I'm curious about the whole process behind extracting data from game cartridges and discs. How do people manage to dump this data onto their PCs? Once they have it, how do they decipher the binary instructions and turn them into a format that makes sense for editing? I'd love to understand the steps involved in modifying game code.
2 Answers
The primary tool for this process is a disassembler. It breaks down the binary code into assembly language, which is a kind of low-level programming language. However, keep in mind that while you can get assembly code, you won't retrieve the original higher-level source code like in C.
A lot of the work comes down to studying the specific architecture of the gaming system. By understanding how it works, people can find ways to access the data and analyze it.
Exactly! And for older platforms like the Game Boy, the assembly code is basically the original code written for the cartridge themselves.