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Nintendo (NES) Emulators, ROMs, and Video Games
FAQ's
Below are a list of Frequently Asked Questions and their respective responses. I have made my best attempt at compiling a list of everything you should need to know regarding Emulators, ROMs, and ROM Hacks. Please do not email me with any other questions, especially troubleshooting problems. Refer to the instruction manuals for trouble shooting.
NES Instructions SNES Instructions
What are Emulators?
They are programs which allow software to be run on a device for which it was not originally intended. For example, Nintendo games on a PC.
Are Emulators illegal?
No. They can however be used to run illegal software. The emulators on this site are only intended for use with legal software.
What are ROMs?
They are the code extracted from video game cartridges. When the code is run by an emulator, it allows you to play the game on a PC.
Are ROMs illegal?
According to US Copyright laws, commercial ROMs are not illegal if you own the original cartridge and you create the ROM YOURSELF. However, this is generally a complicated process.
Downloading or distributing a copy of of any commercial ROM, whether you own the original cartridge or not, is illegal. There is no "24 hour trial" rule. That is a myth. For this reason, no commercial ROM are found on this site.
What is a commercial ROM?
Any ROM that was created from a video game cartridge sold in stores. For example: All Super Mario Bros., Zelda, Mega Man, and Metroid ROMs are commercial ROMs. There are a handful of ROMs made by individuals as a hobby that were created for the public that are not commercial ROMs. But basically any game that was available on a video game system is a commecial ROM.
What are Hacked ROMs?
They are game for which the original code has been altered to create a new version. These changes often include new graphics, levels, or text.
Are Hacked ROMs illegal?
It depends. A hacked ROM contains two parts; the altered code which is not copyrighted, and the unchanged code which remains copyrighted. Therefore, distributing or downloading a complete, playable hacked ROM is illegal because a portion of the ROM is still copyrighted.
However, the files on this site contain ONLY the altered code which is not copyrighted. Therefore, it is legal to download any of the hacked ROMs on this site.
How do you create a ROM with only altered code?
There are programs that can detect the differences between the original ROM and the newly created hacked ROM. These programs then make a separate file, called an IPS file, which contains only those differences.
How do I play the Hacked ROM if it's missing part of the code?
To play the hacked ROM, you will need a copy of the original ROM. Then, using a special program, you can combine the two files. This newly combined file can be played using an emulator.
See the instruction manuals for more detailed information.
Where do I get the original ROMs from?
Not this site. Distributing the original ROMs would be illegal. If you want to be legal, you need to create your own ROMs, which is difficult. I don't know how to do this, so please don't ask me for advice. If you decide to be illegal and download a ROM from another source, that is entirely up to you. You are solely responsible for your own actions.. DeROK.Net does not endorse downloading any illegal software.
Can you give me ROMs? Can you tell me where to find ROMs?
No. PLEASE DO NOT EMAIL ME asking me for ROMs or their location.
There are plenty of sites out there where you can find illegal ROMs to download. But It is illegal to download or distribute commercial ROMs and I will not help you by directing you to them.
Do you have a "insert name" ROM?
Everything I have, is posted on this site. If it's not here, I don't have it.
How do I make a hacked ROM?
There are hexidecimal, graphics, and level editors available on the internet. I have never made a hacked ROM, so I can't tell you how to use them. My best advice would be to look on Google for information.
If you have any other questions, look around the site for answers. Everything I know is on the site, so I really can't help you any further.
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