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The Revolution Emulator, also known within a SDK definition file as RVL_EMU, is a program that, assuming it works the same as the Official Dolphin Emulator, allows Wii source code to run on a PC (or possibly Mac) platform. Assuming that it works in this way, it would not technically be an emulator in the sense that you could not run compiled applications on it, though you could run applications from source code using it.
According to SDK definition files, the emulator emulated the GameCube's ARAM, possibly indicating that the Wii had ARAM at one point. The definitions are identical to those for "PRE_RVL" (a platform which presumably refers to using Revolution SDK libraries on GameCube development kits). The emulator apparently emulated the Broadway CPU, Hollywood GPU, and IOP (Starlet).
We do not actually have a copy of the emulator, but we can guess that it is likely quite similar to the Dolphin Emulator, allowing us to infer the above information; we know that the emulator exists because it is mentioned in a few places in the SDK:
- OSGetConsoleType defines, listed as a GameCube debug platform (indicating its early status)
- A text file mentioning versions of the various components of the emulator, including Starlet emulation
- Mentions of it as a platform in makefiles and definitions
The 'commondefs' file in the Wii SDK contains a reference to an unknown "WK" library, with the following comment:
# 20-Jan-06 The fabled WK library. For emulation platforms ONLY. @EUG
This is followed by a declaration to include this library if the "RVL_EMU" platform is set. It is unknown what purpose this library would have served. There is also a reference to an unknown "WKMC" library.
We have very limited information on this emulator, as it can be presumed to be from the era before Revolution SDK 1.0, most likely being used in 2005/early 2006. See Full Wii History.
It is one of the Holy Grails.