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No-Intro DAT Matcher
What it is
No-Intro DAT Matcher is a free Linux script for matching ROM files to filenames in No-Intro or Redump DAT files. It hashes files and compares the results with DAT entries, then copies or moves matches into an output folder under the corresponding names. It can skip files already in the output folder and writes missing ROMs and unmatched files to a text file, helping identify gaps in a collection. The README directs users to obtain DAT files from DAT-o-MATIC or Redump. Running the script requires Python 3 and the xmltodict and tqdm packages. Hashing large disc-based games can take a long time, so the maker recommends skipping existing files on repeated runs; moving files instead of copying them can help when disk space is limited. NES files with an iNES header need a .nes extension for matching, and the script skips their first 16 bytes. N64 users may need both Byte Swapped and Big Endian DATs; the README also mentions tool64 for ROM format conversion. The repository uses the MIT License and provides the software without warranty.
For and against
For
- Matches files by hash against DAT entries.
- Can copy or move renamed ROMs.
- Reports missing ROMs and unmatched files.
- Can skip files already in the output folder.
Against
- Requires Python 3, xmltodict and tqdm.
- Hashing large disc games can take a long time.
- The software is provided without warranty.
The verdict
No-Intro DAT Matcher automates DAT-based ROM matching and provides a text list of gaps. Its requirements and the time needed to hash large games are worth considering before use.
Who it suits
It suits Linux users organizing ROM files against No-Intro or Redump DATs. Users should be prepared to install its Python dependencies and account for lengthy hashing of large disc-based games.
Plans and prices
No-Intro DAT Matcher
Python 3 required · install xmltodict and tqdm
Read 7 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- DAT sources
- The README directs users to obtain DAT files from DAT-o-MATIC or Redump.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Dependencies
- The instructions require Python 3 and the xmltodict and tqdm packages.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Disk-space option
- For large games when disk space is limited, the maker recommends moving files instead of copying them.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- File handling
- The example commands support copying or moving renamed files and skipping files already in the output folder.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Large-file limit
- The maker says hashing large disc-based games can take a very long time and recommends --skip-existing for repeated runs.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- License and warranty
- The repository provides the software under the MIT License and says it is provided as is without warranty.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Matching method
- It hashes files and matches their hashes against entries in a DAT file.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Missing files
- It prints missing ROMs and unmatched files to a text file to help identify missing ROMs.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- N64 handling
- The README says N64 users may need both Byte Swapped and Big Endian DATs and mentions tool64 for converting ROM formats.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- NES handling
- NES files with an iNES header must end in .nes for matching, and the script skips the first 16 bytes for those files.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- The script matches ROM files to No-Intro or Redump DAT filenames and copies them to an output folder with those names.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
- Windows note
- The maker reports occasional errors when running through cmd or PowerShell and says it seems to work better with Python in a Cygwin terminal.github.com · read 7 Oct 2026
