Native, not emulated
The game's PowerPC code is translated into x64 code before you play, so the processor work runs directly on your CPU instead of being interpreted.
Open source · this page: 60 fps
The Great Sea, now at 60 fps.
Deep Sea is a native Windows port of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. It rebuilds the game from your own GameCube disc, then sails it at a smooth 60 fps in true widescreen.
No game files included. You need your own USA copy of the game (GameCube, GZLE01). Windows 10/11, 64-bit.
What's aboard
Your ship, rebuilt for PC
The game's own code, translated to run natively on your computer, with the extras a modern PC can give it.
A real 60 fps
In-between frames are rendered and paced to your display's refresh. If your PC can't keep up, it steps down to 30 fps instead of slowing the game.
True widescreen
At 16:9 the camera sees more of the sea and the HUD moves out to the edges. Nothing is stretched, and 4:3 plays exactly like the original.
Your disc, your build
No game files come with the download. The first launch builds the game from your own USA disc, right on your PC.
Controllers ready
Xbox-style pads work out of the box. DirectInput pads and the keyboard work too, and every button can be remapped in the launcher.
Skip the long scenes
Hold Z + Start (RB + Start on an Xbox pad) to skip a cutscene. F1 saves a state, and holding Space fast-forwards.
60frames a second, paced to your display
416pieces of game code translated: the main program and 415 modules
16:9widescreen that widens the view, not the pixels
0game files in the download
The voyage
From your disc to the open sea
Setup happens once. After that, every launch goes straight to the title screen.
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1
Download
Grab the bundle and unzip it anywhere you like. It carries the runtime, the translator and a compiler.
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2
Point it at your disc
Pick your extracted USA disc folder, or let the launcher unpack an ISO, WBFS or RVZ image of your own copy.
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3
Let it build, once
The first launch translates the game's code and compiles it for your processor. It takes about 10 minutes, with a progress bar.
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4
Set sail
60 fps, 16:9 and your controller. Later launches check the build in a few seconds and start right away.
Ship's manifest
What you bring, what we bring
Everything in the download is free software. The game itself stays yours.
You bring required
- Your own copy of the game: the USA GameCube release (GZLE01). European, Japanese and HD versions aren't supported.
- Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
- A graphics card with Vulkan 1.1. Any GPU from the last several years with current drivers.
- A controller if you like. The keyboard works too.
We bring in the download
- The runtime: graphics, audio and input, built on the Dolphin emulator's hardware code.
- The translator that turns the game's PowerPC code into C.
- A compiler (LLVM/Clang) and a small Python that run the one-time build.
- Mods: 60 fps, widescreen and cutscene skip, each with an off switch.
Free space during setup ≈ 2 GBKept after setup ≈ 500 MBDownload ≈ 110 MB
From the crow's nest
Questions
Is the game included?
No. The download contains only free software: the runtime, the code translator and a compiler. You supply your own copy of the game, and the game's code is translated on your PC from that copy.
Why does the first launch take so long?
It translates about 416 pieces of game code into C and compiles them into one optimized module, tuned for your processor. That takes about 10 minutes depending on your CPU. You can cancel safely; the next launch starts over.
The result is saved, so later launches only run a quick check. If you move the bundle to a PC with a different processor, it builds again there by itself.
Which version of the game do I need?
The North American GameCube disc, game ID GZLE01. Setup checks every file it needs and tells you if your copy is a different or damaged release.
How does it work?
It's a static recompilation. A translator (DolRecomp) reads the game's PowerPC machine code and writes equivalent C. A compiler (Clang) turns that into x64 code for your CPU, and a runtime built on the Dolphin emulator's hardware code provides graphics (Vulkan), audio and input.
What the port knows about the game's own code, such as which functions to hook for 60 fps and widescreen, comes from the zeldaret/tww decompilation project.
Can I turn off 60 fps or widescreen?
Yes. Pick 4:3 in the launcher to play exactly like the original. Each mod also has an environment switch, such as MODERNGEKKO_FRAME60_ACCUM=0. The players' guide in the download lists them all.
Setup says the translated code "differs from the tested build"
Setup compares what it produced against the build this release was tested with, and refuses to run anything different. Check that the game files come from a clean copy of the USA disc, and that the download wasn't changed. The logs are kept in assets\user-dir\modules\GZLE01\.
Is this made by Nintendo?
No. Deep Sea is an unofficial fan project. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Nintendo.