---
title: "THIS IS F*CKING UNREAL! AI AGENTS ARE REBUILDING A 1996 WINDOWS GAME WITH NOTHIN"
url: "https://reamcp.dev/en/cases/this-is-f-cking-unreal-ai-agents-are-rebuilding-a-1996-windo-90f38a"
source: "https://x.com/i/status/2110485237054742876"
source_type: "x"
author: "angel"
author_handle: "angel404l"
stars: 0
category: "Lost source recovery"
categories: ["source-recovery"]
tags: ["binary-analysis", "ghidra", "ida", "reverse-engineering", "source-recovery"]
added: "2026-10-17T02:25:54.514Z"
updated: "2026-10-14T21:39:35.000Z"
locale: "en"
content_locale: "en"
---

# THIS IS F*CKING UNREAL! AI AGENTS ARE REBUILDING A 1996 WINDOWS GAME WITH NOTHIN

An X post describing how AI agents used REA (the reverse engineering MCP) to recover functions from the DX-Ball executable, reconstructing a C version one function at a time with byte-for-byte comparison against the original x86 code.

## Description

The author walks through a single function recovery: analyzing function 0x406400, following the caller to derive a screen-position formula, reading two constants from the .exe, and validating the reimplementation with 3,205 test cases and a byte-identical recompile using a 1996-era compiler. The post reports 55 functions rewritten, 45,380 checks, 33 byte-identical functions, and notes REA covers 23 target types with a one-command setup via npx rea-agents. No repository link is provided and the rights to reverse the original commercial game are not stated.

## Original README

THIS IS F*CKING UNREAL! AI AGENTS ARE REBUILDING A 1996 WINDOWS GAME WITH NOTHING BUT THE .EXE

the game is DX-Ball. no source code. no docs. just the original executable

and REA, the MIT-licensed reverse engineering MCP sitting at 238,000 stars on GitHub

the goal: a clean, maintainable C version of the whole game, recovered 1 function at a time

here's 1 function, start to finish

question: when a brick breaks, which speaker plays the sound?

the agent asked REA 3 things:

→ analyze_function 0x406400 - the decompiler said the function was empty. the raw instructions showed a hidden integer input
→ follow the caller - the brick-hit code turns a tile into a screen position: 20 + 30 × tile_x
→ read_bytes - 2 constants buried in the .exe decode to 1.5625 and 500.0

the whole formula:

pan = (x × 1.5625 − 500.0) × scale

-500 on the left edge. 0 in the middle. +500 on the right

then it had to prove it wasn't guessing:

> 3,205 test cases run against the original x86 code
> every position from 0 to 640, at 5 pan scales
> recompiled with the 1996-era compiler: all 63 bytes identical

the project so far:

> 55 functions rewritten in C
> 45,380 checks against the original
> 33 functions that compile byte-for-byte the same

and it's not just old games. REA covers 23 target types: native binaries through Hopper, Ghidra or IDA, Electron apps, .NET, Android APKs, websites, firmware, network captures

1 command to start:

npx rea-agents setup

then hand your agent a binary you're allowed to inspect and paste this:

"Use REA to recover 1 function from this executable

1. Analyze the function and its callers. Show the instructions behind every claim, not just the pseudocode
2. Read and decode every constant or global it depends on
3. Write a C version with the same inputs and outputs
4. Build a test that runs the original and your version across the full input range. Report every mismatch"

start with 1 small function you can fully verify

the decompiler said empty. the bytes said otherwise.

full case study:

https://github.com/morluto/rea
https://rea.tools/showcase/dx-bal