What are .IPS patches and how do I apply them?
IPS Files are small files that are used to change [or patch] the data in a game ROM [or any file for that matter] in an efficient way. They are used to apply hacks, translations, and fixes to game ROMs in a non-copyright-infringing way. See, if you translate a game and just post the translated version on your webpage, you’re still breaking copyright law. So, basically what the IPS files do is tell a patching program which bytes in the file to change, and what to change them to. The added upside of this is that IPS files are generally much smaller than having the full, patched ROM. You can’t just run an IPS file – that’s a common misconception. So, you have to use a patching program that supports IPS. It will load both an IPS file and a game ROM and apply the patch to the ROM, but beware that some programs overwrite the original ROM, so be sure to make backups! IPS patching programs exist on many computer platforms. • What are NSFs? NSFs [Nintendo Sound Files] are a game’s music, ripped
