Category: romhacks

  • Crosswinds Speedrun by NeoKakarot

    Whirlwind Four-Job Fiesta, Division IV-A

    For more info on the Whirlwind (Four-Job) Fiesta event, see here.
    For more on the Crosswinds mod for Final Fantasy III, see here.

    NeoKakarot is a fanatic of JRPGs, anime, and DOTA with an especially soft spot for games by Nihon Falcom. You can follow Neo’s work via YouTube or Patreon.

    Writes Neo shortly after his playthrough of Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS (playlist available here):

    Today we are playing Final Fantasy III for the NES on this stream, but it’s not a normal version of the game.

    For you see it has been modded by ‪@cIymax‬ and is called Final Fantasy III Crosswind!

    And I will be “speed running” it if you catch my drift.

    It should be a fun time!

    So, mark your calendars for Wednesday at 8pm Eastern, boys!

    Update

    The Speedrun.com submission is posted here, or see the video embed below.

    For the event leaderboard, click here.

    You can check the current event standings here.

    Crosswinds Any% in 5:07:13

    Titles Awarded: Bonus Conqueror I, Crosswinds Record Holder

    Date: August 20, 2025

    Team: FFV Central

    Congrats to Neo on the titles!

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  • Eight Thematic Mod Types Explored

    For NES and SNES

    For clymax’s projects, click here.

    This post explores eight types of mods for Nintendo consoles spanning the third and fourth generations of game consoles.

    Note that external mods aren’t covered in this post. Examples include randomizer websites, achievement sets, HD texture packs, widescreen mods, Archipelago integrations, and Lua scripts.

    Comparison Chart

    See the Legend table further below for type descriptions.

    RankTypeSystem(s)Modder(s)
    1ConversionNES to SNESinfidelity
    2ConversionNES to SNESRumbleminze
    3TranslationNES, SNESGideon Zhi
    4Super Acceleration 1 (SA1)SNESVitor Viela
    5FastROMSNESkandowontu
    6MSU-1SNESCubear
    7Save/LoadSNESBillyTime! Games
    8Save/LoadNES8-bit fan
    9Self-RandoNES, SNESclymax
    10LevelingNES, SNESclymax

    Legend

    RankTypeDescription
    1ConversionPorting a game from one system to another
    2TranslationTranslating a game from Japanese to another language
    3Super Acceleration 1 (SA1)Improving performance by retargeting certain operations to run on an acceleration chip
    4FastROMImproving performance by activating a higher speed of ROM access
    5MSU-1Adding support for CD-quality audio
    6Save/LoadAdding support for save files
    7Self-RandoAdding an internal randomizer
    8LevelingAdding a leveling system

    So, what do you think? Do you know of a mod type that should be added to or removed from the list? Which listed mod type is your favorite? Comment below, or come check us out on Discord.

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  • Ys IV: Unmasked Released

    You can follow clymax’s projects via FFVC or YouTube.
    For the Wanderlust family of mods, click here.

    The Ys IV: Unmasked mod has been released courtesy of clymax.

    This mod is unofficial and is unaffiliated with Nihon Falcom.

    Like all of clymax’s rando mods, it’s a self-randomizer, so just simply reset the game to play a new randomization.

    A release build for Romhack Plaza is being considered, or you can get early access to the dev build on Game Jolt.

    Development Build: Features

    Chest items are now randomized.

    Currently, duplicates can still be rolled.

    Experience boosted to 16x.

    Gold boosted to 16x.

    All destinations of fast travel now unlocked at start. Wings also given at start.

    Passive MP regen added at a rate of 1 MP/sec. The MP increases aren’t shown on the screen yet.

    You now deal a minimum of one damage to enemies, including bosses.

    You now start with the Necklace of Radiance.

    Chest relooting added as a backup mechanic for Pure Chaos runs.

    You can now turn off random chest items by setting Sound to MONO.

    So, what do you think? Which platform do you think has the best version of Ys IV? Where do you think Ys IV ranks in the series? Comment below, or come check us out on Discord.

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  • FFV Randomizers Compared

    For clymax’s projects, click here. You can also follow him on YouTube or Twitter.

    This post compares “Final Fantasy V” randomizers that have been created by the modding community over the years.

    Note, this post does not cover roguelikes such as Ancient Cave.

    Randomizers for the Advance version are also not covered.

    These randomizers are unofficial and unaffiliated with Square Enix.

    Comparison Chart

    The below info was compiled and is believed to be correct as of this writing. The data in the table is current as of August 2025. If there are any inaccuracies or potential clarifications, comment below or reach out to us via Discord.

    Note that “⏯” represents a feature that can be toggled in game.

    Grand CrossCareer DayWhirlwind
    Released201620192024
    Author(s)abyssonymcaerulius, cleartonicclymax
    Community size (Discord)~150~800~400
    Base translationRPGe optionalRPGeRPGe
    Base hack—Project DemiChallenge Pack
    Free as in beer✓✓Base version only, or Fiesta event
    PlaystyleRandomized vanillaScavenger huntBattle speedrun
    Repatcher✓✓
    Respinner✓
    QoL addedWebsite option to use Inu patches✓
    Open world✓⏯
    World warps✓⏯
    Cutscene skips✓⏯
    Vanilla bugfixes✓
    Engine overhaul✓
    Encounter control✓Game Clear any file
    Boost farm rates4x XPConfig
    1-62x @
    Job colorsWebsite option to randomizeJob colors and cosmetic hair
    Solo project✓✓
    Exclusive features or implementationsAllSome, if Inu patches are usedAll
    Fiesta modeWebsite option⏯
    Vanilla mode⏯
    Config expansion✓
    RandomizeAbilities, commands, enemy stats, shops, equippable, job stats, chests, crystal jobsChests incl. jobs, abilities, and spells; enemies; website option to randomize steals and dropsJobs, chests incl. spells, enemies, shops, bonus drops incl. spells
    LeaderboardsSpeedrun.com
    AchievementsBased Badges (dev version only); Retro Achievements (base version only)
    Sample VODLinkLinkLink

    This post may be expanded over time with more details. Want to discuss? Comment below, or come hang out with us at our Discord.

    Related Post:

    Randomizers Compared

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