Back at the start of 2024, fan-translation and ROM hack sharing site CDRomance was forced to take its operations 'underground' following threats of legal action.
Then, at the close of the year, it was announced that the site was effectively dead and would no longer be updated with content. "The reason for this change is that the landscape has shifted dramatically in recent years, and we could benefit from reduced exposure," said webmaster Spike at the time.
However, Spike has gotten in touch to let us know that CDRomance is back from the dead.
"In the past months, the site never really stopped adding content. I have been hunting for Vita translation patches all over the internet and preparing to play Vita3k versions and NoNpDrm dumps on original hardware," explains Spike in an email to Time Extension.
Spike adds that more collaborators are on board, "adding weird games and hacks," so he's no longer working alone on the site.
In a post on CDRomance, Spike adds:
After a year of trying really hard to keep this boat afloat, I’ve decided to bring CDRomance back to its former glory — to the delight of most and the despair of a few (sorry, guys).
Why am I backpedaling? Honestly, it’s not that deep. When I stepped away, the atmosphere in the emulation community was pretty rough. It wasn’t a fun or safe place to be. It never really is. So I decided to go quiet for a while, and that was nice… for a bit.
But I kept working on the site as much as ever, only to see a small handful of people who knew where to find us benefit from it. That’s not what this site is about. It has always been free and open for everyone, not a secret club you need a handshake to join. I don’t like that. Things were tough, though. Was stepping back a mistake? Maybe. Is coming back a mistake? I don’t know. I’m just a guy doing the best I can with what I have. Sometimes you have to try things to find out.
During this time in exile, I realized I wasn’t happy with the way things were. We’ve created something over so many years, helped so many people, and I couldn’t let it go to waste. So here we are again — for those who want it.