ROM hacks translations total conversions a kaleidoscope of projects that-if I may be so bold-often objectively improve games. One of the things I absolutely adore about the current state of retro gaming is its vibrant remix culture as dedicated to creating new experiences as it is to refining older ones. Fortunately, a trifecta or software emulators, FPGA simulations, and ROM carts means that we’re no longer limited to only running retail code. A lot of us in retro gaming are adults with finite time to actually enjoy games, and many of our favourite titles benefit greatly from quality of life improvements that simply weren’t common in the 8 or 16 bit eras.
I don’t think that the classics we know and love are beyond reproach, and playing them exactly as they were released can be kind of a slog sometimes. If we’ve taken away anything from the tragedy of silent film and the butchering of the original Star Wars trilogy, it’s that anything not actively saved will be lost. It should really go without saying that games need to be archived as perfect snapshots in time, so that future generations can learn from and enjoy the works that have shaped the medium exactly as they were released. I’m not here to tell you that game preservation isn’t important.
