Extract text from Nintendo compressed archives (CARC)
To convert CARC archives to another format, you need Every File Explorer or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Game Archive File" file type, you need software like Every File Explorer or a similar tool.
A .carc file is a proprietary Nintendo Compressed Archive File used extensively in modern and legacy Nintendo games. These files act as containers that bundle and compress various game assets, including 3D models, UI layouts, textures, and animation data. Developers use this format to optimize storage space and loading times on consoles like the Nintendo DS, 3DS, and Wii.
To manually open or extract these archives, users typically rely on community-developed modding tools such as Every File Explorer or specific Nintendo SDK utilities. Because it is a closed, proprietary format, standard file archivers like 7-Zip or WinRAR cannot read it.
The main disadvantage of the .CARC format is its complete lack of compatibility with standard desktop software. Game modders and dataminers often need to extract these files to access the raw data inside. Without specialized tools, the file is entirely useless on a standard PC. Standard online converters fail to process it because the internal structure often uses proprietary Yaz0 compression.
When extracting or converting a .CARC file, the goal is usually to unpack the archive into standard formats. Target formats depend on the internal assets, such as converting embedded textures to PNG or extracting 3D models to OBJ or DAE.
This file format is difficult to open or convert because it is a closed ecosystem design meant only for Nintendo hardware. Often, only the original software or highly specialized extraction tools can properly read or export the data. If our analysis detects a supported underlying or embedded format, viewing or extracting the assets may still be possible.
Convert.Guru analyzes your CARC file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
If you want to convert CARC file to EXE, ISO, BIN, CUE, PAK, WAD, PK3, PK4, BSP, MAP, SAV or DAT, you can use Every File Explorer or similar software from the "Game Data Archive Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MOD, BIN, CFG, SCX, DAT, MPQ, LOG, CUE, INI, EXE, SCM or ISO files to CARC, try Every File Explorer or another comparable tool in the "Game Data Archive Storage" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our CARC converter.