ROM hacking: Difference between revisions

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{{About|modifications to ROM images of video games|video games unofficially produced by hobbyists for closed systems|Homebrew (video games)}}

'''ROM hacking''' (short for '''Read-only memory hacking''') is the process of [[Modding|modifying]] a [[ROM image|ROM image or ROM file]] to alter the contents contained within, usually of a [[video game]] to alter the game's [[graphics]], [[dialogue]], levels[[Level (video games)|level]]s, [[gameplay]], and/or other elements. This is usually done by technically inclined video game fans to improve an old game of importance, as a creative outlet, or to essentially make ''new'', unofficial games using the old game's engine.

ROM [[Hacker (hobbyist)|hacking]] is generally accomplished through use of a [[hex editor]] (a program for editing non-textual data) and various specialized tools such as [[tile-based video game|tile]] editors, and game-specific tools which are generally used for editing levels, items, and the like, although more advanced tools such as [[assembly language|assemblers]] and [[debugger]]s are occasionally used. Once ready, they are usually [[#Distribution|distributed]] on the [[Internet]] for others to play on an [[Console emulator|emulator]] or a games console.<ref name="dictionary">{{cite web|url=http://www.romhacking.net/dictionary/?page=dictionary|title=Dictionary of ROM hacking terms|website=ROMhacking.net}}</ref>

Many ROM hacks today are typically created as a fun way of playing the original games, as they typically redesign the game with new mechanics, graphics, levels, and other features while keeping most if not all of the items the same, effectively creating either an improved or an entirely different version of the original games. Some hacks are also created to unlock and/or reimplement features that existed in the game's code but are not utilized in-game, especially for when rediscovering or restoring old beta content that was hidden away from the final game's release.

[[Fan translation of video games|Fan translation]] (known as "translation hacking" within the ROM hacking community) is another type of ROM hacking; there are also anti-censorship hacks that exist to restore a game to its original state, which is often seen with older games that were imported, as publishers' content policies for video games (most notably, [[Nintendo]]'s) were much stricter in the United States than Japan or Europe; randomizers are also available for certain games, which are designed to shuffle entity placements from within the games.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The BIG List of Video Game Randomizers|url=https://www.debigare.com/randomizers/|access-date=2020-07-10|website=Guillaume Fortin-Debigaré|language=en}}</ref> Although much of the method applies to both types of hacking, this article focuses on "creative hacking" such as editing game levels.