher and runtime, never the games: players add decrypted dumps of cartridges they own.
How it was done
tools/ctrx unpacks a decrypted dump and writes a summary of its memory layout and system modules; tools/recomp carries an ARM and Thumb decoder, function discovery and a C emitter; and both are checked against llvm-objdump and qemu-arm. The runtime replaces the 3DS kernel and services, the PICA200 renderer over SDL GPU and DSP audio. Releases build the game module on your machine when a dump is added, and the launcher can recompile in the background with progress on the library tab.
Results
The USA releases are the tested ones and Psychic Specters is the most played; other regions are recognised and build the same way. The port runs with up to four times internal resolution, a 16:9 top screen with adjustable HUD, frame interpolation toward 60 fps, more-of-the-scene one-screen layouts, GameBanana mods, save imports from a real 3DS and decrypted update packages built from their own code. Battles, trades and co-op run between windows or across networks through an optional relay, mirroring the games local wireless rather than a revived server.