How to Apply SNES ROM Patches
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, or SNES, was originally released by Nintendo in the early 1990s as a follow-up to their smash hit video game console, the Nintendo Entertainment System. The SNES is a popular subject for emulation, allowing gamers to play their old SNES favorites on their PC. Of course, some games were never released in North America, and some games earned the attention of those wanting to customize their experience. To this end, "patching" game ROMs, the files that replicate the game content, has become a fun pastime for enthusiasts. A patch applies changes to the ROM, be they audio, visual, gameplay related, or anything in between. Patch writers combine patches and ROMs to create a solid platform to build their own games on, or a means to play and understand games that never were translated to their native language.
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Things You'll Need
- SNES Emulator program (Reccommend ZSNES or SNES9X)
- SNES Game ROM
- ROM Patch File (game specific)
- Patching utility (Reccomend Lunar IPS or IPSWin
Instructions
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Soft Patching
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1
Download the SNES emulator program. It is reccommended you use ZSNES or SNES9x. These programs run most SNES ROMs and allow for soft patching. Download links for each are included in Resources.
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Download the ROM for the SNES game you wish to patch. This can be any game, assuming you have a corresponding patch. Links are included in Resources to CoolROMs and Dope ROMs, two websites which offer ROMs for SNES and other systems, although many other sites also host them.
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Download the patch you wish to apply to your SNES ROM. The Resources section includes links to Romhacking.net and EmuXHaven, two online archives of patches for many ROMs, and many tips, utilities and resources for ROM patching.
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Rename the patch IPS file to the same file name as the SNES ROM file. For example, if the game ROM is titled SNESGame.SMC, and the patch file is titled GamePatch.IPS, you need to rename the patch file to SNESGame.IPS.
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Move the patch file into the same folder as the game ROM. If your game supports save files, and the saves are located in a separate folder, put the patch file in the folder with the game saves.
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Open the emulator and click on "File." Choose "Open" and select the game ROM you were patching. The game will start with the patch automatically applied, without affecting the ROM file itself. You can now play the patched ROM, or simply move the patch file to a different folder in order to play the ROM file in its original state.
Hard Patching
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Download an SNES emulator, SNES ROM file and a patch for the game.
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Download and install a patch utility, which allows you to permanently apply a patch to a game. LunarIPS and IPSWin are recommended, and download links to both are included in Resources.
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Create a back-up copy of the ROM file. Hard-patching is permanent, and if the ROM fails to work properly afterward or doesn't do what you'd hoped it would, you want a copy of the original game.
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Run the patch utility, and click on the "Apply IPS" button. Locate and select the .IPS patch file for the game you wish to patch.
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Locate and select the .SMC ROM file for the game you wish to patch. The patch will be applied to the ROM file. Start up the SNES emulator and load the patched ROM file. The effects of the patch will have now taken effect, making all applicable changes to your ROM.
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Tips & Warnings
Soft patching is a less invasive form of patching, and often much easier to implement. It also doesn't have the risk of ROM corruption or irreversible undesired effects.
Hard patching may be a better choice for games that you will always play patched, such as the translated version of a game from another country. This is especially true in games with save data, where soft patching may become more cumbersome and require file relocation in order to run properly.
Make sure you're applying a patch to the right game. If you apply a patch intended for one game ROM to another, it will likely corrupt the ROM, especially when hard patched.
Using emulator programs to play original, unpatched ROMs without owning a copy of the original software and hardware is illegal. You may keep the ROM for 24 hours for evaluation purposes, but then must delete it. Legal owners of the software and hardware being emulated are allowed to keep ROMs.
Always keep a back-up copy of the original ROM, just in case.
