Episode 537: Final Fantasy ROM Hacks (Patreon)

The internet of the '90s was slower than molasses poured on a turtle. Worse, it was only accessible by making a pact with a screaming demon. (Our parents told us it was just the modem, but we knew better.) A jpeg could take ages to load. A three-minute 176 x 144 video could take a lifetime. But we made it work. That is to say, we still found ways to find and download ROMs—and, by extension, how to find and download the fan-made patches that sometimes turned our beloved 8- and- 16-bit games into something else entirely.

While the earliest fan games attached a dong to Mario's sprite and called it a day, it wasn't long before enthusiasts got down to serious work. RPGs are popular subjects for patches, and the Final Fantasy series in particular has been blessed with some fan works that are nothing short of astonishing. This month, Nadia hooks up with old friends Andrew Vestal and Steve Tramer, two gentlemen who, like herself, know how much our beloved Final Fantasy games can offer us when fans step up.

Host: Nadia Oxford
Edits: Greg Leahy
Cover: Leeann Hamilton

• 7:07 - Final Fantasy V (SFC): In Search of Light
• 20:54 - Final Fantasy (FC): Chaos Shrine
• 30:00 - Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls: Boss Battle A
• 43:30 - Final Fantasy III (FC): Eternal Wind | Final Fantasy IV (SFC): Prologue
• 57:34 - Final Fantasy IV (SFC): Lunar Whale
• 1:01:47 - Final Fantasy V (SFC): Dungeon | Final Fantasy VI (SFC): Omen
• 1:14:47 - Final Fantasy VI T-Edition: The Man with the Machine Gun
• 1:20:51 - Final Fantasy VI T-Edition: Town Theme 2
• 1:30:43 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: Riding (Night)
• Closing - Final Fantasy IV Pixel Remaster: Into the Darkness (Arranged)