ROM hacks have been around for decades, with hacks for Nintendo games having been some of the most popular over the years. Most are made for retro games on consoles like the NES, SNES, and Game Boy. Successful ROM hacks of games like Sonic 2 prove that Nintendo games are not the only ones that serve as a great foundation for ROM hacks.
There are a wide variety of ways that ROM hacks modify their original game, such as including fan translations, adding additional features, or even completely re-imagining the gameplay. Sometimes, these fan-created ROM hacks provide an even more fulfilling experience than players found in the official game.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Re-Revenge Is a Genuinely Great TMNT Game
Streets of Rage 2 is a fantastic beat-em-up where players battle against waves of enemies. Along the way, players can pick up increasingly better weapons and items to aid their endeavors. This set-up is unsurprisingly perfect as the foundation for a fantastic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles ROM hack.
This version replaced all of the characters, enemies and bosses in Streets of Rage 2 with TMNT characters. Likewise, this hack adjusted the character’s moves to more closely mimic those in TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. These alterations are just the beginning of the changes between Streets of Rage 2 and TMNT: Shredder’s Re-Revenge.
The extent of these changes is why this ROM hack feels like a game in its own right, rather than simply being Streets of Rage 2 but with TMNT characters. That this ROM hack is so complete is why it is one of the best ROM hacks ever made and stands up to both Streets of Rage 2 and other TMNT games.
Sonic Classic Heroes Combines Two Previous Sonic Games Together
Two experienced Rom hackers, flamewing and ColinC10, created Sonic Classic Heroes. Their skill in creating Sonic ROM hacks led to fans in Sonic forums suggesting that they combine their games. Taking this to heart, the two creators worked together to make Sonic Classic Heroes. While they built the ROM hack on Sonic 2, it incorporated elements from both the first and second Sonic games.
One of the biggest draws of this game is the freedom to play as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles and to save progress on a whim. The variety of character choices makes the levels feel new, as does the inclusion of features such as element shields. This love letter to early Sonic games resulted from dedicated fans and thus dramatically appeals to other franchise fans.
BS F-Zero Deluxe Preserved Material That Otherwise Would Have Been Lost
One of the unfortunate realities of older games is that the sands of time can erase much of their data. BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2 could have been one of the victims of age had it not been for BS F-Zero Deluxe. Due to the creator of this invaluable hack’s efforts, Guy Perfect, many of the BS F-Zero Grand Prix 2 courses are still playable. Due to the circumstances, it is an understatement to say that this ROM hack is essential to the F-Zero community.
This ROM hack proves how critical fans’ efforts can be in preserving the material that they love. While the BS F-Zero Deluxe hack does not craft new worlds like others, it deserves recognition for maintaining the history of one of the most influential racing games. It is, therefore, one of the best ROM hacks of all time.
Advance Wars Returns Includes Dozens of New Campaign Missions to Enjoy
The Advance Wars franchise is understandably recognized for its remarkable strategy games. Many players wish the games were longer so the fun could continue. Luckily, Advance Wars Returns addresses this need. With 42 novel campaign missions and adjustable difficulty, this ROM hack provides both new content and new challenges.
The 42 campaign missions don’t even constitute the whole of what Advance Wars Returns. There are also 30 new missions associated with the War Room while maintaining the PvP options that are part of what made the original games so enticing. The overall story of Advance Wars Returns is also different than the base games, providing yet another intriguing element. Advance Wars Returns is the whole package, combining an exciting story with much-extended gameplay.
Breath of Fire Improved Truly Lives Up to Its Name
While Breath of Fire Improved doesn’t drastically change Breath of Fire, multiple quality-of-life changes make it hard to return to the original. First and foremost, the armor and some of the weapons in the game were re-balanced to better match later entries in the franchise. Additionally, better equipment has a greater chance of spawning at markets, which in turn provides a smoother fighting experience.
Breath of Fire Improved provides a much more streamlined experience than the base game. Ultimately, Breath of Fire Improved proves that not all notable ROM hacks need to make detailed changes to be recognized. Sometimes, small, detailed changes can be as impactful as significant ones when crafting a well-liked ROM hack.
Pokémon Black and White 3: Genesis Follows Up One of Pokémon’s Most Beloved Series
Fans find Pokémon Black & White to be one of the best titles in the franchise, so it isn’t surprising there are ROM hacks focused on the game. It is surprising someone would go as far as they did for Pokémon Black & White 3: Genesis, an unofficial sequel to Black & White 2 but done in the style of the classic Generation 2 games.
Black & White 3 is specifically a hack of Pokémon Crystal. Taking place in Unova, it sends players on the usual Pokémon journey, but also has them dealing with a dangerous new organization, Team Plasma. The game features a brand-new story, but that’s just the beginning for this title.
It also features over 250 Pokémon from across the first five generations, helpful items from later games, and other quality of life features that make playing this remake a breeze. Fans who miss this era of Pokémon should absolutely look into giving this game a try–it’s clearly designed to rekindle those feelings from the old days.
Rockman 4: Minus Infinity Is Everything a Hardcore Fan Could Want
At one point, one of Capcom’s biggest characters, Mega Man hasn’t had as much time in the limelight lately. For fans who are looking for their fix of the Blue Bomber, they might want to turn their attention to Rockman 4: Minus Infinity. Based off of Mega Man 4, Minus Infinity is everything a hardcore fan could ask for in a fan-made game.
Rockman 4: Minus Infinity takes the original Mega Man 4 game and adds improvements to everything. Mastering the original bosses won’t make any difference here, when the enemies all have brand-new weapons and attack patterns. The levels offer quite the surprise too, with new branching paths to explore that will take players to new bosses from other Mega Man games. The only downside to this game is it is blisteringly difficult.
Castlevania: Rondo of the Night Features A Familiar Story From a New Perspective
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night is generally regarded as the best Castlevania video game ever made, so taking on the task of improving it is a difficult one. However, Rondo of the Night manages to do so by offering a different perspective on a familiar story. Rather than play as Alucard, Rondo of the Night has players become Richter Belmont, trying to discover the reason why he was possessed before Symphony of the Night.
Rondo of the Night offers a completely different story, and Richter has to face new enemies with brand-new weapons. In other words, even players who have mastered the original will find plenty of new elements to experience here. Castlevania still hasn’t received a new game in years, so this isn’t bad for people who want more in video game form.
Conker’s High Rule Tail Transforms Zelda Into a Bizarre Pop Culture Mash-Up
Conker’s High Rule Tail is a ROM hack of The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Conker’s High Rule Tale acts as an unofficial follow-up to the cult classic Nintendo 64 game, Conker’s Bad Fur Day. This ROM hack sees Conker exploring dungeons in an adventure that makes references to franchises from across all of pop culture, including Super Mario, Star Wars, The Simpsons, and Doctor Who.
Conker’s High Rule Tail mixes some stellar Zelda gameplay with the crude humor that Conker is known for to create a completely unique experience that can’t be found in any other game. The Conker series hasn’t had a new entry in years, so fan-made games like Conker’s High Rule Tail are a great way for players to still engage with the content in a new way. This ROM hack therefore addresses a very important want in the Conker community.
Pokémon Unbound Masters the Classic Pokémon Formula
Pokémon Unbound is the culmination of the first 20 years of Pokémon games. This ROM hack builds upon the foundation of Pokémon FireRed while also taking inspiration from the best parts of other generations of the series. Unbound has a Pokédex that features Pokémon and moves from the first seven generations, which is really exciting for fans of the franchise.
Unbound presents a wholly original story that takes place in the Borrius region and boasts plenty to do, including missions, mini-games and substantial post-game content. In addition to a plethora of quality-of-life features, Unbound also uses a battle engine custom-made for the hack that perfectly captures the classic Pokémon gameplay. This is thus a great source of nostalgia for Pokémon fans while still introducing new elements to keep experienced players’ attention.
Leave a Reply