Where to put Hookshot mods
Close the game. Open the built game folder and locate its mods directory, beside the launcher. Keep each mod in a separately named folder. For Hookshot mods packaged as RomFS replacements, preserve its internal path:
mods/
01-base/
romfs/
[resource path supplied by the mod]
02-variant/
romfs/
[same resource path, alternate file]
The bracketed lines illustrate a path supplied by an actual mod. Do not create folders with those literal names. If you configured HOS_MODS, check that location instead of the default. Start with one change and keep the original archive somewhere separate.
Set load order and disable individual Hookshot mods
If both example folders replace the same relative file, the later-sorting folder wins. To test the base alone, close the game and rename 02-variant to _02-variant. A leading underscore or hyphen disables that mod. Relaunch, revisit the same scene and inspect hookshot_log.txt for the mod and files read. Restore the original folder name to enable it again.
Which Hookshot mods are unsupported?
ExeFS patches such as .ips or .pchtxt target executable instructions. Hookshot mods use the documented RomFS replacement path. Renaming a patch or putting it under romfs cannot turn it into a supported resource.
A larger replacement can also exceed the game's resource-size allocation. A mod may supply an updated resource-size table. If two mods each provide that table, only one wins; the last table needs compatible entries for both enlarged resources. Test each mod separately before attributing a loading failure to the underlying game build.
Check whether Hookshot mods are actually loading
Start with a single enabled mod. Find its first resource path below romfs and compare that path with the layout expected by its author. A common packaging mistake is an extra wrapper folder between the mod name and romfs. After a fresh launch, check the runtime log for that mod and the relevant file. If there is no entry, check directory discovery before investigating load order.
If the mod is found on its own, enable a second package and repeat the same scene. A change that disappears only in the combined run points toward a shared resource or resource-size table. Keep both packages intact while testing so you can reverse the folder-name change.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep a disabled mod in the mods directory?
Yes. Give its folder a leading underscore or hyphen and relaunch. Keep a note of its original name so you can restore both its enabled state and its relative sort order.
Can I install an emulator instruction patch as a RomFS mod?
The documented loader reads resource replacements. An ExeFS instruction patch needs a different mechanism. Placing it inside a RomFS folder does not make the compiled game apply it.
Why do my Hookshot mods appear in the log without changing the texture?
Check the relative resource path, then check whether another enabled mod wins the same path. Finally compare the game revision the mod targets. The official mod documentation describes folder discovery, load order and size limits.
Do I need to rebuild after disabling Hookshot mods?
For a normal resource replacement, close the game, disable that folder and relaunch. If behavior changed after a Hookshot update, repeat the same check with every mod disabled to establish a clean baseline.