What If We Went Back to the ’90s With Today’s SNES ROM Hacking Tools?

[SUPER-J11BIT]

Hey everyone, I’ve been thinking about a fun “what if” scenario that mixes retro gaming with a bit of time‑travel nerdiness.
Imagine this: you go back to the early ’90s carrying all the modern tools we use today for ROM hacking — IPS patchers, editors, flashcarts, SD cards, everything. The big question is: how would people back then actually apply your patches, considering the SNES only used physical cartridges?
Let’s break down what would’ve actually worked in that era.

1. SNES Copiers + Floppy Disks: The Most Realistic Method​

Back in the ’90s, devices like these already existed:

• Super Wild Card
• Game Doctor
• Super Pro Fighter

These “copiers” could:

• dump SNES cartridges to floppy disks
• load modified ROMs into internal RAM
• run the game on real SNES hardware

With these devices, IPS patches would’ve been totally usable. All you needed was a PC, a floppy disk, and a copier.

2. IPS Patches + DOS PCs: 100% Feasible Back Then​

The IPS format was already around in the ’90s. So you could’ve easily distributed:

• the IPS patch
• a small DOS program like PATCH.EXE
• instructions on how to apply it to a dumped ROM

After patching, the user would copy the ROM to a floppy and load it through their SNES copier.
This method fits perfectly with the technology of the time.

3. Hardware Mods to Cartridges (For the Hardcore Crowd)​

Another option — more extreme but possible:

• open the SNES cartridge
• remove the original ROM chip
• solder in a rewritable EPROM
• program the EPROM with the hacked ROM

This worked, but:

• it was expensive
• required soldering skills
• wasn’t practical for most people

Definitely a “for experts only” solution.

4. Sharing Patches Through BBS Systems​

Before the modern internet, BBS systems were the main way to share files.
You could’ve:

• hosted a BBS dedicated to ROM hacks
• let users download IPS patches
• teach them how to apply patches using a PC + copier

This could’ve created the first real ROM hacking community years earlier.

5. Modern Flashcarts in the ’90s: Basically Magic​

If you brought something like:

• SD2SNES / FXPAK Pro
• EverDrive

people could:

• load patched ROMs onto an SD card
• run them directly on the SNES

To someone in 1993, this would look like alien technology — but it would work flawlessly.

Final Thoughts​

So yes — SNES patches absolutely could’ve been used in the ’90s, just with different workflows:

Method	Realistic?	Difficulty
SNES copier + floppy		Medium
PC + IPS patcher		Low
EPROM‑modded cartridges		High
Modern flashcart		Low (but futuristic)
BBS distribution		Medium

 

[DjQuick2008]

WWF royal rumble with a bigger roster and different arenas

 

[Isegrim]

Back then, everybody in my country was pirating SNES games with the Super UFO drive and 3.5 floppy disks. It would be wild if the pirates had better games than the one playing legit. I didn't buy a UFO drive back then but I probably would have if they had fan translations.

 

[Advil Lavs]

I'm sure this could've worked but weren't copiers pretty expensive and/or hard to find?

 

[SUPER-J11BIT]

I'm sure this could've worked but weren't copiers pretty expensive and/or hard to find?

Yeah, they were pricey, but not that hard to find. Anyone into the scene could get one without too much trouble.

 

[thumbsdown]

I'm more concerned with the future of romhacking if those who own proprietary tools suddenly vanish. Thankfully we'll always have someone curious enough to go for sneaky reverse engineering and tweaks.

 

[SeventhSon]

KAIZO MARIO WORLD

 

[SUPER-J11BIT]

I'm more concerned with the future of romhacking if those who own proprietary tools suddenly vanish. Thankfully we'll always have someone curious enough to go for sneaky reverse engineering and tweaks.

That’s exactly why I’m not worried. I already have everything I need to keep going on my own. I built a personal lab with all the tools required, so I don’t rely on updates or anyone else to stay up and running.

 

[Not_Red]

I assume the translating scene would have a field day and a lot of projects that are already done and playable currenty might have been available a couple of years in advance, and maybe some even more obscure games that people were only really interested around their launch might have received an english patch or at least someone that sparked an interest in getting one done.

 

[Zerohour2k12]

Would've been pretty cool, more people would buy imports that the companies refuse to release. Games back then don't get to the west often cuz they think it won't get an audience just to turn out years later that it had become a cult classic.

 

[DinoRexMax]

Would've been pretty cool, more people would buy imports that the companies refuse to release. Games back then don't get to the west often cuz they think it won't get an audience just to turn out years later that it had become a cult classic.

Yeah, but you can't rely on something like that becoming a sleeper hit. Symphony of the Night is the only one I can think of that became so prevalent it took over the franchise, with Fire Emblem being a close second since Nintendo kicked themselves so hard after Melee they turned the Smash Bros. Franchise into an advert for each new FE game that came out.

Also, Sin & Punishment tried to get a second life through the Wii, even getting a sequel. But that really didn't go anywhere, unlike Xenoblade (Thanks Reggie, you fucking purple Pikmin...).

 

[Mr. SyS]

Leaking Chrono Trigger in 1992 on a BBS would be the funniest joke but maybe that's just me.

 

[Zeonic89]

Probably have like 20+ fan sequels to Chrono Trigger. I remember the days even in the '00s when mods used to mean people would be creating whole new stories, now its all about rebalancing games that have been rebalanced to death (Final Fantasy VI and Tactics my god) that didnt really need to be rebalanced in the first place.

But yeah, if the tools we have now were widely available back in the 90's, I really think we would be swapping bootleg cartridges of fan fiction around markets and pawn shops.

 

[karai]

It would have been cool until nintendo started sending mass seas and desist