Extract text from NES replays (FM2)
To convert FM2 replays to another format, you need FCEUX or other Game software.
To convert other file formats to the "Emulator Replay File" file type, you need software like FCEUX or a similar tool.
A .FM2 file is a gameplay recording created by the FCEUX Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) emulator. Unlike standard video files, an .FM2 file does not contain actual video or audio frames. Instead, it stores a precise log of controller input data - specifically, which buttons were pressed on which frame. This efficient method, popular in the Tool-Assisted Speedrun (TAS) community, keeps file sizes incredibly small (often just a few kilobytes) but introduces significant playback restrictions.
The main issue with .FM2 files is that they are not standalone media. You cannot open them in players like VLC or Windows Media Player. To view the recording, you must have the specific version of FCEUX installed, along with the exact NES ROM file used during the recording. If the ROM version differs even slightly, the emulator will misinterpret the input instructions, leading to a "desync" where the character runs into walls or dies unexpectedly.
To share these recordings with a broader audience or view them on mobile devices, you must convert the gameplay into a standard video format. The standard workflow involves loading the .FM2 and associated ROM into FCEUX, then using the built-in "AVI Export" function to render the inputs into a visual AVI file. For web publishing or archiving, users typically compress this raw AVI into MP4 (H.264) or WebP to reduce the file size while maintaining visual quality.
Convert.Guru analyzes your FM2 file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted PDF, ZIP, NES, SQJ, SMOV and FM3 files.
If you want to convert FM2 file to MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, OGG, WMA, M4A, AIFF, OPUS, ALAC, APE or WV, you can use FCEUX or similar software from the "NES Gameplay Recording" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert MIDI, AAC, TTA, AU, WV, DTS, MID, FLAC, RA, MP3, PCM or WAV files to FM2, try FCEUX or another comparable tool in the "NES Gameplay Recording" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our FM2 converter.