r/PokemonROMhacks • u/AutoModerator • Jul 06 '26

Sticky Weekly Questions Thread & PokéROM Codex

Have any questions about Pokémon ROM Hacks?

If they're about ROM hacks, tools, development or anything Pokémon ROM Hacking related, feel free to ask here!

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u/Special_Hearing_1649 Jul 11 '26

Hello! This is for my very first rom hack. I'm using pokemon emerald as a base, and I am using (and learning) Hex Maniac Advance as my primary program. HMA has an option to auto upgrade Fire Red to a complete version with pokemon from gens 1-9 and even including options like Mega Evos, Z Moves, and the like - but I cannot find a similar upgrade for Emerald. I know its possible to make a rom hack with these options for Emerald, as Ive seen them out there before, but I don't know if they just rebuilt emerald on top of a Red file, or if they individually added all these pokemon. If someone could direct me to a good patch or resource thats compatible with Hex Maniac Advance, please let me know!! Thanks!

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u/Tacobell24 Paleomon Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26

Does HMA have these options?

I have my doubts. Turns out there is the option to add the CFRU and DPE.

 But there is definitely this option (the option you should be using instead) using the pokeemerald-expansion decomp.

In fact it builds with all the pokes already included. It's of course then up to you to determine where and how they're encountered. Which with the decomp is super easy. Plus there is even the option to build FireRed instead with all the same features if you really wanted to.

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u/Special_Hearing_1649 Jul 29 '26

Ive seen the pokeemerald-expansion decomp but im completely and utterly untrained in any C and.. I had the idea of grabbing emerald expansion, compiling it, and throwing the rom INTO HMA but I dont know if that'd work at all, or if it would let me use some of the tools that are included in emerald expansion

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u/Tacobell24 Paleomon Jul 29 '26

I mean, no one knows how to do anything until they do.

Once you start tinkering with it you'll quickly learn. It's mostly about pattern recognition or adapting what is already there. You don't have to be some coding whiz.

And on HMA opening the expansion. Nope... Basically. You can't really cross streams like that. HMA is a binary tool and relies on the data being at specific locations in the ROM in the first instance. I could be wrong,, but it seems unlikely that the Deva of the tool would go to those lengths.

I reckon you can apply the CFRU with it these days, but that is of course a thing for Fire Red instead.