/rhg/ - Getting started

So, you want to make a ROM hack? First, you need to decide on a ROM base: FireRed, Ruby or Emerald. There are various pros and cons to each, but in general FireRed has the most documentation and research, with Emerald hacking becoming an emerging art and Ruby being a piece of shit you should avoid at all costs because it was made by a GameFreak who don't know what they're doing.

Once you've chosen either FireRed or Emerald, download the following tools:

http://ampage.no-ip.info/index.php?seite=details&program=AdvanceMap&ver=1.92 -AdvanceMap 1.9.2
http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=85025 - eXtreme Script Editor
http://mh-nexus.de/en/downloads.php?product=HxD - HxD
http://vba-m.com - VisualBoy Advance-M
http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=320113 - Generation 3 Hacking Suite
http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=311461 - Generation 3 Tools
http://serenesforest.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=26913 - GBA Graphics Editor
http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=149454 - Nameless Tile Map Editor
http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=85025 - Advanced Palette Editor
http://www.irfanview.com/ - IrfanView
http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=205687 - Nameless Sprite Editor Classic

You might then want to check out some tutorials on getting started:

http://www.pokecommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=66

Scripting: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=164276
Flags and variables: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=302347
Tile editing: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=193377
Editing cries: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=293830
Editing battle backgrounds: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=302401
Adding new Balls: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=326311
Tilesets and tilemaps: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=298030
Adding the Gen 4 Physical / Special / Status split: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?p=7465618#post7465618 and http://www.pokecommunity.com/showpost.php?p=6976957&postcount=114


FIRE RED (MAYBE LEAFGREEN) EXCLUSIVE:
Title Screen Hacking: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=325944
Pokédex Expansion: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=318569
Adding new types: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=313872
Creating new items: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?p=7202888

EMERALD EXCLUSIVE:
Title Screen Hacking: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=283345
Pokédex Expansion: http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=324892

Other resources:
http://www.pokecommunity.com/showthread.php?t=267728 - Resized all Gen 4 and 5 sprites to 64x64, as well as Gen 4 sprites of Gen 1, 2 and 3 sprites