BurialNX

An optimized Nintendo Switch homebrew runtime environment for TCOAAL, built around nx.js and a targeted RPG Maker MV compatibility host.

Project Scope & Compatibility

Important

BurialNX is a specialized loader, not a universal RPG Maker MV player. Its runtime behavior and compatibility code are tailored to TCOAAL's specific memory demands, asset layout, and plugin footprint. Other RPG Maker MV deployments are not supported, and compatibility with every version or mod of TCOAAL is not guaranteed.

The project loads an independently supplied game deployment; it is not a decompilation or recreation of the game. Gameplay has been reported working on Switch, but additional hardware, game versions, and configurations require testing. Back up saves before use.

BurialNX was informed by the earlier TCOAALBrowserLoader implementation. The original desktop deployment uses NW.js; BurialNX uses nx.js instead, without the Switch WebApplet. The earlier loader and game behavior were inspected; this is not a clean-room implementation. OpenAI Codex assisted with investigation, implementation, tests, and documentation. See AGENTS.md, WORKING.md, and NOTICE.md.

Technical Highlights

• Switch runtime integration: Runs the game's JavaScript through nx.js, which builds on libnx, and supplies the browser-facing interfaces required by the game. The packaged application does not need Node.js on the console.
• Memory-aware optimization: A bounded 16 MiB cache reduces repeated reads of small assets and map data; nearby map data can be warmed in idle scenes. Large audio files are excluded. The renderer reuses appropriate canvas surfaces to reduce allocation churn.
• File-system routing: Resolves game resources and TCOAAL's hashed asset paths from a user-selected SD-card directory, with an optional unpacked mod overlay. Loader settings stay separate from game files; saves use the explicitly selected storage location.
• Input and display: Maps Switch controller input to game-facing controls, provides fit/native display modes, and offers a long-press Minus menu for loader settings and FPS display.
• Diagnostics: An optional debug build exposes progress, runtime logs, and diagnostic snapshots for investigating compatibility and performance.

Installation and Usage

1. Download burialnx.nro from a project release or build it using Building & Debugging. A separate burialnx-debug.nro is available for troubleshooting. No game content is needed to build the loader.

2. Copy the NRO to sdmc:/switch/burialnx/ on a homebrew-enabled Switch. Launch it in application mode rather than the memory-limited Album applet mode, and select your Switch user.

3. Copy your own legally obtained TCOAAL game files to the SD card. For example, the folder layout can be:

   sdmc:/switch/burialnx/burialnx.nro
   sdmc:/games/TCOAAL/
   ├── save/                  # optional existing PC saves
   └── www/
       ├── index.html
       ├── js/rpg_core.js
       ├── data/
       └── img/
   

   This is an example, not a fixed game path. In the picker, highlight the game folder containing www/ and press X. A folder directly containing index.html and js/rpg_core.js also works. Use Up/Down to highlight, A to open a folder, and B to go back. Press Y instead of X when selecting a game only if you need the earlier loader's shared save keys.

4. Choose Switch user save data, an existing separate SD-card folder, or explicitly select a game-folder save location. For game-folder saves, press Y and choose either save/ next to www/ or www/save/. The exact path is shown before selection. A missing save folder is created on launch; saving in-game writes there, including to existing slots. Back it up first. For Switch or separate SD storage, you can optionally import compatible Steam saves into an empty destination; the import is skipped when no save slots are found. The release build remembers the selected game and save location, prompting again if unavailable. The debug build asks for the game, mod, and save location on startup.

Hold Minus during gameplay to open the loader menu; navigate with Up/Down and A, and close with B. The menu provides the game's load screen, display mode, FPS display, save-location selection, Steam-save import, and mod selection. Save-location and mod changes require restarting and do not move existing saves. To load a mod, select an unpacked folder whose paths match the game's www/ tree; its files take precedence. Select Y for no mod. Archives are not supported. Use only trusted games and mods: their scripts run with native runtime privileges, and the loader is not a security sandbox. See SECURITY.md.

Switch saves belong to the selected user and application ID; an SD or game save folder is shared between users. Do not use the same game-folder saves on PC and Switch at the same time. Game-path-specific Switch save keys depend on the selected path, so moving the game can change which saves appear. Loader settings are in sdmc:/switch/burialnx/settings.json; they are not save files. Back up saves with a trusted save manager before testing or changing storage. See Building & Debugging for log collection and reporting instructions. Debug diagnostics are stored under sdmc:/switch/burialnx/LOGS/; nx.js may also write sdmc:/switch/nxjs-debug.log.

Known limitation: The Credits scene can hang or crash on Switch. Its title menu entry is disabled and script requests to open it are skipped as a temporary safeguard; this safeguard has been tested in desktop simulation but still needs verification on Switch. Other versions and mods may encounter additional issues.

Legal Disclaimer

BurialNX is an independent homebrew project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the game's creators, Nintendo, Valve, or Steam. No game assets, game files, ROMs, or proprietary Nintendo SDK code are included. Obtain game files and mods legally and verify your right to use and distribute any artwork or other third-party material. See NOTICE.md for licensing and attribution information; this disclaimer is not legal advice.