ROMSearch is designed as a simple-to-interface with tool that will allow you to pull ROM files from some remote (or local) location, figure out the best ROM, and move it cleanly to a folder that can imported into an emulator. ROMSearch is supposed to be a one-shot program to get you from files online to playing games (which is what we want, right?).
ROMSearch also has a GUI! Currently only for Windows, but makes setting up configurations simple, and also allows for easy viewing of ROMs grouped into games via the ROMBrowser.
ROMSearch offers the ability to:
- Sync from remote folder using rclone
- Parse DAT files as well as filenames for ROM information
- Provide filename mappings between different DAT files
- Remove dupes from ROM lists using the excellent
retool
clonelists - Match ROM hashes to RetroAchievements to get compatible ROMs
- Patch ROM files so RetroAchievements can be enabled
- Moving files to a structured location, including potentially additional files that may be needed
- Grouping multi-disc games into a single .m3u playlist
- File (re)compression to a single-file, supported format
- Discord integration so users can see the results of runs in a simple, clean way
- View ROMs grouped into game titles, via the ROMBrowser
To get started, see the documentation. For known issues and workarounds, see the known issues.
Currently, ROMSearch is in early development, and so many features may be added over time. At the moment, ROMSearch works for the following consoles:
- Nintendo (Handheld)
- Game Boy
- Game Boy Color
- Game Boy Advance
- Pokemon Mini
- Virtual Boy
- Nintendo (Home)
- Nintendo Entertainment System
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System
- Nintendo 64
- GameCube
- Sega (Handheld)
- Game Gear
- Sega (Home)
- Mega Drive/Genesis
- Sony (Handheld)
- PlayStation Portable
- Sony (Home)
- PlayStation
- PlayStation 2
but be aware there may be quirks that will only become apparent over time. We encourage users to open issues as and where they find them.
The ROMSearch icon has been created by Freepik - Flaticon.