My game is not loading achievements

My game is not loading achievements

Maybe you loaded up your game but you see a popup:

Then you check the overlay (typically ESC) and see:

Or maybe you got these messages:

and

When any of these situations happens, either your game doesn't have achievements yet or more likely you have the incorrect ROM.

Just to be sure, search for the game name and check matching results.

If your game has achievements but your ROM isn't in our system either you'll need to find the correct ROM or get support for your ROM.

How do I know if my ROM is compatible?

If your ROM has the same checksum/hash as those linked to the website, then it is compatible.

Note: a "checksum" or "hash" is a number used to confirm if two copies of a file are identical. On RA we use it to assure the player is using the same ROM as the achievement developer.

There are two ways of checking what checksums/hashes are linked to the website.

1. Check the Linked Hashes page associated with the game. Example for Super Mario Bros.

   

   This page can be accessed by clicking the "Hashes linked to this game" button in the More Info section on the game page.

   

2. Check the top post of the official game's forum thread. The link for it can be found at the bottom of the achievement list on game pages OR in the More Info section. Example for Super Mario Bros.:

   

   Probably the first post of the official game's forum thread has a list of valid ROMs for the respective game and also the checksum of the ROMs.

   Also check some of the last posts in the game forum page and the game page wall comments for clues on which ROM you'll need. If the correct ROM name and checksum are not listed yet, then you'll need to ask for it (please, do NOT ask for links to download the ROM, only the filename and the checksum). You can request it in the game's forum page or ask for help in Discord or on the site chat on the front page.

You can also contribute to the community by getting support for your ROM, if it's compatible. Post the checksum of your existing ROM in the forum of that game and also the exact name you have for it and a developer will review it with you to see if it is compatible.

How to find the checksum of your ROM.

For more details about checksum and hashes, read here: http://datacrystal.romhacking.net/wiki/Hashes

Comprehensive lists of most of the games in RetroAchievements database

The user caricatur did a great job by compiling some lists of ROMs linked to games we have at RetroAchievements database. Here are the links to the respective forum posts:

• Mega Drive/Genesis
• Master System
• PC Engine
• Gameboy
• Gameboy Color
• Gameboy Advance
• NES
• SNES
• Nintendo 64