ROM hacks

These are some Game Boy Color ROM hacks I've made over the years. They're typically challenging (and sometimes unfair) mini-hacks made for players with a deep knowledge of the base game. Most feature mostly-vanilla game content with mechanical twists and new quality-of-life features.

To play these hacks, you'll first need .gbc ROM files for the US/English versions of the corresponding games. You can use a utility like Floating IPS or Rom Patcher JS to apply the patches to your original file.

Source code is available for most of the Zelda hacks, but it wouldn't be much use for the Pokémon ones - the 2016-era tooling they used is difficult to reassemble now.

Contents:

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Oracle of Ages - Dungeon Pack 1

March 2021

Vanilla game mechanics, 3 new dungeons with new music. Made with LynnaLab.

Downloads: patch (bps, 270K), music source files (IT, Python) (zip, 1.5M)

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Oracle of Seasons - Ephemera

November 2019

Full-game puzzle with vanilla content, but twisted mechanics. Part of the challenge is figuring out exactly what they are. Be careful getting the square jewel from Spool Swamp! Made with lgbtasm.

Stewmat difficulty rating: maddening.

Downloads: patch (ips, 1.3K), source code (zip, 19K)

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Oracle of Seasons - Left Behind

November 2019

Another full-game puzzle with vanilla content, but twisted mechanics: figure out what items you can surrender after each dungeon and still beat the game. Check your inventory pages when you start! Made with lgbtasm.

Stewmat difficulty rating: puzzling.

Downloads: patch (ips, 1.1K), source code (zip, 13K)

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Oracle of Ages - Plando/Hack

July 2019

Play wind instruments in dungeons! Shop for jewelry! Restore the Tuni Nut! A short hack featuring scrambled locations and items. Made using the Oracles Randomizer's plan/include features, so base randomizer changes also apply.

Stewmat difficulty rating: evil.

Downloads: patch (ips, 6.6K), source code (zip, 4.2K)

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Oracle of Seasons - Plando/Hack

July 2019

A short 2-dungeon hack featuring scrambled locations and items. Made using the Oracles Randomizer's plan/include features, so base randomizer changes also apply.

Stewmat difficulty rating: evil.

Downloads: patch (ips, 6.5K), source code (zip, 2.0K)

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Pokémon Crystal - Variant 20

July 2019

If you thought not being able to gain experience in the "Hope 2" hack was too easy, try this: your Pokémon lose levels in battle, and you can only catch one of each species. To make things easier, most battles are opt-in, and you can buy items that teach your party moves they wouldn't learn until later. Made using the Pokémon Crystal disassembly.

Downloads: patch (bps, 49K), readme (txt, 1.0K)

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Pokémon Crystal - Smear Campaign

June 2019

Life is like a box of Smeargles. A challenge hack featuring a Pokémon I never ever used in a regular playthrough of a Pokémon game. Made using the Pokémon Crystal disassembly.

Downloads: patch (bps, 46K)

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Pokémon Crystal - Hope 2

June 2019

Wouldn't it be nice if you just could use the moves screen to pick moves from a Pokémon's learnset? And wouldn't it also be nice if only your super effective moves landed, and your Pokémon didn't gain any experience from battle? Made using the Pokémon Crystal disassembly.

Downloads: patch (bps, 64K), readme (txt, 1.1K)

you really do hate me

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Pokémon Crystal - Hope

March 2017

This hack was named for its original recipient, not for its content: permadeath and limited PP are the centerpieces. Made using the Pokémon Crystal disassembly.

Downloads: patch (bps, 75K), readme (txt, 920B)

been having a lot of fun with the playthrough so far
good challenge
lots of thinking