Ripping games

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Revision as of 02:58, 21 September 2015 by 197.7.21.196 (talk)
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PlayStation 1/2

Windows: Use ImgBurn

It will ask you to install toolbars and other junk, choose custom installation, and deselect them. It does not install them if you say no like other programs.

Instructions

  1. Put your PS1 or PS2 disc into your computer.
  2. Open ImgBurn
  3. Click Mode>Read
  4. Choose the destination of the file, by clicking the little folder+magnifying glass button.
  5. Click the CD button at the bottom.
  6. Wait for it to finish ripping.
  7. Play ISO in whatever emulator you use


PSP Eboots

Convert ISOs to Eboots

Convert your own PS1 ISOs into Eboots using PSX2PSP.

Popsloader

If you are having some trouble with converted eboots, be sure to download Popsloader v4g here. Most of the games will work without it nowadays, but for those that don't, you'll need this. See popsloader compatibility list.


GameCube/Wii

Use CleanRip

You'll need a Wii with homebrew installed, so if you don't have homebrew already, go here check which homebrew installation method works for what System Version you have ETC. Now that you have Homebrew Channel and CleanRip installed here are instructions.

Instructions (Make sure a GameCube controller is plugged into your Wii)

  1. Insert your Wii or GameCube disc and your SD card or USB stick into the Wii.
  2. Choose what device you're using, USB or SD using the GameCube buttons
  3. Choose which file format your SD or USB stick is. (Must be FAT32 or NTFS, if not you'll need to format it, read down below for instructions)
  4. If it asks you download Redump.org bat files. Press no.
  5. Press A on your GameCube controller and it will start the ripping process, wait for it to finish and when its done the ISO file will be on your SD card or USB stick.

Instructions for formatting SD card/USB stick

If your SD card or USB stick is not FAT32 or NTFS here's how to format on a Windows computer.

  1. Plug your SD card or USB stick into your computer.
  2. Click on Start Menu, click on computer.
  3. Right click on your SD card Or USB card.
  4. Press Format, and choose FAT32 or NTFS (Make sure you backup files if there's any on there, as the formatting process will delete everything)

Emulated Releases

Sometimes the companies re-release the games digitally, as a wrapper containing an emulator and the ROM. Depending on the company, the ROM may or may not be directly playable in regular emulators. You can extract those ROMs and play them without having to go to shady sites nor tracking expensive cartridges and potentially breaking them in the ripping process. And you get to support the company who made the stuff you love, instead of resellers hoarding second-hand game copies.

Virtual Console (Wii, Wii U, 3DS)

The Wii VC releases are most of the time ready to work in emulators. In fact, Nintendo was so kind they even included the iNES headers in NES roms (16 bytes in the beginning of the ROM that are not part of the original cart data yet the emulator needs them to know which mapper it is and run the game at all). You can even replace the ROM with one from the same system from your choice, and get it to run if Nintendo's emulators are compatible.

Some Virtual Console versions have been enhanced or modified compared to the original release.

While some just modify the ROM directly (like Metal Gear 2 MSX with the Subsistence version's enhancements, Monster World IV's English translation), other modifications rely on real-time patching by patch files included with the ROM (like Romancing SaGa 2's extra dungeons). The anti-seizure effects and texture enhancements are most of the time tied to the VC emulator.

Also, Super Nintendo ROMs have their SPC sound data blanked in the ROM and stored in a separate file, meaning the ROM dump is incomplete for these. And you might need a byteswapper tool for N64 games.

For Wii VC:

  • Get ShowMiiWads.exe and select "I accept and take the risk of WAD editing features". Go to Tools/Create Common-Key and type in the text it asks you for.
  • You need a wad file of the VC app.
  • If you don't have a wad file yet, you can get it from a NAND dump extracted off your Wii with dedicated homebrew apps (changing it and reinserting it in the Wii could be dangerous if you don't know what are you doing, that was what the disclaimer was for, it's not relevant here though). In ShowMiiWads, click Options/Change NAND Backup Path, then click View/ShowMiiNand, and then on the file with the name of the game right-click and click Pack Wad. The you click again View/ShowMiiNand.
  • Now that you have the wad file, go to File/Open Folder and where the wad file is.
  • Right-click, Extract/To Folder.
  • You go to the newly created folder, and you'll find lots of files. Chances are the biggest "app" file has the emulator and ROM data. It's usually "00000005.app" for MSX/GEN/N64 roms. In the utility, load it and click Tools/Unpack U8 Archive.

Congrats! You should have the ROM somewhere in there. Check the file sizes and name for hints and find out which one it is, it's part of the fun.

However! Some post-2010 ROMs give inside another compressed "romc" file. That's the ROM, but compressed. You'll need the romc command-line decompression tool, following the commands:
cd C:/romfolder/
romc d C:/romfolder/romc C:/extractionfolder/customromname.extension

PS Classics (PS1C PSP, PS1C PS3, PS2C PS3)

Sony also has a digital distribution service for their old PS1 and PS2 games. The selection is limited considering Sony prohibits any kind of modification to the ISO data compared

For PS1 Classics on PSP: Rip the EBOOT.PBP file. It can be directly opened in some emulators like PCSX-R. Its ISO can also be extracted with other tools.

Various Compilations

  • Sega Ages - MD
  • Sega Mega Collection (multiple systems) - MD
  • Sega I Love Mickey Mouse (Saturn) - MD - ROM divided
  • Animal Crossing GC - NES/SNES
  • Zelda Collector Disk GC - NES/N64 (includes 60Hz PAL OoT/MQ/MM versions)
  • Konami Twinbee Collection - SNES - ROM divided
  • Rare Replay


Sites for Determining Good Dumps (CRC's, MD5's, etc.)