How to Patch GBA Pokémon ROM Hacks (IPS & UPS)
Some Pokémon ROM hacks are distributed as patch files (.ips or .ups) instead of pre-built ROMs. Patching applies the hack's changes to a clean copy of the original game. This guide explains how to patch on Windows and Mac, and what to do when the base ROM doesn't match.
Contents
Pre-Patched vs Patch Files
PokeHacks hosts pre-patched .gba files — you download and play immediately with no extra steps. This guide is for hacks you find elsewhere that come as a .ips or .ups patch file. If you downloaded from PokeHacks, you don't need to patch anything.
What You Need
Patching requires three things:
The patch file
A .ips or .ups file downloaded from the hack's release page (usually PokéCommunity, GitHub, or the creator's site).
The correct base ROM
A clean (unmodified) copy of the original game — for example, 'Pokémon Fire Red (U)(Squirrels).gba'. The base ROM version must match exactly what the patch was designed for. Using the wrong region or revision causes a checksum error.
A patching tool
Lunar IPS (Windows) or MultiPatch (Mac) are the most reliable. Both are free.
Patching on Windows with Lunar IPS
Lunar IPS is the standard patching tool for GBA hacks on Windows.
- 1Download Lunar IPS from romhacking.net/utilities/240/.
- 2Extract the .zip — you'll get a single LunarIPS.exe file.
- 3Run LunarIPS.exe and click 'Apply IPS Patch'.
- 4Select your .ips patch file when prompted.
- 5Select your clean base ROM (.gba file) when prompted.
- 6Lunar IPS creates a patched copy of the ROM. The original base ROM is unchanged.
- 7Load the patched .gba file in your emulator.
Patching on Mac with MultiPatch
MultiPatch handles both .ips and .ups patches on macOS.
- 1Download MultiPatch from projects.sappharad.com/tools/multipatch.
- 2Open MultiPatch. Click 'Choose Patch' and select your .ips or .ups file.
- 3Click 'Choose ROM' and select your clean base ROM.
- 4Click 'Apply' — MultiPatch creates a patched copy in the same folder as your base ROM.
- 5Load the patched .gba file in mGBA or Delta.
Common Patching Errors
Most patching failures come from one of these issues:
Wrong base ROM version
Most hacks require a specific base ROM — usually the US (U) version. If you have the European (E) or Japanese (J) version, it will fail checksum. Check the hack's readme for the exact base ROM it requires.
ROM is already patched
If you're trying to patch a ROM that was already patched once, it will fail. Always start from a clean, unmodified dump of the original game.
File is compressed
Some patch distributions include a .zip or .7z archive. Extract it first to get the actual .ips or .ups file before running Lunar IPS.
