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Kyrios

Does Your Game Have An Editor? Check Here! (Updated 10/22/18)

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Ever wanted to hack a game, but wonder if there's already an editor in existence for your game of choice? Do you suck ass at Google?

If you said yes to both of these questions, you are who this thread exists for!

A while back, I wrote an article titled "Got A Question About Modding? This is for you.", and in it I took a few minutes to do some research and came up with a small list of ROM editors.

Now, being that that article is on the second page, it's a safe bet that it doesn't get a lot of traffic. I think the list seen in said article is a pretty valuable piece of information, so I had the idea to make a thread just for said list.

Pokemon Editors

Spoiler

 

PokeRed and PokeCrystal [Credit: RavenOfRazgriz]

Spoiler

These are dynamically buildable copies of Pokemon Red and Crystal that allow you to get around most of the restrictions of the cartridge. The tradeoff? You have to edit them in ASM.

PokeRed

PokeCrystal

Chrono Trigger Editor [Credit: Madsiur]

Spoiler

Temporal Flux (main one)

Translation development system

A lot more here, get started here.

Final Fantasy I, II, IV (Advance only), V (Advance as well), VI, Tactics Editors [Credit: Madsiur]

Spoiler

FFI Editors (NES)
FF Hackster
FF Hackster Companion

FFII Editors (NES)
Jade
CastleFynn

FFIII Editors (NES)
FF3j Enemy Editor

FFII Editors (SNES)
FF4Kster
FF4ed
FFIIus Multi Editor

FFV Editors (SNES)
Final Fantasy V Editor

FFIV Advance Editors (SNES)
Final Fantasy IV Advance Editor

FFV Advance Editors (SNES)
Final Fantasy V Advance Editor

FFT Editors (PSX)
FFHacktics tools page

Demo and significantly buggy editors not listed.

Final Fantasy VII Editors [Credit: Sega Chief]

Spoiler

The majority of FF7's tools can be found on Qhimm, and they're unusual in that they mostly work for both the PS1 and PC files (both games use a similar file architecture, enough that tools can generally cover both versions). They're also available from Qhimm, but can be tough to find. One important thing to note is that the PS1 version has file size limitations; make sure to ask around on Qhimm before starting a mod project for the PS1 version to get a better idea of what the limitations are and how to work within them.

-) Proud Clod (PrC) - Enemy/Formation Editing Tool

This edits the scene.bin of the game, which contains all information pertaining to enemy data. You can pretty much change everything; their attacks, stats, AI, formations, etc. The current/final version should be able to edit everything without a problem but be wary of using the 'synch current [enemy] with other scenes'; this would have been a huge time-save if it worked but it unfortunately corrupts formation data.

Before using PrC, make sure it has admin permissions and is unblocked, etc. It needs to access the game's Kernel to 'update' it when enough changes have been made as the game has look-up tables that need to be updated when the size of either file is altered by a certain degree; otherwise you'll have Safers swarming about in the first Reactor and other wrong encounters loading.


-) Wall Market - Kernel Editor

This edits the game's Kernel, where player character stats, Materia, items, equipment, spells, key items, and character AI are stored among other things. Unfortunately, this editor is prone to text compression errors as the size of the kernel gets larger and is subject to much tighter size restrictions even for the PC version. You may find when working up to the size limits that text can be suddenly corrupted or will be mysteriously edited (garbage strings can be displayed, or all instances of the word 'Holy' will be removed for instance).

Getting Wall Market to work can be hassle, as it was made using Visual Basic so certain file dependencies will be missing from your computer if it's new. You can find these individually through a .dll site but the smarter thing to do is find the free Visual Basic pack on Microsoft's website that contains your missing dependency files and to install that instead. When making changes to the game's kernel, remember to synch it with the scene.bin by opening PrC and synching them there (Wall Market doesn't have that function).


-) Makou Reactor - Field Script Editor

A very powerful and useful tool, this opens the game's scenes and lets you not only alter the game's dialogue but the actual game script itself as well. You can make custom scenes or edit existing ones, change the field music, animations/actors used, even the scale of the walkmesh for faster/slower movement. The tool access the char.lgp so any mods applied there will be displayed and can be used with the tool; it can also search through the game's script for text or variables, allowing you to make quick changes or to check up on any used entries.

There are a few kinks in the tool though. Sometimes a changed actor model will revert after leaving the sub-menu, or field can be corrupted if exporting/importing them (the 1.5.1 release seems to be able to do this without issue).


-) Kimera - Model Editor/Viewer

This is PC only, as the models for the PS1 version are kept in a different format and are very hard to edit. This tool also requires visual basic dependency files so be prepared to search for some before you can run it for the first time. It also requires that the .lgp archives where the models are stored be decompiled beforehand (use Luksy's tool for this).

Kimera can modify the battle and field models of the game quite handily, though it requires a fair amount of practice to become proficient with. It can change colours fairly easily, scale/rotate individual parts, edit and interpolate animations, or add/remove parts to the skeleton to make 'unique' enemy models.


-) Libre - Limit Break Editor

An old and ancient tool, this requires file dependencies to work and even then it'll still be touch and go. As Limits are stored in the game's .EXE and not the kernel (only part of the data is stored in the kernel, editing them there won't actually change them), Libre accesses this to make changes to each one. It has a few things to watch for, namely that Braver can sometimes get overwritten by Satan Slam so be sure to double-check it after saving/closing your work. As old as it is, it's still the only Limit editor out there.


-) White Chocobo - Shop Editor

Like Libre, this tool is very old and even more unstable than Libre is. Shop inventories are stored in the .Exe as are the selling prices for each and every item/Materia in the game. The tool is effective at what it does; it lets you change what's for sale, for how much, and has notes on which inventories are unused, etc. However, due to the age of the tool you may find that it becomes inoperable after one use.


-) ULGP - LGP Archive Extractor

Very important tool for using Kimera, this will decompile an .lgp archive and allow you to edit the files individually. It will also recompile them once you've made your edits.


-) IMG2TEX - Texture Converter

FF7 mostly uses shaded polygons for it's models, but these are accompanied with texture files (eyes for instance). This tool converts these into a file format workable in most image editors and then lets you convert them back for use in the game.

Final Fantasy VIII Editor [Credit: Sega Chief]

Spoiler

 

-) Doomtrain – Kernel Editor

A relatively new tool, this extracts the kernel.bin from FF8 and allows for the editing of everything from Limit Breaks to Junction effects, allowing for much more freedom in modifying the way FF8 will behave in-game. The Deling tool is required to extract the required file.

-) Deling – Field Editor & File Extractor

This tool is the backbone of most FF8 editing in that it doubles not just as a field script editor but also as a file extractor. Note that this tool is still in Beta, unlike its sister tool Makou Reactor.

-) Ifrit – Enemy Editor

Modifies enemy data for FF8, though some functions such as AI editing are still quite rough.

-) Junkshop – Weapon Editor

This tool allows for the modification of crafting requirements for various weapons, and their prices.

-) Quezacotl – Initial Data Editor

This tool modifies the starting data for the player; included are initial statuses, level, GFs, Magic, Abilities, Junctions, and Limit Breaks.

-) Cactilio – Battle Formation Editor

A tool to edit enemy formations.

 

Final Fantasy IX Editor [Credit: Sega Chief]

Spoiler

 

-) Hades Workshop – General Purpose Editor

From enemies to items, and texts to field scripts this editor covers most of the features in the PC and PSX versions of the game.

 

Paper Mario Editor [Credit: Lolwayup]

Spoiler

~Paper Mario Kirigami64 (Originally titled Origami64)


This editor for Paper Mario allows you to edit the text in game and the enemy formations. This editor is still being worked on for more features. The only thing is you need a .z64 file instead of a .n64 file.

Super Mario Bros 3 Editors [Credit: Lolwayup]

Spoiler

~Mario Improvement 3

A basic level editor for SMB3.

~SMB3 Color Editor

An editor that allows you to change Mario and Luigi's palettes

~SMB3 Discombobulator

A level editor that allows you edit the overworld maps.

~SMB3 Map Editor

A more advance level editor that allows you to edit tiles, pointers, sprites, starting spaces, airship retreat points, locks, and pipes on the map.

~SMB3 Text Editor

An editor that allows you to edit the text in SMB3.

~SMB3 Workshop

An editor that allows you to edit pointers, graphics, palettes, variables, level header, etc.

~SMB3TE

An editor that allows you to edit the title screen

~Super Mario Bros. 3 TSA (Tile Square Assembly) Editor

An editor that allows you to edit block that are made up of smaller blocks (usually 8x8 tiles into 16x16 tiles).

Mega Man X Editor [Credit: Hart-Hunt]

Spoiler

MegaED X

An editor capable of changing most of the preset collisions found in each of the stages in Mega Man X. With this tool, you can change the content of the scenes, tiles, palettes and collisions

Final Fantasy VI Editors [Credit: Lockirby]

Spoiler

I'm just gonna throw the link here since not every tool has its own page.

FF6Hacking Tools

FF3usME - This is the main FF6 editor that everyone and their mom who has an FF6 mod uses. It's pretty comprehensive. For the SNES version only.
FF6RE - This is FF3usME but for the GBA version, pretty much. It's less comprehensive than its SNES counterpart, and no longer developed.
FF6MDE - Chest, spell animations, and enemy ability animations editor for FF3us (SNES) and FF6A.
FF6 Expanded Esper Editor - Expands esper data to have a sixth magic slot. More information is available at the link above. FF3us only.
Final Fantasy III US Shop Editor - Exactly what it sounds like. FF3us and FF6j only.
FF3SE - Monster sprite, character sprite, and portrait editor. FF3us only.
FF3usSpriteEd - Character sprite editor. Integrated in FF3usME but has some slight differences.
FF6LE Rogue - Map and NPC editor. Requires .NET Framework!. FF3us only.
Zone Doctor - Level and event editor. FF3us only.
Zone Doctor+ and FF6LE Rogue+ - Versions of the two above tools edited by Madsiur to be able to handle more NPCs, event triggers, and such. More information available at the link above.
Final Fantasy 3 Map Editor - What do you think it is?
SPC Sample Index Editor - This is primarily for music, and does exactly what it says it does. Works for many games.
Midi to MML - Converts midi files to MML and converts MML files to FF6 song data.
FF5 to FF6 MCS2 - Converts FF5 songs to FF6 songs.
FF6 RAM Editor - Save editor (.srm). FF3us only.
Savestate Editor - FF3us Zsnes savestate editor.
FF3us Tables, FF3us Misc Tables, FF6A Tables - FF3us and FF6A tables. The fuck did you think they were?
DUDE - 65816 ASM disassembler and editor.
Geiger's Snes9x Debugger - SNES emulator with tracing and disassembly capabilities.
Hkas - Very simple and flexible SNES cross assembler.
YY-CHR - Universal graphic editor.
SNES Palette Editor - Palette editor for SNES roms.
WindHex32 - Hex editor with table support.
HxD - Hex editor with copy/pasta features and overwrite/insert mode. This is the hex editor I use, if you're curious.

Earthbound Editors [Credit: Bluerobin427]

Spoiler

For Earthbound, use Coilsnake. It's pretty comprehensive, newer, easier to use, and more powerful. It essentially extracts data from the ROM into a set of relatively easy-to-edit text files and, when you're done, recompiles it all. It takes care of redirecting pointers and things that like for you. Since version 2 it's been bundled with CCScript (for changing dialog and events, even doing ASM hacks with much less hex editing if you're good with it) and EB Project Editor (for map modding). You can add custom CCScript files in with the ones extracted by Coilsnake and it will integrate them on the fly during recompiling. It looks like it's also bundled with methods to expand the ROM now as well, which is neat. It's your go-to for hacking.

The last time I was playing around the EB hacking there were a couple things it couldn't do or things it did worse than the alternatives (PK Hack, EB++, and JHack), but that doesn't seem to be the case nowadays. Check out tutorials and give the Coilsnake thread a quick skim if you're curious about whether it can do something. Link to Coilsnake and PK Hack, plus tutorials and other EB utilities: http://starmen.net/p...oads/utilities/

Also, there's a really nice repository of info in the forum on starman.net (Link: https://forum.starme...ommunity/PKHack) with several good summary threads. Also in there is an awesome compilation thread with custom bits of CCScript/ASM scripts that senior hackers wrote for other people to use. When I was working on EB hacking, that seemed like a pretty great community as long as you're willing to put in your part of the effort.

Finally, the Data Crystal pages for Earthbound are pretty good. They're probably not that necessary unless you're doing some really deep hacking, but the various data maps there are a decent place to start. They're not loading for me right now so I can't make sure I'm linking the best place, but the main page is at: http://datacrystal.romhacking.net/wiki/EarthBound

Breath Of Fire III Editor [Credit: XtraT]

Alternate source for even more editors!:

 

 

This list is ongoing. If anyone knows of any that aren't on this list, toss me a link and after I confirm it, I'll update the list. When you make a contribution, after I add it I'm going to spoiler tag your post so the thread is easier to parse through.

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Nice list but for FFVI we have moved our editor pages:

FF6 (SNES): https://www.ff6hacking.com/wiki/doku.php?id=ff3:ff3us:util:start

FF6 (GBA): https://www.ff6hacking.com/wiki/doku.php?id=ff6a:utils

General: https://www.ff6hacking.com/wiki/doku.php?id=rh:utilities

 

Lockirby list is also a bit outdated since some editors are no longer there and there are some new ones.. I will make a new list with editor name - short description for each one and send it to you in a few days max by pm so you can update the thread.

 

Updated Lockirby list:

Spoiler

FF3us and FF6j Utilities
FF3usME - This is the main FF6 editor that everyone and their mom who has an FF6 mod uses. It's pretty comprehensive. For the SNES version only.
FF6Tools - OS X multi-editor for FF3us, FF6j and FF6A(U).
FF6MDE - Chest, spell animations, and enemy ability animations editor for FF3us (SNES) and FF6A.
FF6 Expanded Esper Editor - Expands esper data to have a sixth magic slot. More information is available at the link above. FF3us only.
Final Fantasy III US Shop Editor - Exactly what it sounds like. FF3us and FF6j only.
FF6ExpED - Can expand and edit monster drops and stolen items and odds.
FFVIExplore - The only editor / unpacker for the Steam version.  
FF3SE - Monster sprite, character sprite, and portrait editor. FF3us only.
FF3SE-M    - Modified FF3SE version allowing monster GFX expansion.
FF3usSpriteEd - Character sprite editor. Integrated in FF3usME but has some slight differences.
FF6LE Rogue - Map and NPC editor. Requires .NET Framework!. FF3us only.
Zone Doctor - Level and (broken) event editor. FF3us only.
Zone Doctor+ and FF6LE Rogue+ - Versions of the two above tools edited by Madsiur to be able to handle more NPCs, event triggers, and such.
Final Fantasy 3 Map Editor - What do you think it is?
FF6MMGEN - Can generate WOB & WOR mini-maps like FF3Edit.
tinymm - converta midi file into a MML file.
MidiToMML - Automate the RS3exTools2 MML conversion process.
RS3exTools2 - A RS3 utility that can convert a MML file into FF6 / RS3 music data.
FF5toFF6 Music exporter - Export FF5 songs into FF6.
FF6 RAM Editor - Save editor (.srm). FF3us only.
Savestate Editor - FF3us Zsnes savestate editor.
Savestate Editor - FF3us Zsnes and SNES9X savestate editor.

Peer Sprite Viewer - Can compress / decompress FF6 and CT graphics.

Protip: Stay away from FF3Edit as it is broken and will corrupt your ROM.

FF6A Utilities
FF6Tools - OS X multi-editor for FF3us, FF6j and FF6A(U).
FF6MDE - Chest, spell animations, and enemy ability animations editor for FF3us (SNES) and FF6A.
FF6AE - This is FF3usME but for FF6A(U), pretty much. It's less comprehensive than its SNES counterpart, and no longer developed.
FF6A SRAM Editor - Complete FF6A SRAM editor.

General Utilities
YY-CHR (.NET) - General tile editor. The .NET build is more recent than the C++ one.
YY-CHR (C++) - General tile editor. Has more feature than the .NET build.
WindHex32 - Hex editor with table support.
HxD - Hex editor with copy/pasta features and overwrite/insert mode. This is the hex editor I use, if you're curious.
bass - cross-assembler and spiritual succesor of xkas.
Patch Conflict Finder - Find conflicts between two or more patches.

General Utilities (SNES)
DUDE - 65816 ASM disassembler and editor.
bsnes-plus - Fork of bsnes-classic with new debugging features and improvements.
Geiger's Snes9x Debugger - SNES emulator with tracing and disassembly capabilities.
xkas - Very simple and flexible SNES cross assembler.
Asar - GUI SNES assembler based on xkas.
SNES Palette Editor - Palette editor for SNES roms.

General Utilities (GBA)
NLZ-GBA Advance - A program to edit regular and LZ77 compressed graphics.
Advance Palette Editor - A program to edit regular and LZ77 compressed palettes.
Sappy 2006 - Can import / export songs and SFX.

 

Edited by madsiur
added music utilities in the list

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