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The ROM hacking community has produced countless creative projects, but few figures are as consistent and ambitious as pacnsacdave of Pacnsac Games. His library of NES hacks and homebrews stretches across genres, often transforming familiar titles into something entirely new. Dave has done A LOT!
I first encountered his work through Mr. Gimmick 2, a fan-made sequel to Sunsoft’s cult platformer. You can read my full review of the game here, where I praised how well it captured the feel of the original while introducing new stages and bosses. Later, Dave shared a fun piece of trivia: “I always loved Mr. Gimmick and wanted to try my hand at a sequel that felt legit. Fun fact—a year or so ago, Sunsoft actually made a sequel to the original Gimmick for modern consoles. The story, interestingly, is exactly the same story I made years earlier when I made the Gimmick 2 NES mod. I thought that was pretty neat. They had to have seen my version to have that exact same story in their official version 🤣.”
But that isn’t the only revelation to come out of our conversation. In what feels like exclusive inside intel, Dave also lifted the curtain on several projects that, until now, had only been teased as “coming soon” on his website. These include a brand-new homebrew called Fred’s Feline Frenzy, a Pac-Man styled game starring his dog, along with two spinoff variations, Trolls, where Princess Poppy and Branch gather gifts, and The Black Adder, a full NES tribute to the Rowan Atkinson series covering all four seasons. On top of that, he’s deep into a translation of all forty KC BomBom Super Mario manga volumes into English, with twenty-one already finished. For fans of retro gaming, that’s the kind of scoop that confirms Pacnsac Games is not only prolific but also unpredictable in the best way. Dave has been a busy man.
Here are a few screenshots of his up and coming homebrew titled Fred’s Feline Frenzy:
This relentless creativity sums up the Pacnsac Games philosophy: honoring the past while reimagining what could have been. With that in mind, I sat down for a 20-question interview covering his inspirations, his favorite projects, and a glimpse at what’s coming next.
The Interview (09.03.25)
Q: (Retro Replay) What first inspired you to start making ROM hacks, and what keeps you motivated after so many releases?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I first stumbled into ROM hacking back in 1999–2000 through emulation. I was blown away by how people could make an old game feel new with a clever sprite swap, a fresh character, or a reworked scene. That joy of discovering “new” games from something familiar hooked me. By 2014 I’d started modding myself, and my goal hasn’t changed: create brand-new experiences for retro gamers—the same thrill I felt when I found those early hacks is what still keeps me grinding today.
Q: (Retro Replay) Out of all the games you’ve worked on, which hack are you personally the most proud of?
A: (Pacnsac Games) My homebrews carry a special weight because they’re from scratch—every pixel, every scene is ours. Aspen’s Adventure, Rescue Force, and Tempered Vengeance each taught me how far I could push myself when there’s no template to fall back on. That said, I’m also proud of my big overhauls—projects where I rebuilt the feel of the game so it plays like something truly new. Those push both craft and stamina in a different way.
Q: (Retro Replay) Your catalog covers a wide range of genres, from platformers to adventure titles. Do you prefer working within one style, or do you enjoy experimenting across different game types?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I love experimenting. For me, the process starts with an idea and then hunting for the right engine to carry it. I always say, “half the battle is finding the right game engine.” Once I’ve found a base that fits, the style naturally follows—platformer, action, adventure—whatever serves the concept best.
Q: (Retro Replay) How long does an average project usually take you, from the first edits to a public release?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Small, contained mods can come together in hours or days. Full-scale overhauls—new characters, levels, cutscenes, sometimes even music—take me working many hours a day for about three months before I’m comfortable releasing them to the public.
Q: (Retro Replay) What is the most technically challenging hack you’ve ever made, and why?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Turning Sunman into Superman was my early white whale. I tackled it when I was still learning, and the way that game was built made certain changes surprisingly stubborn. Over the years I revisited and fixed almost everything I wanted—my one lingering itch is still integrating the prototype’s Superman theme cleanly into the mod.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Have there been any hacks that you had to abandon because the limitations were simply too big?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I shelved my dream Pro Wrestling overhaul. The NES original reuses one body sprite for everyone and just swaps palettes and heads; memory and space made it impossible to give each wrestler a genuinely different body type and gear without breaking other things. Sometimes the limitations win, and you move on.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Do you create a full design plan before starting, or do your hacks evolve as you experiment?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I start with a clear concept, study the engine’s limits, sketch a loose plan—and then I let experimentation take over. Some ideas slide in perfectly; others are pure trial and error. I also like working from more obscure bases: players carry fewer expectations, so the overhaul can feel like a truly “new” game rather than a re-skin of something iconic.
Q: (Retro-Replay) What tools or programs do you rely on most heavily in your hacking workflow?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Trace loggers in emulators like FCEUX are my daily driver—they help me pinpoint trigger points and timings so I can bend code where it counts. For graphics, I rely on a tile-layer tool to get artwork in cleanly. I do far more than “re-skin”; title screens, cutscenes, level logic—those are where a hack starts to feel like a new game.
Q: (Retro-Replay) How do you approach level design to make sure it stays fun while also being challenging?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I try to match the challenge profile of the base engine. A lesson I learned the hard way: my Ninja Gaiden – Dragon Scroll and God of War 2 overhauls came out brutally hard at first. After feedback—and replaying them myself—I tuned the difficulty back so they still test you without punishing the fun out of the experience.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Many of your hacks breathe new life into games that were already great on their own. How do you decide when to keep things faithful and when to really shake them up?
A: (Pacnsac Games) It depends on the base game. If the foundation is simple, I make targeted upgrades; if it’s a larger, more systemic game (more levels, set-pieces, bosses), then it’s fertile ground for a deeper overhaul that truly transforms the feel.
Q: (Retro-Replay) One of the first hacks of yours that I played was Mr. Gimmick 2, and I loved it. For someone just diving into your work, are there other games you recommend I try next?
A: (Pacnsac Games) If that one resonated with you, try my other full overhauls—God of War 2, The Lost Boys, Ninja Gaiden – Dragon Scroll, NCAA Football, Spider-Man 2, Captain America – Winter Soldier, Sherlock, Guardians of the Galaxy, TMNT collection, Batman vs. Predator, and The Crow. And definitely sample my homebrews—Aspen’s Adventure, Tempered Vengeance, and Rescue Force – Heroes Unchained.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Which of your hacks have gotten the strongest fan response so far?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Freddy vs. Jason and Big Trouble in Little China are consistent fan favorites. My Pro Wrestling mods have a dedicated following (I even do custom wrestlers for groups and leagues), and lately my Chinese-to-English translations have taken off—those are a big focus on my Patreon these days.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Do you ever hide Easter eggs or references in your hacks for dedicated players to discover?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I do slip little nods in for the diehards—like K-9 in my Doctor Who project or a Miguel’s mom power-up in Cobra Kai. It’s my way of tipping the cap to people who really pay attention to the little details.
Q: (Retro-Replay) What game from the NES library do you think deserves a full hack or sequel that nobody has attempted yet?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I’ve long wanted to see (or make) a Captain N game and a dark, gritty ’90s Super Mario Bros. Movie take—both would make for wild, original-feeling experiences on NES hardware.
Q: (Retro-Replay) If you had unlimited time and resources, what dream project would you create?
A: (Pacnsac Games) With all the time and budget in the world, I’d do Captain N as a run-’n’-gun that jumps across Videoland, and I’d craft a Mad-Max/Batman-vibed Mario Movie game—something unmistakably different from the usual cheerful Mushroom Kingdom vibe.
Q: (Retro-Replay) How has the ROM hacking scene changed since you first started making games?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Since I started in 2014, the scene’s exploded. Early on, a lot of hacks were lighter-touch; over time, full rebuilds became more common. Recently, we’ve seen a surge in homebrew because starting from nothing can be cleaner than wrestling an older engine into something it was never meant to be.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Have you ever considered collaborating with other hackers on a larger project?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I mostly work solo, but I do have a small team I can tap: RockmanKB helps me with sprites sometimes, Chris Shepard can turn cutscenes into story beats, and a few others pitch in as needed. It’s still my hands on almost everything, but collaborating can lift a project in ways you don’t expect.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Are there any particular retro developers or designers that inspire your approach to hacking?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Konami, Sunsoft, and Capcom are my go-to sources. Those guys pushed the graphical limits of the NES and I still enjoy the beauty of the sprites today!
Q: (Retro-Replay) Beyond the NES, do you have interest in hacking for other classic systems like SNES or Genesis?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I’ve dabbled in SNES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Color, but with limited time I stick to the NES where my workflow is sharpest. Between school, a full-time job, and family time, I try to put my free hours where I can do the most damage creatively.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Finally, what advice would you give to newcomers who want to start creating hacks of their own?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Keep grinding. Start with a clear idea, plan it, then chip away. Don’t stare at the whole staircase—take it one step at a time and celebrate the small wins. You’ll learn as you go and that momentum compounds.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Wildcard Fun Question: If you could insert yourself as a hidden NPC into any of your hacks, what kind of character would you be?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I’d sneak myself (and Aspen’s mom) into Aspen’s Adventure as secret cameos—fitting as I made the game for my daughter, Aspen.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Wildcard Fun Question: What snack or drink fuels you during long hacking sessions?
A: (Pacnsac Games) When I’m in the zone I don’t normally eat or drink anything, staying laser focused on the task at hand; However, on breaks I’ll crush some pistachios and dive back in.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Wildcard Fun Question: If Nintendo themselves offered you a one month contract to work on any official remake, which game would you pick?
A: (Pacnsac Games) Honestly, I’d be thrilled to touch anything Nintendo handed me—the chance alone would be an honor.
Q: (Retro-Replay) Wildcard Fun Question: Which boss from gaming history would you least want to fight in real life?
A: (Pacnsac Games) I’d pick Jason from Friday the 13th. My heart still sinks when that music hits looking for Jason in a cabin!
Closing Thoughts
Pacnsac Games is more than a side hobby, it’s become one of the most distinctive creative forces in the ROM hacking scene. From uncanny coincidences like predicting the storyline of Sunsoft’s own modern sequel, to deeply personal projects like Fred’s Feline Frenzy, his work is fueled by both technical skill and genuine passion.
As he reminded me, all of his recommended overhauls )with the exception of the homebrews) are free to download on his website. That accessibility has helped his work reach thousands of retro fans worldwide. For more of his projects, you can explore Pacnsac Games or visit his digital shop. Based on our conversation, the best is still yet to come.
