ROM hacking: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 11:52, 2 April 2025

Revision as of 11:59, 2 April 2025

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A more recent patching format, the APS patching system, has also been developed by a devoted Game Boy Advance ROM hacker.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pokecommunity.com/member.php?u=28656|title=The PokéCommunity Forums - View Profile: HackMew|website=www.pokecommunity.com|date=27 June 2006 }}</ref> Compared to other patching formats, the APS system is more space efficient, is reversible, and is faster than its predecessor.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pokecommunity.com/showpost.php?p=2488977&postcount=1&highlight#A-Ptch|title= Newest patching format, APS, recently released|website=www.pokecommunity.com|date= 20 May 2007}}</ref>

The main purpose of distributing a hack in patch form is to avoid the legal aspects of distributing entire ROM images; the patch records only what has ''changed'' in the ROM, hence distributing it does not usually distribute parts of the original game. {{Citation needed span|date=September 2024|reason=A claim of legality without source|InThis thispractice context,would thehave patchesalso typically contained user-made code changes to the original game and not the game’s complete copyrighted code, which would havepotentially eliminated any copyright issues that may occur with distributing unofficial patches for gamesthe ROMs themselves.}} A patch is also normally drastically smaller than a full ROM image (an NES ROM can run anywhere from 8&nbsp;KB to 2&nbsp;MB; a Super NES ROM can run from 256&nbsp;KB to 6&nbsp;MB; and Mega Drive (Genesis) ROMs can run from 512&nbsp;KB to 4&nbsp;MB).

In a novel example of legal distribution, Sega released a [[Steam (service)|Steam]]-based virtual hub for its previous collection of Mega Drive (Genesis) games, entitled ''[[Sega Mega Drive Classic Collection#Sega Mega Drive Classics Hub|Sega Mega Drive Classics Hub]]''. The ''Hub'', besides allowing players to play emulated versions of these older games, takes advantage of Steam's support for user-created content through the Steam Workshop, officially allowing the distribution of ROM hacks of any of the offered games.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-29-modders-are-already-having-fun-with-sega-mega-drive-classics-on-steam | title = Modders are already having fun with Sega Mega Drive classics on Steam | first = Wesley | last = Yin-Poole | date = April 29, 2016 | access-date = May 3, 2016 | work = [[Eurogamer]] }}</ref><ref name="steamworkshopsmd" />