Import ROMs with Original Filenames and Improve Variant Visibility
Users importing ROM collections with hacks, translations, prototypes, revisions, and other variants need a way to preserve the original ROM filename as the game title instead of having LaunchBox normalize the title to a database match.
Today, imported files such as Final Fantasy (Translation v1.2).nes can end up displayed simply as Final Fantasy, which makes multiple variants appear identical in the game list. This is especially problematic for curated or archival collections where the filename contains the important identifying information.
This request is to add a true “raw import” option that uses the ROM filename as the title, improve version visibility in Big Box, and allow bulk editing of the Title field.
User Impact
Variant-heavy collections become hard to browse because many entries appear with the same base title.
Important identifying information from the ROM filename is not visible in the main list.
Users may only be able to tell variants apart by opening details and checking the Version field.
Manually fixing hundreds of imported titles is slow and defeats the purpose of bulk import.
Example
ROM filename:
Final Fantasy (Translation by Demo Team v1.2).nes
Current result:
Title: Final Fantasy
Expected result:
Title: Final Fantasy (Translation by Demo Team v1.2)
Requested Changes
Add an import option to preserve ROM filenames as titles
Suggested option names:Use ROM filename as game title
Do not database-match imported titles
Recommended behavior:
Use the filename without extension as the imported Title
Do not replace the title with a database-normalized base title
Keep metadata/artwork lookup separate from title preservation if possible
Improve Big Box visibility for variants
Recommended behavior:Allow the Version field to be shown in the main Big Box game list
Make it easier to distinguish variants without opening the details view
Add Title to bulk edit
Recommended behavior:Expose Title as a bulk-editable field
Allow users to rename imported entries in batches after import
Use Cases
ROM hacks
Fan translations
Prototype and beta collections
Revision-based sets
Archival collections where exact source naming matters
Acceptance Criteria
The import flow includes an option to preserve the original ROM filename as the imported game title.
When enabled, LaunchBox uses the ROM filename without extension instead of a database-normalized title.
Variant-heavy ROM imports remain visually distinct in the game list.
Big Box can show enough version/variant information for users to distinguish similar titles in the main list.
Users can bulk edit the Title field for multiple selected games.
Existing import behavior remains unchanged for users who prefer normalized database titles.

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Comments2
Apr 24
PinnedHi there!
Thanks so much for submitting this request and for taking the time to explain your use case — that context is always super helpful.
I’ve gone ahead and fleshed out the main idea using the info you provided, and I’m opening it up to the community for further discussion and feedback. Please let me know if this fleshed-out version doesn’t match your original intended request.
Feel free to let me know if you have any extra thoughts, examples, or edge cases you think might be relevant!
Cheers,
The LaunchBox team
ZombieMaulie
Apr 24
Import ROMs with Original Filenames
When importing ROMs (especially hacks, homebrew, prototypes), LaunchBox always matches against the database and renames files like "Super Mario Bros (New Hack).nes" to "Super Mario Bros" with original artwork – even when all import options are unchecked (no “search metadata", no “combine matching titles"). So Why there is no
"Use ROM filename as game title (no database matching)"– for raw imports without any scraping/merging.BigBox Display: Show version info in game list like (LaunchBox already has this feature in [View → Show / Hide → Versions]).
Use Case: Perfect collections with all variants (hacks, translations, revisions) visible as imported, not merged into originals.
Workaround needed: Manual bulk‑editing of hundreds of ROMs defeats the purpose. The option for editing “Title” is missing in the bulk editor.
In my “Translations” section I now have 15 “Final Fantasy” TItles and I only can see which Translation it is when i move on it to see the version numer in the details.