The .RZ file extension represents two distinct formats that often confuse users due to their incompatibility with standard tools. Most commonly (approx. 53%), it is a Compressed Game Asset developed by Radical Entertainment, found in classic titles like The Simpsons: Hit & Run and Scarface: The World is Yours. These files are proprietary archives containing textures, models, and scripts that standard extractors like WinRAR cannot read. Users often encounter these when attempting to mod games or extract assets for custom levels. The second common type is an Rzip Compressed Archive created by Andrew Tridgell. Unlike standard ZIP or GZ files, Rzip uses a two-stage compression method (long-distance redundancy elimination followed by bzip2) to achieve massive compression ratios on large files. Because of this unique algorithm, typical "right-click and extract" workflows in Windows fail, leaving users with an "Unknown File Format" error. To handle these, you must identify the source: use Lucas' Simpsons Hit & Run Mod Launcher for game files to override or inspect assets, or use the rzip command-line utility (or compatible tools like Filestar) to decompress archives into standard formats.
Convert.Guru analyzes your RZ file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted DL_, ZZ, ZL, RA and RMS files.
FAQ
If you want to convert RZ file to RA, RMS, ZIP, RAR, 7Z, TAR, GZ, BZ2, XZ, LZMA, CAB or ACE, you can use Lucas' Simpsons Hit & Run Mod Launcher or similar software from the "Compressed Game Asset" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert XXE, 7Z, Z, PAK, LHA, DEB, UUE, TAR, LZH, ZIP, PKG or RAR files to RZ, try Lucas' Simpsons Hit & Run Mod Launcher or another comparable tool in the "Compressed Game Asset" category.
The RZ Converter Story
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 RZ converter.