A good ROM hack is like giving your favorite game a whole new personality. New maps! New monsters! New items! New trauma!
And then you try to use your trusty “infinite money” code and the emulator basically responds with, “Lol. No.” Or worse: it works, but it turns your character into a glitchy Picasso and nukes your save file. Fun.
If you’ve ever heard that “most cheats don’t work on hacks” (people love tossing around numbers like 80%), it’s not because you suddenly forgot how to type digits. It’s because cheat codes are ridiculously picky little creatures… and ROM hacks rearrange their habitat.
Let me explain what’s actually happening and how to fix it without spending your entire evening whispering threats at a pixelated professor.
The real reason cheats break on ROM hacks (it’s not personal)
Cheat codes aren’t magic. They’re more like ultra specific GPS coordinates.
A typical cheat says, “Go to this exact memory address and change this exact value.” Like:
- “Set money to 999999”
- “Make Rare Candies appear in slot 1”
- “Always get a shiny”
The problem: ROM hacks move stuff around.
When a hack adds content (new areas, items, Pokémon, mechanics, anything juicy), the game’s internal layout shifts. So your cheat is still confidently marching to Address X… but the thing you want is now living at Address Y. Result:
- nothing happens
- the wrong thing changes (my personal favorite: “infinite money” turns into “infinite corruption”)
- instant crash
The usual culprits
Here’s what most commonly makes cheats go feral:
- Address shifts from edits (even “small” changes can ripple)
- Expanded ROMs (more content = bigger reshuffle)
- Different game IDs (some cheat engines verify the game before applying codes)
- Wrong base ROM (a code for Emerald USA won’t behave on a hack built from Emerald EU)
When original cheats might still work
If the hack is mostly cosmetic—text changes, minor tweaks, graphics swaps—you can sometimes get away with original codes.
If the hack is more like “new skeleton, new organs, new life choices,” assume your old cheat list is about as useful as a screen door on a submarine.
Before you blame the hack: the three mistakes that get everyone (yes, everyone)
I don’t care how techy you are—every single person has lost 45 minutes to at least one of these. (I have absolutely never done that. Don’t check my search history.)
1) You forgot the Master Code / (M) code
Some GameShark/Action Replay sets require an enabler code first. It’ll be labeled something like:
- “(M)”
- “Master Code”
- “Must Be On”
No master code when one is required = nothing else works. It’s like trying to bake cookies in an oven you never turned on. You can stir all you want; you’re not getting dessert.
2) Wrong cheat format (aka: “stop speaking Spanish to a French menu”)
GameShark, Action Replay, and CodeBreaker codes are not interchangeable. If you paste the right numbers into the wrong cheat type, you’ll get errors, chaos, or a whole lot of nothing.
Most emulators let you choose the cheat type. Match the code to the format. No match = no magic.
3) You enabled a small army of cheats at once
Look, I love ambition. But running 12+ codes simultaneously is how you summon the Cheat Demon.
If it worked… until you added “just one more,” disable everything and re-enable one at a time. Three cheats? Usually fine. Fifteen? That’s not cheating—that’s juggling chainsaws.
The fix: my “don’t panic” cheat troubleshooting order
If you do this in order, you’ll solve most cheat issues fast.
Step 1: Check the boring stuff (it matters)
- Is the master code enabled (if required)?
- Did you pick the right cheat type in your emulator?
- Any typos? One missing digit can ruin your whole day.
- If it’s a multi-line code, does your emulator want each line separate, or pasted as one block? (Different emulators have different vibes.)
Step 2: Make sure your ROM hack matches the codes you’re using
This one is HUGE.
Most hacks are built from a very specific base ROM, like:
- “Pokémon Emerald (USA) v1.0”
If you patched the wrong version, cheat codes made for the “correct” base will act weird or fail completely. If the hack’s documentation tells you the base ROM, believe it. Re-patch with the right one if needed.
Step 3: Try a different emulator (seriously)
Not all emulators handle all cheat formats equally well.
If your codes are failing in one emulator and you’re sure they’re correct, test the same ROM/save in a different emulator for cheat codes before you spiral. Sometimes it’s not you. Sometimes it’s the emulator being… sensitive.
If your cheats still won’t work: the “okay, fine” options
At this point, you’re dealing with an actual mismatch between what the cheat expects and what the ROM contains.
Before you do anything fancy: back up your .sav file. Yes, even if you “never need backups.” That sentence is basically a curse.
Option A: Game ID mismatches
Some hacks change the internal game ID that certain cheat systems use for verification. If the cheat engine is picky about that ID, codes can fail even if the addresses would otherwise be correct.
There are tools (like GBAATM) that can display/adjust IDs. This is a little more advanced, but it’s a real fix for certain situations.
Option B: Convert the cheat format (sometimes works, sometimes lies)
There are online converters that translate between GameShark / Action Replay / CodeBreaker.
Sometimes it works beautifully. Sometimes it produces a code that technically exists, but functionally behaves like a raccoon behind the wheel of a car. Test carefully.
Option C: Make your own code with cheat search (the most reliable method)
If your emulator supports cheat search, you can build a code that matches your specific hack.
Classic method:
- Search for your current money value.
- Spend some money.
- Search again for the new value.
- Repeat until you narrow down the correct address.
- Lock/freeze that value.
It’s not instant gratification, but it does work—and it sidesteps the whole “addresses moved” problem because you’re finding the new address directly.
Red flags that a cheat is corrupting your game (listen to them)
If your game starts acting haunted, don’t gaslight yourself. A bad cheat can scribble all over memory like a toddler with a Sharpie.
Watch for:
- Scrambled sprites / glitch art characters
- Garbled text (especially name/item edits)
- Inventory weirdness (duplicating items, unusable slots, bizarre quantities)
- Instant freezes or black screens
- Crashes right after enabling a code
If you see any of that: turn off the cheat immediately and reload from a clean save. Skipping this step earns you three gentle taps with a very wet noodle.
“I turned it off and it’s STILL broken” — now what?
This is the annoying but useful clue:
- Some cheats only affect live memory (RAM). Turn them off, reset, and you’re fine.
- Other cheats write into your save file. Once it’s baked in, disabling the cheat doesn’t unbake the cake.
How to clear temporary (RAM) weirdness
- Soft reset (or emulator reset)
- Fully close/reopen the emulator (hard reset)
- Load an in game save, not just a save state
How to fix permanent save damage
- Restore a backup .sav from before the cheat
- If you don’t have a backup… you may be stuck (I’m sorry, and I hate that for you)
Why save states can make this worse
Save states capture everything—INCLUDING the bad cheat effects. If you save state while a cheat is causing corruption, you basically preserved the mess in amber.
Use in game saves as your “real” progress. Use save states like sprinkles: fun, but not structural.
My “cheat safely” rules (so you don’t have to learn the hard way)
If you want to mess around without detonating your progress:
- Back up your .sav before experimenting (takes 10 seconds, saves hours)
- Test one cheat at a time (you’ll instantly know the culprit)
- Disable cheats before saving in game (especially anything that edits inventory/money)
- Don’t rely on save states as your only backup
Backups are boring until they’re the only thing standing between you and a complete restart. Then they’re the hottest feature your emulator has.
The bottom line
ROM hacks “break” cheat codes because cheats depend on exact internal addresses—and hacks love rearranging the furniture. Start with the simple stuff (master code, correct format, no typos), confirm you’re using the right base ROM, and don’t run a dozen cheats like you’re trying to speedrun corruption.
And if all else fails? Cheat search is your best friend. It’s slower, but it doesn’t care how wildly the hack remodeled the place.
Now go make that ROM hack respect you.
