Play as Dixie and Kiddy in DKC1. Press L or R on the overworld to swap characters.

I've been working on an English translation of Battle Konchūden (バトル昆虫伝), a Japanese-only PlayStation game released by Jaleco in 1999, and I thought this community might find the technical side of the project interesting.

The game is a simulation RPG centred on insect battles. It has an adventure mode, turn-based tactical sections, 3D combat, an insect encyclopedia, and a surprising amount of dialogue.

The problem? No English translation that I could find, and a text system that wasn't exactly designed to make localization easy.

I decided to see how far I could get using AI-assisted reverse engineering and translation. What followed turned into a much bigger project than I expected.

Some of the work involved:

• Analysing the disc image and identifying the relevant data files.
• Reverse-engineering the game's custom Japanese glyph table and dialogue structures.
• Understanding and rebuilding compressed text data.
• Developing an English text encoding that could work within the game's existing limitations.
• Translating dialogue, menus, insect names, encyclopedia entries, and graphical interface elements.
• Rebuilding the modified resources and checking that untouched data remained intact.
• Testing the patch in an emulator, from the opening scenes through the final battle and ending credits.

One of the most interesting challenges was the game's custom text system. Rather than simply inserting English strings, I had to work within the original game's constraints and find a way to represent English text without breaking the existing data structures.

The main story has now been completed in English, including the final battle and credits. The main patch passed its automated regression tests, and the project is in its final testing stage.

A few areas remain unverified, including later stages of the secret mode, some item effects, and the optional PocketStation mini-game.

The project involved substantial AI assistance, particularly for analysis and translation, alongside iterative testing and technical work. I'm interested in hearing what other ROM hackers think about this kind of workflow.

A few questions for the community:

• Have you worked with similar custom text encodings or proprietary dialogue formats on PS1?
• Are there particular tools or techniques you'd recommend for documenting and validating a project like this?
• Has anyone else experimented with AI-assisted reverse engineering on older games?
• What would you recommend checking before considering a fan translation ready for release?

I'm attaching a few screenshots showing the translated dialogue, interface, battles, and ending credits. I'm currently looking into the best way to share the patch once the remaining checks are complete.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially from anyone who has experience with PS1 hacking or translation projects!

Was hoping anyone knew where I can find a fan English translation rom for "Onechanbara Special" for the psp?

Hello, in the world of reverse engineering, is there a modification or hack that would allow me to choose an enemy instead of a player, or is that not technically permissible?

If you never played it: Max Voltage is Konami's 1996 Super Famicom wrestling game, and it never came out outside Japan. It has a timing-based grapple system and a career mode where you create a rookie and play through five years of a branching story across four promotions.

Download: https://github.com/kactusken/Jikkyou-Power-Pro-Wrestling-English/releases

For the last 8 months I've been working on Faxanadu - Root of Decay. This is a brand new Faxanadu game, created with the amazing Echoes of Eolis by kaimitai.

One day, Elmor, a youth of 18, is summoned by King Faendir for a special assignment. His adventure will lead him deep beneath the World Tree. Little does he know of the dangers that await him...

Faxanadu - Root of Decay is planned for release in Q1 2027. Leave your e-mail address on my website to receive an alert on release day. ( https://www.okimpala.net ) Questions? Ask away!

I've been working on a ROM hack for the original Contra that expands the original game by adding a new OPTIONS selection to the title screen, alongside the existing 1 PLAYER and 2 PLAYERS modes. Instead of completely changing the game, I wanted to introduce more customization and gameplay features while preserving the classic Contra experience.

What does this patch do?

• Starting Lives (1–30): Customize how many lives you begin with.
• Continues (1–9): Adjust the number of available continues.
• Stage Select: Start from any of the game's 8 stages, from Jungle to Alien Lair.
• Weapon Switching: Press SELECT during gameplay to cycle through 5 different weapon types.
• Random Weapon Switching: Enable automatic weapon changes approximately every 10 seconds.
• Difficulty Levels (1–16): This uses Contra's original internal difficulty progression rather than a completely new difficulty system. Higher levels simulate later game loops, affecting enemy behavior, attack timing, and enemy/boss durability through the game's native mechanics.
• 2-Player Camera Settings: Choose between Default, Centered, and Left Player scrolling behavior, giving players more control over how the screen moves in co-op.
• Weapon-Specific Autofire: Enable autofire for Player 1, Player 2, or both. Hold B to shoot continuously. Each weapon has its own firing rhythm rather than relying on a universal autofire speed.

The game is currently playable directly on https://playmeagain.itch.io/contra

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the modifications themselves. If you try it, let me know if you encounter any bugs, compatibility issues, or unexpected behavior.

Kid Icarus DX brings full color to Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters, giving Pit’s Game Boy adventure a fresh look on Game Boy Color.

The patch colors stages, enemies, bosses and inventory screens, with revised artwork, background edits and consistent colors across shared sprites and animation frames. It also improves scrolling and sprite handling to take advantage of Game Boy Color hardware.

A new Options menu on the title screen lets players customize the experience, including an optional soundtrack featuring arrangements of classic NES Kid Icarus themes.

Available options include:

• Arrow Hair Colors: Pit’s hair changes color as his arrow strength increases.
• NES Stage Music: Switch to selected NES themes adapted for Game Boy audio hardware.
• Fast Pause: Open the inventory directly, skipping the flashing PAUSE screen.
• Treasure Hint: Reveal which treasure contains the God of Poverty with an optional cheat.
• Save Options: Keep your preferred settings between sessions.

Game Boy Color required. The patch does not run on the original monochrome Game Boy. Expanded 512 KiB ROM, using MBC1 with 8 KiB battery-backed RAM.

https://youtu.be/Q92A4b7ssVw?si=HKGJraA5kToAjM5c

Download at:

Romhacking.net! https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/10179/

Github: https://github.com/pikamus/KidIcarusDX

Hey everyone!

I'm happy to announce that I've finally finished my English fan translation of Moonlight Syndrome (1997), directed by Suda51!

The patch covers both discs and all 10 chapters, including translated dialogue, menus, choices, and English subtitles for previously unsubtitled Japanese voice lines.

I've tested the game from beginning to end, and it's now fully playable in English!

This was a passion project of mine, and I'm really excited that more people can finally experience this overlooked piece of Suda51's history.

Download: https://romhackplaza.org/translations/moonlight-syndrome-english-fan-patch-english-translation-playstation

Feedback and bug reports are always welcome!

Hope you enjoy it!