Gaming

rom hacking

What does rom hacking mean?

Modifying a game's ROM data to change gameplay, graphics, text or anything else baked into the cartridge image. This is how you get custom Mario worlds, translation patches and full-blown fan remakes.

"The fan translation is a ROM hack, they rewrote every text box and repointed the script in the ROM."

Origin

Emulation/homebrew scene; editing the raw ROM data of a game to change levels, graphics, text or mechanics.

Frequently asked questions

What is ROM hacking?

ROM hacking is cracking open a game's ROM to rewrite how it plays or looks, from small tweaks to full custom versions.

How do you use ROM hacking in a sentence?

"Through ROM hacking he added new levels and swapped the sprites in the classic platformer."

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