7 cool retro ROM hacks that 'improve' classic games

I’m here today to be a bit of a hypocrite. Normally when I see stuff in games discourse about “fixing” or “improving” or “quality of life” with respect to retro titles or things like remasters, I raise an eyebrow. It should be perfectly fine to approach an old game considered a “classic” and play it in its original state and evaluate it on its own terms. That’s important for preserving and learning from history, instead of plastering over older games with contemporary ideas or technology like they’re toasters and not art created by people at a point in time. That said, I make a personal exception when it comes to the ROM hacking scene.

With companies like Analogue refreshing old platforms with new tech like hardware emulation, it changes how some audiences revisit history. Different screens, buttons, interfaces, and more are how more and more people are playing the hits from past generations. There’s something about that hybridization of old and new that makes experimenting and tinkering appealing, and feel like something different than paving over original work. It helps that this isn’t nearly the same as publishers delisting original games and replacing them on official storefronts.

Anyway, here are some ROM hacks that are pretty dope.

Phantasy Star 2 Improvement by FlamePurge

I did my best to keep this list from being too RPG-heavy, but some of the best work in this space is on RPGs. Go figure. Sega’s Phantasy Star series is a unique blend of sci-fi and fantasy RPG tropes, mixing in a little anime for flavor. Any longtime RPG fans can talk about poor localizations, but there are other little things like glitches, wonky math, and other under-the-hood snags that probably would’ve been patched out if they were new. For example, the absurd flashing during combat in Phantasy Star 2 that will give anyone playing on a modern screen a headache at best. This hack addresses all of the above and then some, making it a multifaceted tune-up that stays true to the original software.

SMB Special - 35th Anniversary Edition by frantik

This one is wild. A sort of remixed pseudo-sequel to Super Mario Bros. was released for PC in Japan, introducing all kinds of new content. Not only is actually playing Super Mario Bros. Special not easy, the game itself is compromised compared to the NES original because of technological limitations. The screen couldn’t scroll! This hack is effectively a port, injecting most of the new levels, backgrounds, enemies, and more into the NES engine that runs Super Mario Bros. as intended. This makes an odd part of Mario history accessible and playable instead of just a weird thing you read about on wikis.

Breath of Fire: War of the Goddess by FlamePurge

Oh hey, it’s FlamePurge again. This person is out there doing some fascinating work, and this is an example of something I don’t think we would ever see if not for ROM hacking. You’ll see a lot of translations and uncensoring jobs out there, but War of the Goddess is a rewrite of the original script. This means the story has been expanded, largely to include elements introduced in later Breath of Fire sequels that became consistent parts of the mythology. There are also additions based on a manga adaptation of the original game, called Breath of Fire: Warrior of the Dragon. This is such a cool idea, and makes for a compelling reason to revisit Capcom’s RPG history.

Tetris: Rosy Retrospection by Ospin

Tetris has changed more over time than you might realize. At the same time, there’s a distinct charm the Game Boy version has that is impossible to replace. So, what if Game Boy Tetris played more like contemporary Tetris? That’s what this hack accomplishes, adding things like holding, shadows, hard drops, and more. It even makes name entry a little snappier! Does this stuff “fix” Game Boy Tetris? No, but it’s an interesting alternative that’s a lot of fun to play with.

Castlevania: The Adventure DX by ProstatePunch

Another neat subgenre of ROM hacking is DX…ing? Can that be a verb? Anyway, when the Game Boy Color came out a few games were re-released and gussied up a bit, most notably The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. These projects, which range from Kirby’s Pinball Land to Spanky’s Quest, are a sort of what-if exercise for projects that would have been cool but never existed. Castlevania: The Adventure is a particularly good one to look at, as the hack comes with some built-in adjustments that help it be a better version of one of the worst in its series.

Legend of the Mana Sword by xenophile

Final Fantasy Adventure was actually the first in the Mana series, which is fairly common knowledge at this point. This hack changes the name (with a new title screen!) to reflect that, makes some lore-oriented script changes, and fixes bugs and glitches. There are some other small tweaks as well, but my favorite part of this hack is that it includes a custom Super Game Boy border! That’s such a specific, niche feature that I never would’ve expected to see, but shows how some of the folks working on these projects approach them with real admiration for the historical context.

MOTHER Frankenstein bonus entry by Various Sickos

This one is just funny, but interesting at the same time. The MOTHER/EarthBound fanbase is one of the most active and mobilized online, and the well of fan work is deep. That includes ROM hacks, with fan communities running seasonal events. So it makes sense that there are competing ideas on what an “improvement” hack for the original MOTHER should be. There’s MOTHER Restored, MOTHER 25th Anniversary Edition, MOTHER Faithful Edition, and some sickos will combine hacks together with other patches to take things they like from one but still keep the parts they like in another. It’s confusing to look at from a distance, but fascinating to see different people talking about and recommending what they think is the best way to play one of the more divisive Nintendo games of its era.

That's enough out of me for today. I hope some of you found this stuff as interesting as I do! There are so any different and strange ways to engage with older games and hardware, that go well beyond simply playing ROMs on your phone or diving into official ports and remasters. 

Lucas White

Contributing Editor

Lucas plays a lot of videogames. Sometimes he enjoys one. His favorites include Dragon Quest, SaGa, and Mystery Dungeon. He's far too rattled with ADHD to care about world-building lore but will get lost for days in essays about themes and characters. Holds a journalism degree, which makes conversations about Oxford Commas awkward to say the least. Not a trophy hunter but platinumed Sifu out of sheer spite and got 100 percent in Rondo of Blood because it rules. You can find him on Twitter @HokutoNoLucas being curmudgeonly about Square Enix discourse and occasionally saying positive things about Konami.