Zophar's Hacking Policy

Your ROM hack will not be accepted into Zophar's ROM Hack database if it does not fit our policy. Please read below carefully before submitting your hack.

Effective: 1/31/2009

Do not submit ROMs.

Only IPS files will be accepted. No exceptions.

Minor hacks will not be accepted.

For example, simply changing Mario's sprite to Link, and nothing else. Obvious level edits are not accepted as well, make the game your own game instead of simply editing around the original levels and calling it your own.

Use Screenshots

Submit a few screenshots to show off your hack's best features. This will also attract more attention towards it.

Put yourself in the player's shoes.

Play your game, and ask yourself. Do you think it's fun? Too hard? Too easy? What could be improved? Try pretending it isn't your hack, and criticize it like everyone else world.

Glitches

Hacks that crash or damage gameplay will be rejected. Authors should be encouraged to test their games and observe every detail. Authors should even hire beta testers, because there's always a chance the author missed a thing or two. If the entire game is a glitchfest, but doesn't crash or ruin gameplay, it probably won't be accepted either. It simply makes your hack look better if you get rid as many as you can.

Make sure your hack makes sense!

In Super Mario World, don't put two coins in the air that are impossible for Mario to reach. Don't put floating ground, tiles together that aren't meant to be together, and other nonsense, it just looks sloppy. Make your levels and maps presentable.

Hacks should be played through as if they were being played on the console.

The player should not be required to abuse save states, rewinds, and other emulator tools to finish the game.

"Mature" Hacks

"Mature" ROM Hacks must have a warning, and be more than simple text/graphic changes. Putting the words "f###" and "s###" in every sentence and changing all the sprites to male genitals is not a quality hack, anybody could do that in less than a day.

If your hack meets all of the above, it'll most likely be accepted. If it isn't, please check the Hack Rejection Thread to find out why it wasn't accepted. Feel free to resubmit your hack if you fixed what was wrong with it.

- Koolboyman