ROM Hacks: Photo-Sensitive Epilepsy Safe Hacks

[RHDNBot]

Update By: tygerbug

Several hacks of NES and SNES games are now available for players with photo-sensitive epilepsy.

Full-screen flashing lights can cause seizures in some players. These games have been edited to be safe to play.

Hopefully in the future there will be more hacks of any game to be more friendly to those with photo-sensitive epilepsy, and emulator settings to detect and remove (or lessen) sudden full-screen flashing, or an lua script to do it.

Many triggers come from rapid writes to color 0 of the background palette (universal background color). This could be unchecked.



Mega Man 2 - No Full-Screen Flashes Hack

https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5420/

This is an accessibility hack by Tetrahedrus. This hack has removed all full-screen flashes from Mega Man 2 for the NES.

-Stage select screen
-Flashing during boss fights (such as in the background like with Metal Man, when attacking certain bosses, and the flashing after beating certain bosses)
-The purple flashing when Dr. Light gives you special weapons
-The map of Dr. Wily's castle when progressing to the next stage
-The final cutscene, including the seasonal transitions



Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger NES (Super Sentai/ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers series) No Full-Screen Flashes

http://www.romhacking.net/games/1296/

This hack was created by Tetrahedrus. All full-screen flashes have been removed to make the game easier to play by those affected by flashing lights.

Cocoron - Flashing removed by NovaSquirrel.

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5401/



Willow NES No Flash Hack by JigglySaint

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4992/

Some flashing animation is still in the game, but the ones that got the most complaints such as the death flash, the flash from splitting ghosts, and from using the Fleet Spell have all been eliminated. Death will still cause Willow to flash, and the screen will turn white, but the full screen flash will be gone.



Zelda 2 Redux by ShadowOne333: Reduced flashing during death.

https://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=26001.0


Earthbound MaternalBound Redux hack by ShadowOne333:

http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4964/

Implemented photosensitive reduction hacks made from subsequent releases of EarthBound (SNES Mini, Virtual Console) into MaternalBound, to make the experience the most seizure-safe possible



Bonus - Pokémon anime: Dennō Senshi Porygon Reedit

https://www.facebook.com/garrett.gilchrist/videos/vb.512982846/10159030130652847

RHDN Project Page

Relevant Link

[julayla]

Interesting. For the Zyuranger one, will it work only for the original translation or can that also apply to the other versions?

[tygerbug]

If memory serves, two versions of the patch were provided, so the Japanese version can be patched and translated in another way, if you like.

[Ballz]

I think/hope my EarthBound: MSU-1 Hip Hop Journey hack is epileptic-safe.  I used the code for it that was found in MaternalBound Redux's source, but I didn't openly advertise it as such because I worry I screwed something up and I didn't want to risk hurting someone who went in thinking the game was safe.

Now if someone who isn't epileptic wants to check and can verify if it works or not, I'd appreciate it.  I never quite knew what to check for, myself.

[tygerbug]

 We appreciate it, Ballz. You could simply note that you've attempted to make the patch epilepsy-safe.






Prince of Persia - Flash Removal
by u/usertheloset
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5443/

This hack removes all full-screen flashes including:

The red flashing when you die,
The red flashing when you get a sword,
The purple flashing when you hit an enemy,
The pink flashing when jaffar is defeated.

[QUXNLADY]

Greetings Mr. tygerbug

Thank you for taking the time to put together a post like this one. As someone with a family member who is sensitive to flashing, I like that I can point them in this direction.

Kind Regards,
QUXNLADY

[Ballz]

We appreciate it, Ballz. You could simply note that you've attempted to make the patch epilepsy-safe.

Yeah, maybe I could update the readme to mention it, if RHDN allows me to.

[Cheesemeister]

Gargoyle's Quest II - Photosensitivity Patch
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/7684/

[Cheesemeister]

The NES version was previously covered, but here's the Super NES version:

Prince of Persia - Photosensitivity Patch
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/7702/