What Topics Are Discussed on the Hack64 Forum?

Updated

Hack64 is a discussion board focused on Nintendo 64 ROM hacking and related programming. Based on its visible board structure, the main topics are ROM hacking and programming (with dedicated sections for Mario Kart 64 and Super Mario 64), a monthly community ROM event, general discussion, and an archive of older threads. If you are looking for N64 hacking help, project showcases, or like-minded hobbyists, these are the areas to check.

Core Topic Areas

The forum is organized into a small number of boards, each with its own focus:

Board Focus Notes from the board listing
ROM of the Month A rotating community ROM pick August 2019 pick was Gex 3; the board links to a RotM Wiki
ROM Hacking & Programming General ROM hacking and coding Has sub-forums: Help Wanted and Mario Kart 64
Super Mario 64 SM64-specific hacking Has sub-forums: SM64 Projects and SM64 Troubleshooting
General Discussion Off-topic and community chat Example thread: upcoming indie games
Archive Retired threads Older content kept for reference

ROM Hacking and Programming

This is the broadest hacking board. It covers ROM hacking techniques and programming questions, and it splits into two sub-forums:

  • Help Wanted — for asking for assistance with hacking problems.
  • Mario Kart 64 — a dedicated space for Mario Kart 64 hacking, separate from the general board.

If your question is about a specific game other than Super Mario 64 or Mario Kart 64, this is the most likely place for it.

Super Mario 64

SM64 has its own top-level board, which signals how much of the community's activity centers on it. It contains:

  • SM64 Projects — for sharing and discussing ongoing ROM hack projects.
  • SM64 Troubleshooting — for diagnosing problems with SM64 hacks.

Thread titles visible in the listing, such as "SM64 Portal Tools," suggest the board also hosts tooling discussions alongside project threads.

ROM of the Month

ROM of the Month is a recurring community event: each month a particular ROM is selected, and members discuss it. The board points to a RotM Wiki for details, and past picks include Namco Museum 64 and Gex 3. This is the place to look if you want a shared, time-boxed hacking challenge rather than a solo project.

General Discussion and Archive

  • General Discussion covers anything outside hacking proper — for example, indie game releases.
  • Archive holds older threads that are no longer active but remain readable, such as a Super Mario DS 64 thread.

What to Expect Before Posting

The board listing shows a mix of recent and older activity, with some threads dating back years and others updated more recently. A visible "Who's Online" counter showed 52 users active in the past five minutes, almost all of them guests rather than logged-in members — so reading is common even when posting is not. Registration and login are offered through the site, and a Discord server is also referenced in the announcements board. If you want answers rather than just reading, posting in the relevant sub-forum (for example, SM64 Troubleshooting for a specific SM64 problem) is more likely to reach the right people than a general thread.