ROM hacks are distributed as patches because it is illegal for people to send full copies of games to each other, modified or not! A patch file contains just the new text, music, story, features, and nothing more. Think of it like a laptop sticker! You apply it on top of the original to change what it's like.
First and foremost, you'll need to know which specific version of the ROM to patch. You need to have the same copy that the programmers used to make the patch, otherwise you might see glitches.
Once you've found the right ROM, you'll need to use a utility program to apply the patch.
We recommend ROM Patcher JS because it runs right in your web browser!
From here on out, the steps are pretty straightforward. Put in your ROM and the patch, and it will join the new code with the
original game to create something new and transformative!