ROM hacking is the act of modifying the data of a video game ROM image, typically to alter the game’s content or behavior. ROM hacks can be as simple as minor graphical changes or bug fixes, or as complex as complete overhauls of the game’s mechanics and story. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was a popular console for ROM hacking in the 1990s and early 2000s, and there are still many active SNES ROM hacking communities today.
Some of the most popular SNES ROM hacks include Super Mario World: Super Mario Bros. 4 (SMW4), which adds new levels, enemies, and power-ups to the original Super Mario World game; The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: Parallel Worlds, which features a completely new overworld and dungeon layout; and Final Fantasy VI: The Ted Woolsey Uncensored Edition, which restores the game’s original Japanese dialogue and graphics that were censored in the English release.
