Why do we ROM-hack?

[SethCullen]

I think because nintendos pokemon games arent made quick enough or long enough. We beat them in a few days so we get so bored so we make new ones.

 

[torferno lvl-X]

I hack because i like to do it and I like pokemon there is also something about rpg maker that just does'nt click.

 

[Larsie13]

Well, I hack 'cause I think it's a lot of fun, I love Pokémon, and it gives me a chance to be creative and let my imagination work.

 

[eing15]

Hum, I hack because is my hobby, and is more creative, and you can do more things, maping maps, insert tiles, change paletes, translate...etc
But the best is scripting

 

[Fluffy Clouds]

I just hack because I think it's really fun.

 

[deathrider24]

Its because the games nintendo puts out a pokemon game every 3 years while hacks come out every 3 months and it puts a whole new veriety in pokemon games.

 

[Heart's Soul]

Hacks have more potential than Nintendo games. I like to see that a small group made an unbelievable hack, than about a thousand people make a bad game.

Mainly, because I've nothing better to do and I think I can make better games than Nintendo.

 

[Sarcastic Prince]

Hacks have more potential than Nintendo games. I like to see that a small group made an unbelievable hack, than about a thousand people make a bad game.

Mainly, because I've nothing better to do and I think I can make better games than Nintendo.

Yep, Nintendo doesn't have enough imagination.

They always make Games like "Hero saves the day!! Blah!"

Boring Stories!!

I correct.

It should be Nintendo does not have enough imagination on the suckish GBA/GBC/GB Games.

 

[Green Charizard]

Why do I ROM-Hack?

I don't, not anymore, I don't have the time at the moment, but I'll share my opinion on why people do and why I did.

Why do we ROM-Hack?

For some, it's to see if they can, it's a challenge, a challenge that helps to spur them on in every day life, it gives them something to do when they're bored. Hence they find it fun.

For others, it's that they have achieved something their friends have not. It's awesome being able to say, I hack video games, twisting whats there in to someting completely of my own. It impresses friends, your family. But then there's another degree to this, you see people like yourself on forums such as this and it turns in to a competition, who can hack the best, who's the elite ROM-hacker. People get addicted, sucked in, to see who can produce the coolest stuff.

Like was said by another above, an element of redesign does come in to it, with the Pokémon series especially, where people want to feed their obsessionn with the Pokémon world so much that they want to add their own bit to it. To cool their cravings for another game, another story, another place.

But I think most of all, it's because they have time. Reverse the question, "Why DON'T you Rom-Hack", and most will answer: "Because I don't have time". Boredom is frequent, from experience, I used to hack when I was bored. It spured and motivated me when I had nothing to do. Remember those endless school holidays from days past? ROM Hacking doesn't get tiresome, it's like painting, you can paint something over and over again and it will always be different, so is ROM Hacking, it keeps your attention, it has endless boundaries, potential, achievemnts and scope for creativity. It is truly a fantastic hobby, because it fulfills everything that a hobby should be, and I would encourage anyone to pursue it for this reason.

 

[Surf]

I always thought Hey i wish i could make a game so when i found Rom Hacking i got straight into it

 

[insectduel]

I recently started Pokemon hacking about last week because I want to customize the Touhoumon game I played. I used between Advancemap and Elitemap but I don't know much about script editing.

I wanted to make a simple custom Touhoumon hack that is Kanto releated in Gold and Silver such as the the gym leader in the seafoam islands or anything related including Shinygold but it will take a lot more time for me. At least these Map Editors support Japanese Fire-Red but others like the PET does not.

I'm suprised that any Fire-Red game has Team Aqua or even Hoenn gym leaders existed.

 

[Ochigi]

XD i started hacking because.....when i saw pokemon shinygold i was inspired to hack

 

[Vonny]

I always get inspired by the thought of making the games my way...
Like I've always thought "why don't they make a game not focused exclusively on training?" and ect.

I wish I knew how to hack well, though DX

 

[Dark_Master]

I love expressing creativity. Rom hacking is one way of doing that.

 

[sasquatchd00d]

I hack here and there for fun. I can change the game into what my mind wants it to be. I'm not very creative in drawing or music, but in ROM hacking, I come up with more creative ideas. I think it's a way to express myself in a way that others can enjoy as well.

 

[Pingouin_7]

When I was little I would come up with all kinds of ideas for Pokemon. My friends and I would always discuss the perfect regions and the perfect game. Ironically we even dreamed of a program on the computer that would allow you to make Pokemon games; I simply thought it was all a silly dream. Then, one holiday weekend I started playing roms of games I hadn't seen in a long time, when I found a game I hadn't seen before; a Pokemon game set in the Orange Islands (no it wasn't Naranja, it was for the GB). I was crazy about it! I wanted to know how they did it! I searched and searched and finally I found tutorials on rom-hacking. I get better and better and let my creative juices flow from my brain into my games! To me, Rom-hacking is a dream come true.

They made Pokémon Naranja on GB before making it on GBA.

 

[Vrai]

Well, my story is kinda... different.

Spoiler:

It actually took place a few years ago, when I met my friend. You see, nobody in my neighborhood really liked Pokémon, and so I never really had any good friends that I could tell big secrets and such. Then, I went to middle school. There, in band class, I noticed that the guy next to me, the only one who was better than me at playing the saxophone (I was second chair :)) was flipping through a Pokédex book. I laughed to myself, and I was like, "I bet this kid just found that on the floor and was looking through it." Then, the next day, he was looking through it again, and I was like "ookay..". And then, on the third day, I approached him about it. It turned out that we had over half of our classes together, and we came to be good friends.

Then, I saw a few of his "doodles", as he likes to call them. They were amazing, I thought, and I asked him, "I think we should put those in a game. What do you think?" Of course, he was all for it. So I began looking for ways to make a Pokémon game. I dabbled in C and BASIC for a little while, but realized that I couldn't make a genuine game. (I was 12, don't laugh at me.) So, we kinda took a break for a while. I began dreaming up endless stories, and he kept on doodling. Each of us got better in our own way, and I eventually produced a final storyline, and he made a large amount of doodles, that we still have to reduce to put into the game. This would be the point where I found Pokécommunity; I spent quite a while here without getting an account, then got one in June of this year, and began posting around recently. I'm still trying to get my friend to make one, though. ;)

We never got by without attracting attention, however, and several people came to notice our weird discussions. We tried not to use the word "Pokémon" in school (at least, I tried not to ;)), but some kids figured it out. Of course, they were for it, too. I now have a group of close buddies that I hope can peer-pressure me into finishing my hack. And that's how I got into hacking.

Long story, lolz.

 

[Shaded]

When I saw these threads I was like "I would like to do that as well" so that's how I got into ROM hacking, Im still new, but I've read most tutorials I can find here, and on youtube.I think I Rom hack because it's fun seeing the creation you make, after spending so much time on it.

 

[RedJ]

Why do I hack?

Simple- its fun. And also, I think that we all love Pokemon games, and I do to, I've pratically grown with them, my first one being Yellow version way back when it was first released. But I find one problem- the games are just to light-hearted. They'll have just one little touch of an OMG moment that grabs you (ex: The incident with Kyogre, Groudon, and Rayquayza in R/S/E), but they have no true plot other than Gotta Catch em All, and thats really old now. Seriously, how many times CAN you catch em all? (DONT ANY OF YOU DARE SAY OVER 9000). Its my mission to give people a look at the darker side of Pokemon, making them more mature...and I want to make a group that doesnt tell you everything about their plans( seriously...Team Galactic FAILED).

 

[andrian]

I ROM hack because I finally get to fix all the little things I wished had been in the originals. I get to make the game the way I think it was supposed to be - without all the extortion and marketing. I get to make the Pokemon game I dreamed of but never got to play.