FAQ
So I can download hacked ROMs from your site?
I made a ROM hack. Put it on your site.
What is a ROM?
A ROM is a file which contains the data from the Read Only Memory chip of a computer game cartridge. Essentially, the ROM file of a game is the game in a format that can be played on an emulator.
What is an emulator?
An emulator is a program that emulates the behaviour of one system on another system. Thus, a NES emulator is like a virtual NES you can play games (ROMs) on from the comfort of your PC.
So what’s a ROM hack?
A ROM hack / hacked ROM is just a ROM file that someone has altered in some way. Hacks range from complete redesigns with new levels, sprites and behaviours, down to someone just giving Mario an afro and changing his name to ‘Satan’. It should be clear by now what type of hack this site concentrates on.
So I can download hacked ROMs from your site?
No. There are no ROMs here, only IPS files.
WTF? What am I supposed to do with this? How do I play the game?
Be calm. Here is everything you will need, and everything you will need to do, in order to play these hacks:
First, download the hack IPS file of your choice. It will be within a .rar file, sometimes along with a text file or any other nonsense the hacker chose to include. If you don't already know, you can open .rar files using free software like WinRAR, available here.
Then go find the original ROM of the game. ‘Where do I find original ROMS?’, you may ask. I cannot tell you. ROMs are illegal. That’s why you won’t find any on this site. They’re not so illegal that you’ll get thrown in jail for having one on your computer, or even several hundred for that matter (probably). However, they are potentially illegal enough for you to have a website shut down for hosting them. In short: try Google. There are plenty of ROM sites out there, just have a look.
Next you will need an IPS patcher. I recommend Lunar IPS. Get it. Load up your ROM, load up the IPS hack file, patch it, and voila; one hacked ROM.
Finally, get yourself an emulator. The emulator section at Zophar.net has everything you need. For NES emulation, I recommend Nester or FCEUXDSP. Load up your hacked ROM and play.
If you're looking to play a PlayStation hack, then you'll need different software. Games derived from CDs are ISOs rather than ROMs, so you'll need an ISO patcher (get PPFomatic here), the PPF hack file of your choice, plus the original ISO file. This is murky territory. Like ROMs, ISOs are illegal, only they are usually for systems that aren't as thoroughly obsolete as the NES, so you're more likely to get into trouble for having them. Probably. Above still applies: no-one's going to come knocking on your door just because you have a couple of PSX ISOs on your computer, but then I'm not advocating piracy. :)
Why does this site exist?
There are sites out there that provide commercial ROMS and there are community sites that encourage the development of quality ROM hacks, e.g., translations, difficulty hacks. Mutant hacks like the ones featured here are generally looked down upon & often excluded. We aim to provide a home for this type of hack. Why? Because some of them are incredible. They're maybe not 'good' in a conventional sense, but they often contain stuff that will blow your mind, or at least make you worry about the future of humanity.
How do I make a ROM hack?
There are various methods and tools. Generally speaking, you’ll need a tile editor (I recommend Tile Layer Pro) for editing graphics, and a hex editor (try Stealth Translations' WindHex32) for text editing. Certain emulators have features that will come in handy when hacking. NES emulators of this type include Nesticle and FCEUXDSP. Once you’ve got some tools together, head over to RomHacking.net and check out their excellent selection of tutorials and further utilities.
I made a ROM hack. Put it on your site.
Gladly, so long as it's in keeping with the loose theme of BadHacks.net. Send it to me via the Contact section of the site with whatever accompanying info you consider important. Thanks.