If you’ve ever used a Gameboy Advance emulator, you’ve likely needed ROMs to play the games. ROMs essentially act as the game cartridges, allowing you to load and play different titles on your emulator.
A Gameboy Advance ROM typically comes in a .GBA file format, which means it can only be run on a GBA emulator. However, some Nintendo DS (NDS) emulators are also compatible with this file type. Think of it like trying to play an MP4 video file on an MP3 player—it might play the audio, but the video won’t be displayed. Similarly, GBA ROMs need the correct emulator to function properly.
There are also Gameboy ROMs that come in other formats like .IPS or .UPS. Unfortunately, most standard GBA emulators cannot read or play these file types, requiring additional tools or patches to run them.
What you need to apply an IPS or UPS Patch
The goal we’re aiming for is to convert an .IPS or .UPS file into a playable .GBA game. Since you can’t directly play an .IPS or .UPS file on a standard emulator, patching the file is necessary.
Patching is the process where we modify or update the original .GBA file with the contents of the .IPS or .UPS file, while still keeping the .GBA format intact. This allows you to enjoy the updated version of the game without changing the file type.
To successfully complete this process, you’ll need a few essential tools and resources.
Things Needed for Patching a ROM hack
- Patch file
- ROM base
- Patcher app
The first thing you’ll need is the .IPS or .UPS patch file. These files contain the modified content, such as new features or storylines, that you want to play. In the case of Pokémon games, ROM hacks use these patches to alter the game’s original content, giving you a fresh experience.
Next, you’ll need the base ROM, which is the original game that the hack was built on. For example, the popular Pokémon Gaia ROM hack uses Pokémon FireRed as its base game.
The third essential item is a patching tool—an app or program that you’ll use to apply the .IPS or .UPS patch to the base ROM. Essentially, you are transforming a standard Pokémon ROM into a ROM hack using the content found within the patch file.
Lastly, always make sure to keep a backup copy of the original Pokémon game ROM. Once you apply the patch, the original contents of the ROM will be permanently altered, so having a backup ensures you don’t lose the original version.
Why the patch would fail
- There are a few common reasons why patching might fail. The first reason is that the .IPS or .UPS file you’re using may be unreliable. In simple terms, it could be a bad copy or it wasn’t programmed correctly from the start.
- The second issue could be that you’re not using the correct base game. For example, you might be trying to patch a Pokémon FireRed ROM when the hack actually requires Pokémon Emerald as the base ROM.
- Another possibility is that your base game ROM is unreliable. Some ROMs, not just Pokémon ones, can be corrupted or unsuitable for patching with the .IPS or .UPS file format.
- Finally, your patching tool might be the problem. If the patcher you’re using is outdated or unreliable, it could cause issues. But don’t worry—we’ll be including recommendations for trustworthy patching tools in the step-by-step guide.
How to Patch an .IPS file using Lunar IPS (Windows)
In this procedure, we will guide you on how to apply an .IPS patch. The patcher we will use is Lunar IPS. This patcher will only work on .IPS formats. We will use the Rocket Edition Final v1 as our .IPS file which we will patch with FireRed as the base game.
Step 1
Download the Lunar IPS patcher.
Step 2
Launch the Lunar IPS and click “Apply IPS Patch”.
Step 3
Choose the .IPS file you want to patch, which in our case is Rocket Edition Final v1.
Step 4
Then click on the base game, which is FireRed in this case.
Step 5
The patch will automatically happen which is usually a couple of seconds.
Step 6
This is optional but you can rename the newly patched FireRed ROM to Rocket Edition Final v1 or whatever you want.
Step 7
Launch the GBA emulator and if the ROM loads properly and it isn’t FireRed that comes out but Rocket Edition, then you did everything correctly.
How to apply an .UPS Patch using NUPS Patcher (Windows)
“We’ve already covered how to apply a patch to a .IPS file, but now let’s focus on applying a patch to a .UPS file. To do this, you’ll need to download the NUPS Patcher app, which is specifically designed for .UPS files. Just like the LIPS patcher is used for .IPS files, the NUPS patcher works exclusively with the .UPS format, making it an essential tool for this process.”
Step 1
Download the NUPS Patcher.
Step 2
Launch the Patcher and click “Apply a UPS patch to file”.
Step 3
Click on “Browse” next to File to Patch.
Step 4
Choose the base game that your will be patching, and for this example, we have FireRed.
Step 5
Click on “Browse” next to UPS patch.
Step 6
Choose the UPS file you want to patch and for this example, we’ll be using Pokemon Gaia.
Step 7
Click on “Patch” and wait for the file to patch.
Step 8
You’re done, and the FireRed will become Pokemon Gaia.GBA instead of UPS.
Step 9
Once again, it is optional to change the name of the file and try launching it on a GBA emulator.
How to Patch an .IPS or .UPS files using ROM Patcher JS (Mobile, Windows, and Mac)
ROM Patcher JS is a versatile tool because it can apply both IPS and UPS patches, making it convenient no matter which file format you’re working with. While you still need the base game, the unique aspect of ROM Patcher JS is that it allows you to patch files directly online. That’s right—there’s no need to download any app or software, as the patcher itself is a web-based tool. Here are the steps to use it.
This is an excellent option for those playing on mobile devices, as it lets you patch a ROM hack directly to your phone, making the process smooth and accessible on the go.
Step 1
Head to the website of ROM Patcher JS. Click here to go to the site.
Step 2
Click the Choose File on the ROM File section.
Step 3
Choose the base game for the patch and in this case, we’ll be using FireRed.
Step 4
Now click “Choose file” in the Patch File section.
Step 5
Choose any .IPS or .UPS file you want to patch. If you take a look at the image, any of those two will do but we’ll use Pokemon Gaia.UPS for now.
Step 6
You’ll see a small green check meaning that both ROMs are compatible. All you need to do now is to click on Patch to start the process.
Step 7
Once the patch is done, the file will automatically be downloaded to your device or computer.
Step 8
You can rename it or not but launch the GBA emulator and see if the game works.
Other Guides and Documentations.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to patch IPS and UPS files to play a ROM hack, you can choose from any of the three methods mentioned above, depending on your needs.
Keep in mind that the patcher you use will only work with the specific file type of the ROM, whether it’s an IPS or UPS format. In some cases, you might not even need to download a GBA ROM file in these formats.
If you search thoroughly, you might find a ROM hack already available in .GBA format. These are often accessible when the ROM hack is undergoing updates or new patches are being developed.
However, if you want to stay ahead and play right away, feel free to patch the ROM files you have so they’re compatible with your GBA emulator.