FAQs

Retrosub is not loaded/found

Try to copy the .retrosub file next to the associated ROM/cue file, and rename so it matches the filename. e.g.: Momotarou Katsugeki (Japan).pce -> Momotarou Katsugeki (Japan).retrosub

Text looks too small or pixelated on Linux

Well-known issue with Bizhawk, workaround here.

Text stuck onscreen, or not appearing after a savestate load

Solution: reload the lua script.

Unable to find domain XXX Error

Use these emulation cores:

System	BizHawk	RetroArch
PC Engine	PCEHawk	Beetle PCE Fast, built after this PR
SNES	Snes9x	Snes9x
GBx, GBA	mGBA	mGBA
NDS	MelonDS	MelonDS
Saturn	Saturnus
PS1	Nymashock

To change default cores in BizHawk, use the menu "Config->Preferred Cores". Then restart.

How can I use this to translate game X?

The usual process consists of 4 steps:

1. Text extraction (not really required, but recommended)
   • Recommended tools: an hex editor with custom text encodings support like ImHex. Other common romhacking tools.
2. Find the RAM areas to hash
   • Recommended tools: Mesen2, and its excellent Tile Viewer (makes it very easy to find where the text is rendered in RAM).
3. Dialog design, translation and hashes generation
   • Recommended tools: BizHawk and the RetroSub Maker script, your favorite graphics editor (used to find the correct screen coordinates and colors).
4. Testing and release
   • Recommended tools: BizHawk and the RetroSub script (enable debug mode and manually reload after every change, check the console for errors), your favorite text editor with markdown support.

Tip

For an easy start look at the examples.

Why not statically patch the ROM directly?

Because it's easier and faster with Lua scripting, since you are avoiding most traditional ROM hacking issues, like space limitations, text compression, font replacement, pointers rewriting, etc.

Long explanation of the differences