MTM2.com

MTM2 Localization Reverse Engineering (with AI) – Findings + Reconstructed .LOC

Spent some time digging into how Monster Truck Madness 2 handles localization, using AI to speed up the binary analysis. Sharing results here since this might be useful for modding / translations in the future, and maybe do a proper update to the Spanish-LOC project (last version was released in 2008...)

Goal
Figure out whether UI\MTM2.loc is embedded inside MONSTER.EXE (possibly inside a POD), or if it's external — and if possible, reconstruct a base LOC file directly from the EXE.

What we found

• No embedded POD or hidden LOC inside the EXE
• UI\MTM2.loc is just a hardcoded path string in the binary
• The EXE contains the original English strings compiled directly into it
• The LOC system works as a runtime override layer:

Key insight
The EXE itself is basically the source message catalog.
The LOC file only maps/replaces those strings, it doesn’t store the originals.

What we built

• Scanned the EXE for all relevant English UI/message strings
• Matched them against known LOC files
• Reconstructed a base LOC file directly from the executable
• Added extra UI/HUD/loading strings found only in the EXE (separated with comments)
• Included offsets for traceability/debugging

Result
A working LOC file you can use as:

• a baseline for translations
• a starting point for mods
• a way to fix missing or broken localization

Why this matters

• No need to search for hidden resources or embedded PODs
• Full control over localization externally
• Makes creating new language packs straightforward

If anyone wants the file or wants to expand coverage further (there are still some edge-case strings), I’m happy to share or iterate on it.

https://fromsmash.com/MTM2-BASELOC