The format of graphics data varies from console to console, but most of the early ones (NES, Super NES, Game Boy, etc.) store graphics in tiles, which are 8x8- pixel units of pixel data, which are arranged on-screen to produce the desired result. Nd someone (including those who have done it) who consider it easy.Īnother basic hacking skill is graphics hacking, which is changing the appearance of the game's environs, characters, fonts, or other such things. Some intrepid hackers also perform level editing with a hex editor, although one would be hard-pressed to fi The matter is more complicated with Super NES and Sega Genesis games, which store absolute RGB color values.Īnd a hex editor is the tool of choice for editing things such as character/item properties, if the structure and location of this data is known and there's no game-specific editor for the game that can edit this information. This is fairly easy for NES games, the graphics of which use a pre-defined set of colors among which a game selects palette hacking in this case entails changing which of those colors are selected. Other games use simple text compression techniques (such as Dual-Tile Encoding or DTE, in which certain combinations of two or more letters are encoded as one byte) which a suitably-equipped hex editor can facilitate editing.Īnother common form of hacking is Palette hacking, where color values are modified to change the colors a player sees in the game (this often goes hand-in-hand with graphics hacking). Not all games store their text in ASCII form, though, and for this, some specialized hex editors have been developed, which can be told what byte values correspond to what letter(s) of the alphabet, to facilitate text editing a file that defines these byte=letter relationships is called a "table" file. Hex editors are usually used for editing text, for editing other data for which the structure is known (for example, item properties), and ASM hacking.Įditing text is one of the most basic forms of hacking. Inter-group relationships are generally peaceful, although events such as hackers leaving/joining a group, switching groups, or breaking formal relationships can cause strife.Īs ROMs were not designed to be edited, there aren't really any standardized ways of hacking, but some of the more generally-accepted methods and utilities are described here.Ī hex editor is one of the most fundamental tools in any ROM hacker's repertoire. ROM hacking experience is usually a prerequisite for joining how much depends on the group.
Attaining membership generally involves making a request to a high-ranking member of the group, and/or being invited by such a member. Most hacking groups offer web space for hosting hacks and screenshots (sometimes only hosting hacks by the group's members, sometimes hosting most any hack), a message board, and often have an IRC channel. Not all group members are necessarily ROM hackers themselves some have "retired" from the craft, others offer services such as website and/or message board administration, and some simply offer guidance to aspiring ROM hackers. Many hackers, however, choose to go solo. Many ROM hackers form or join groups, for various reasons, such as for web space to host distributed hacks and/or screenshots, for the support or collaboration of/with other members of the group, for privelaged status on the group's message board (if it has one), for the prestige associated with the group, or just for the comraderie. Once ready, they are usually distributed on the Internet for others to play on an emulator.įan translation (known as "translation hacking" in the ROM hacking community) is a type of ROM hacking this article, however, focuses on "non-translation hacking," such as editing game levels. ROM hacking is generally accomplished through use of a hex editor (a program that edits files on a binary level) and various specialized tools such as Tile editors, and game-specific tools which are generally used for editing levels, items, and the like. This is usually done by technically-inclined video game fans to breathe new life into a cherished old game, as a creative outlet, or to make essentially new games using an old game as a foundation. ROM hacking is the process of modifying a video game's ROM image to alter its graphics, dialogue, levels, gameplay, or other things. This message is for the benefit of Sega Retro wiki staff. This file or page has been flagged for relocation to Retro CDN, the Wikimedia Commons-esque service for all Retro wikis.