Ancient Chozo
Release date: Jan 18, 2018
Author: Albert V.
Download: Version 1.1.5 [UH] (12723 downloads)
Download: Version 1.1.0 [UH] (7128 downloads)
Genre: Vanilla+ [?]
Game: SM
Difficulty: Vanilla [?]
Average runtime: 4:14
Average collection: 89%
Read Me: [None]
Forum Thread: Forum Thread
Rating: Star Star Star Star Star
Other Links: Youtube Video
Awards:
  • Top Hacks 2018: Best Aesthetics
Description
Ancient Chozo is an expansion of the original Game
that contains the original Super Metroid Map layout with
extra largest new rooms and areas locations, plus new routes to find.

Ancient Chozo started from Project Base Hack, but it's not the same,
it has new color palette for the entire game, and even more places to explore plus
new custom enemies, moves, puzzles, music, and some few more stuff
The new routes makes the game more interesting and more fun to explore.
My intention was to keep the original route of Vanilla and add some new routes that can curious players could find,
and also the players with good skills can break the Game Sequence.
The gameplay now rewards both types of players,
those who likes going faster, can now beat the game faster than cause they have new shortcuts and new routes to travel between each area much faster!
On the other hand, those who like exploring or breaking the game sequence, now gets most of the upgrades and power ups! Although it's a task not to easy to perform!

Chozo Hack focused on Explorations and most of the original items locations has been changed!
There's a lot of new secrets to discover, new areas, new rooms and no longer have the help of the X-Ray vision, but there's a new feature find them, so the players can feel curious finding new secrets and upgrades using a different method, so that makes the adventure even more interesting and enjoyable.
I've have added more rooms and more areas also new gfx and I'll be adding some more in future versions.

Ancient Chozo Hack is my First Project!
I always wanted to have a different Hack with the same map but much more to explore using new and rearranged graphics
with some extra stuff like new music and more puzzles.
So I just wanted to share some of that.

Screenshots
Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot Screenshot
Ratings and Reviews
By Anarchyguitarist on Jan 31, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
102% in 2:40
10/10

I know not everyone will agree with me, but this is the perfection of Metroid Hacks,

The game has the best Pallet Colors I ever seen.. Design LeveL is amazing..
New Samus sprites are so cool..

The atmosphere of the game with Chozo Statues in new Areas makes you feel creepy like wow..
New path ways makes me more addicted, game is more into exploration, so speed runners don't get mad..

There's a few ways to speed run the game but personally I love to explore this amazing world that
crazy guy create..

-Gameplay: 5/5
-Graphics: 5/5
-Design: 5/5
-Story: 5/5

No more words, guys Veterans or Classic Metroid Players, Should try that Hack immediately
By MetroidNerd#9001 on Feb 03, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
71% in 2:05
Review rewritten for Version 1.1.0:

This is a good hack that is bogged down by a few minor annoyances. The graphics of this hack are phenomenal. My main gripe is that the hack still feels linear to an extent. Though this is mostly near the beginning of the hack. I found myself very frequently being blocked off by power bomb doors. If they were gone, the hack would be much more open, and less annoyingly streamlined. Later on, the hack opens up, but that's after you get power bombs. This mostly just forces you to take "alternate routes" to get places. You can get to both sides of the door, but you have to go in a giant circle to get from one side to the other.

Main gripe aside, the only other thing that really bugged me was the abundance of 60 damage spikes near the beginning. Without an energy tank, players will find themselves dying a lot, causing them to get annoyed and possibly lose interest.

Other than that, this hack is very good. I do recommend it, but I will keep my rating at 4/5 since there are still some gripes I have with it. I don't really want to go through every opinion I have with this hack because that would take too long. Long story short, play this hack. Once you get past the beginning, you'll have a pretty good time.

Original Stats for Version 1.0.9:
Time: 2:31
Items: 83%
Rating: 4/5
Gist of Review: Half hack done right, amazing graphics, liked music changes. Forcibly linear, Too many spikes, some difficulty spikes, don't let X-ray be missable.
By PHOSPHOTiDYL on Mar 20, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
72% in 2:55
I started my playthrough of this hack when it first came out.
When I made it to norfair the first time, I lost all interest.
The same general path, the same map, the same room with different tiles.

So boring.

But first impressions never decide anything.

I enjoyed everything except the new suit gfx.
Those shoulders are not something I'd ever want on my space suit.
I really got into it when returning to norfair to take out ridley.

The hidden blocks, new tourian, the escape sequence.
I would use subterranean as a descriptive word.

Also missed the xray during the first escape.
I feel like there's not enough time to panic & you need to rehearse.

Thanks for the hack!
By sanojes on May 09, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
78% in 4:00
10/10
Incredible. One of the best rom hack of Metroid I've ever played
By GustavoGX800VH on May 24, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
The level of details and care of the areas is beautiful.

The areas with "ruins" backgrounds with broken chozos statues are simply beautiful.

Very grateful to friend Albert for his commitment to this hack rom.

This hack improved the "pull" of items (life recharge and ammo) is even faster than we found in other hacks.

Fast door transitions (which is just lovely) I LIKE IT!

The ambiance proposed by the author of the hack was very clever.

The ruins (Brinstar), the Wrecked Ship area is quite (futuristic) and obviously Maridia was a sight to behold. (The coral reefs on the landscape walls are simply beautiful)

The gameplay is fluid and the controls are highly responsive (which is the key to a game such as this)

Exploration? Get ready, because here the thing looks great!

Particularly speaking I do not like some hacks that have a "dull" exploration proposal, however this hack made me explore the areas with satisfaction.

I was not bored or did feel discouraged when I was looking for the items.

With all due respect to ALL hacks already created and available, but for me, Ancient Chozo has gained a prominent place among the BEST Super Metroid hacks I've had the pleasure of playing until today.

Highly recommended.
By Ri2nOneRok on May 31, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
92% in 0:00
Great fun hack worth playing. Similar to super metroid map core paths, this is familiar and upgraded enough that it is not like playing the original.
By GoldenTorizo on Jun 08, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
94% in 1:37
Ya know, for a hack built on the Project Base engine, this is not that bad. I like the tile sets, especially in Maridia, the rework on Samus' sprite; I like the idea of being able to activate crumble blocks by performing a backflip. I also like the faster charge beam, helps make some boss fights go by faster. However, I have some complaints with this hack like that one room with the Turtle and the giant statue in Maridia. Why is that a thing? I needed over 30 Supers in order to get that E-Tank and on top of that the little "eye" doesn't really drop Supers and it doesn't help the fact that it takes a lot of Charge Beam shots to even "kill" it. I think that was a very bad idea. I didn't like the whole finding X-Ray during the escape sequence. It was redundant IMO. I don't know why Spo-Spo's room needed to be filled with water. At least it wasn't like Super Metroid Wet Dream where there is dark water EVERYWHERE! It made an already tedious boss fight even more tedious and drawn out which is why I opt to skip Spo-Spo in the original Super Metroid. Another problem I have with this hack: Spikes. Spikes everywhere. There are spikes in certain rooms and in certain parts that one would never go and it's even worse when you can't tell if the stalactites are spikes or not. It makes this even more frustrating at the start of the game since spikes hit you for 60 points of health. I might be nitpicking, but this is what I think about the hack.

I want to give this a 3.5/5, but I don't know how... It's a great hack, but nowhere near the best.
By metasamus on Jun 08, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
99% in 7:49
The best beautiful hack i ever played!

I can see how much work and detail they had have put to this, sadly keeps almost the same map as the original game.

some secret rooms gets me creepy as the firs time i played a metroid game!

once I started to play it, there was many ways to find new routes.

Something that I really love about this, is that it has many secret rooms I love the idea of exploring without the x-ray.

That escape made me feel the pure adrenaline!

I definitely recommend it!
By SnakeLancer on Jul 07, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
I LOVE THIS!!! Awesome hack.
By davers84 on Jul 14, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
103% in 6:40
Overall, this is a very well done hack. The whole redesign, graphics, puzzles, ambiance, everything is just awesome. I loved that it was similar to the original but in its own rights very very different. The visual graphics are just amazing. Obviously, a lot of hard work and effort went into making this game. I really appreciate the "speeding up" on bosses and animations.

Some of the secrets really are pretty tough to find and it requires quite a bit of exploring. I've found all but 1 missile pack and sitting at 103%. At times, I wish I had the X-Ray Scope, but not having it made the game more fun. Really made you navigate the entirety of hack and appreciate all the hard work that went into making it.

For new players, LEARN the new moves such as the backflip and "bomb jump" (that shoots you acrossed a room) because they will become very handy!

Thanks for the great hack Albert! Really do love it and can't wait to see what else you do with it :)
By elol on Jul 19, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
90% in 3:30
simply a work of art

very entertaining with better graphics and color palette and keeps the gameplay of the original super metroid, I look forward to continue to improve.
By Pacstar on Jul 20, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
94% in 7:58
This is one of my favourites Metroid Games... I really like the difficult at the start of the game and how the graphics evolved from the original Super Metroid... This game is just Perfect... 5/5 Stars
By Oi27 on Aug 22, 2018 (Star Star Star Star Star )
84% in 3:28
Best hack I've ever played. A bit more difficult than the vanilla game, and sequence breaking is harder, but this hack looks gorgeous. Project Base integration makes gameplay smooth, and a lot of thought is put into the level design. Would be nice if there were fewer spikes that limit walljumping, which are usually the things that limit sequence-breaking, but Escape Sequence is the only real low point; it seems to have unavoidable acid dives that would make it impossible on low%. The rest of the game is fun for casual playthroughs, and I still can't get over how great the tilesets are!
8/10
By pathomSM on Mar 13, 2019 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
I recently played this and I absolutely love the way it looks and plays.
By MekaDragon on May 18, 2019 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
The best Super Metroid hack I've played so far.

It really makes playing Super Metroid an obsolete option. Play this one instead, it should be rated as Vanilla+++
By Moonsludge350 on Aug 10, 2019 (Star Star Star Star Star )
90% in 5:25
One of the best hacks I have played. The updated graphics along with running off of project base really make this the smoothest fine tuned S.M. yet. I love the additions, especially a little one;) ,but I dont want to ruin it for anyone.. The only thing I miss is blowing up the power bomb tunnel. Other than that I would rather play this than the original for sure.
By Syphon on Oct 16, 2019 (Star Star Star Star Star )
91% in 3:59
Not a fan of halfhacks but that said this is a good hack.

My biggest issue was obviously that it's quite linear and that the route was same as vanilla which I get was the intention but I just prefer full hacks instead of halfhacks. Though it gets a little more open later.

I also hated the change to the diagonal bomb jump which was added in this version(1.1.0?). The amount of times I got launched through the room by accident was too much. I even fell down a door in Maridia once and had to go the whole way around because of it. Really hate that physics change.
Also that turtle on the giant statue in Maridia shouldn't take 25 Super Missiles to kill.

The graphics were gorgeous and among the best I've seen in a hack. I also liked the music changes.

On a second thought though, I think this deserves 5 Orbs. The few issues I had weren't that detrimental to my enjoyment and it absolutely is 5 orb worthy in the Vanilla+ category.
By benox50 on Feb 01, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Ver. 1.1.0
Best looking hack yet you got there and just for that you get 3 stars already. It was also really fun but when the map let me play more how I wanted. I like how you resprited some SM enemies and used them in ways that was really fiting in the environment. Having gameplay elements that stand out enough so player can read them is good. Additionally having them fit in the environment too is something Im having an hard time with and you did a good job there.

Its an half hack but it doesnt feel like that at all since so much details were added,+ 1. Thats a big plus because I personnally prefere a full new map layout.

After some thinking I will give the 5 if we round up and it deserves it, I also recommended it many times to people so its in the top for sure. The main cons still are the full damage spikes at the start and some others tiles were spikes even if they didnt look different enough from others. There was too much vanilla doors that were just blocked in this that shouldnt be and made possible shortcuts not possible for a long time. Some other annoyances that were mentioned already. But 1.1.5 cleans-up alot.
Seriously this is probably one of the best half hack yet if not the best.
Maybe best looking snes game tbh, looks even as if the hack cheated his way to the sega saturn visually, its crazy good. I recommend, mostly for people that wants SM but more modern with the Project Base and with the addition of those beautiful tiles.

This version was also even before Albert knew how to repoint tilesets properly, just thinking of that makes me moist.
By albert v. on Feb 05, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
By RT-55J on Apr 21, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
87% in 3:40
Docking a point for entirely petty reasons: my color deficiency made me mistake the red doors in front of the speed booster and wave beam for grey doors. I lost an embarrassing amount of time to this fact.
By croissant bug on Apr 24, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Prettiest hack ever made.
By Freyhia on May 03, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Beautiful.
The hack make the game prettier, also change a few things in the map to make more connections.
There is still some mistake, as diagonal bomb-jumping that throw you far away or the electrificated water, but give it a 5.
By alexman25 on May 14, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
91% in 6:12
Seems very vanilla in layout to me, but extremely pretty hack that adds to the play-value.
By ocesse on Jun 28, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
103% in 7:41
This game is wonderful, it integrates perfectly into the Project Base and you will have a wide variety of movements at your disposal, it even has a secret movement that you will love to discover.
Overgrown vegetation and very old Chozo statues adorn an environment that amazes you. The backgrounds are detailed and in armony with the old Chozo culture, to which we add a very careful color palette and enemies according to their environment.
You enjoy wandering around all corners of the planet trying to find each and every one of the hidden Items and face the entire legion of enemies, large and small.
Getting the last item in the escape sequence is a great help in finding your way to the exit and what a pressure you feel for an unfriendly environment.
It is difficult to find another game with such extraordinary graphics, even in the entire SNES game catalog, Albert V. has truly created a work of art.
This game is a gem, I recommend that you play it, as you will enjoy it as I do.
By Metroid Violinist on Jul 03, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
81% in 4:13
The perfect way to replay through Super Metroid if you've gotten bored of the original game after playing numerous times, again and again. This changed up a lot and I personally loved every change, even if I got lost a few times- lol.

Thank you so much for making this hack, Albert V.
By dcr on Jul 17, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
96% in 2:05
I really liked this hack. The visuals were amazing and the level design felt like a new and improved Project Base. And the custom music in a few places really made the hack unique. The addition of falling blocks you interacted with and the electrical water, among other things, was a nice touch

However, it felt like it was just a rehash of Project Base. There were some new rooms, but most of the game felt exactly like Project Base, aside from the visual change. I got softlocked by a door transition in Norfair which was fun. I also heavily disliked how X-Ray was so late in this hack (I mean VERY late) and the fact that the escape relied on finding a few small holes to break. This caused me to run out of time. >_> So my rating is 3 stars.

I still recommend it though for a fresh new way to play through Super Metroid.
By Juancho Aran on Aug 02, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
104% in 1:15
Excelente Hack, me encanta la ambientaciĆ³n y el detalle tan trabajado que tiene, el nuevo Sprite de Samus, las nuevas habilidades. Esto incluido a la mobilidad del Project Base hace que sea un juego de 5/5. Una vez que aprendes el camino como lo hacen los expertos Speedruners el juego se hace mas divertido aun. No me canso de jugarlo. Felicitaciones por este gran Hack, de mis preferidos.
Saludos.
By Kremit44 on Aug 10, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
94% in 3:40
Beautiful game that's distinct enough to be worth playing. I'm docking an orb simply because it's largely a vanilla/PB layout and I think the hacks with a greater scope deserve 5's like Super Zero Mission and Hyper Metroid. I feel like a jerk not giving it a 5 though as it really is perfect just the way it is. I'd love to see a sequel to it with the same graphics but a new map. I'd give it a 4.5 if I could tbh.

Edit: Changed my mind. It's a 5. It's possibly the best version of Super Metroid out there and the widescreen patch is another feather in it's cap. Thanks to all the folks who keep making this great game better.
By Insomnia Speed on Nov 27, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
90% in 6:08
8.2/10 hack

escape is a little annoying

but still a good hack

animals saved

recommend
By infinality on Dec 23, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
83% in 5:28
High-quality assets and fun areas. Having the basic vanilla map made it easier to guess spots to check for secrets. I liked the early plasma beam.
By Kandier on Jan 21, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
100% in 11:28
Version 1.1.5

Very, very good hack, reworked graphics and music, it looks beautiful & sound great, but it has a rare item counter, I didn't find 1 Energy Tank, 1 Reserve Tank, some Missile expansions, but it shows 100% of items, it's necessary the X-Ray Scope earlier & an updated map screen like Hyper Metroid or Super Metroid: Escape II in version 1.1.6... but... despite that, it's highly recommended!
By DeviousB on Mar 05, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
By FV2112 on Apr 12, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
86% in 4:06
If there is an SM hack that can cause me to suspend my disbelief enough to think that it's an official remaster of Super Metroid, it's SM Ancient Chozo. This game is absolutley GORGEOUS to look at, especially in Marida.The new soundtrack for Kraid's junction, the re-arrangement of Marida's two themes, and including an entirely NEW area of Maridia with a SNES remix of Lower Torvus are all just top-notch...

I love how the awkward and disjointed Brinstar from vanilla SM became way more developed and intuitive in this hack, especially how some of these rooms inter-connect with one another to create new shortcuts that weren't there in the original...

My only complaint would be Tourian. It really doesn't work as just a dark series of caverns with sidehoppers and metroids, it needs to be a futuristic space pirate lab. The escape sequence also needs some more visual clues so that you don't get turned around or lost. I almost didn't make it my first time.
By shaktool7 on Apr 17, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Been some time since first playthrough, But the electric water is stupid.
By therealsusan on May 10, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
72% in 2:35
Really pretty. Probably the best vanilla hack out there. Seems like I was forced into doing sequence break tricks to gather certain items & some of the high damage in the beginning was annoying, but enemies were plentiful with drops.
By Pixel_Tiger on Jun 15, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Welp... this could've ended well but then the stupid ESCAPE happened... Went through the hack like a knife through butter. Very welcoming and open vanilla-like hack with nice graphics. Some new techniques were introduced and made it easy to navigate and sequence break as well.

Sadly, wasn't able to finish the run because of a VERY POORLY made choice right at the end after the fight with mother brain which is not only beyond LAZY in itself but also VERY disappointing and frustrating to deal with especially given the fact that TIME WON'T stop and suddenly being FORCED to do a specific thing in this otherwise very open and welcoming hack was an absolute deal-breaker (Why you'd do this is beyond my understanding...). -2 for this one, dev... it could've ended well but it DIDN'T.
By y2trips on Jul 06, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Awesome remake of the original. Many things improved and one of the best visual updates of any hack i've played. Excellent hack.
By LackedL on Jul 19, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
64% in 3:09
I honestly loved this hack through and through all while I was playing it. The level design was very nice. The custom music was also awesome (I liked Red Maridia the most). I also enjoyed how it had elements from Project Base within it like backflipping. I even enjoyed the little boostball ability as well! Sadly with every great thing there has to be something bad. I did like the escape sequence, but the second room wasn't my favorite (Won't spoil anything for new-comers) I also didn't like the Draygon fight too well with the sand that you sink into and the unbreakable turrets.

All in all, this was a great hack with a great challenge! I hope the next person to play will have a great time playing it like I did!
By LetsPlayNintendoITA on Jul 28, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
104% in 4:13
[Watch Video]  
5 stars review for this marvelous hack!
another great hack by Albert V. after having played TotW that I also reccomend.
can see many of the feauture that come after in TotW being used here and a great use of Project Base.
The use of the meteorball, that included the glitch that allowed that Speedbooster was fun.
Very open world. Lots of sequence breaks and secrets.
Can't wait for new version in the future.
Thanks once again!
By OmegaMalkior on Aug 03, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Liked it but wish it weren't so Vanilla tbh. Had Project Base so it's a for sure try from me
By Kriken Empire on Oct 07, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
I couldn't finish this one, stopped at Wrecked Ship, I lost the heart to keep playing. It's a halfhack with a shiny coat of paint on it. Though it's definitely better than most halfhacks, it would've been served better not making SM harder for no apparent reason. It should just stick to its strengths, that being visuals and its new gameplay mechanics. I know it's based on Project Base (of which I'm biased towards), so it's not all original, but I particularly loved the sideways bomb jumping and the temporary "ballspark" that came with it. Everything about this hack is beautiful from a visual perspective, and the new tilesets connecting different parts of Zebes are welcome, makes everything feel more natural. I just can't stand some of the changes made in how rooms flow, and the extra challenges that hide away critical items are completely unnecessary and bog the experience way down. Every time I go back and give it another chance it just gets worse, but I'll leave it at 4 stars because, well, it's just so impressive and not all hacks are about how well they play.
By chriscauley on Nov 21, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
% in 3:02
I put off playing this because I didn't think I'd enjoy a vanilla+ rom hack. I was very wrong. The new graphics are great, the new routes are fun, and many of the old routes are streamlined so that you can fly through them at a million miles per hour. I kept finding myself suddenly recognizing what room I was in and immediately thinking "this makes more sense".

I also loved all the changes to the morph ball and the other mechanic tweaks I noticed. I'm definitely going to revisit this hack next time I want a vanilla experience.
By Zhs2 on Jan 13, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
94% in 3:08
Review based on the 2020 version of Ancient Chozo, aka patch version 1.1.5. When I went into this hack I was expecting cool things solely based on the praise of other proficient hackers, and it was just a little more than disappointing once I walked through the first few rooms and realized it was literally just Super Metroid with ZM and Hyper graphics. That's not to say it isn't pretty. Albert V really put a lot of time and effort into retiling every room he could get his hands on, and overall his work ultimately culminated in what feels like a remix of Zebes - where you still know how to find (almost) every item it has to offer and yet still incorporates enough new rooms that it isn't all exactly the same. I'd give this hack a good four stars if it wasn't for a spontaneous decision at the very end to incorporate X-Ray into the escape, which doesn't freeze the timer and you will be wasting many precious seconds trying to figure out how to exit the third damn room on your way out. Overall a pretty good halfhack, though the fact that it's a halfhack would be that much less of a letdown if this hack was actually just what a typical all frills Project Base patch made Super Metroid look like. Just saiyan.
By KPF on Jan 23, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Love this hack. Very good and FUN. Especially love the that you can wall jump AND Bomb jump while in water. I also love the bomb boost ability. What else do you have?
By Sapphron on Feb 13, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
Beautiful graphics, Albert V. is crazy with this stuff. Same with Temple of the Winds, really. It's still a halfhack though and is on PB 0.7 which I can't really blame him for, but just something to note.
Finished.
Recommend.

retroactively rated
By Zincoshine on Jul 29, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
I tried this a while ago. This along with project base is the definitive super metroid experience. While it slightly lacking in QoL compared to project base due to the slightly outdated base used, the graphics more than make up for it. If you've never played super metroid, play this (or play project base, your choice).

edit: played some more, I've come to realise it is clearly not as good as the original. You should play project base as your first super metroid playthrough but by all means play this one if you're interested in another playthrough with something to freshen things up.
By DramaticMarquinh0svi on Aug 12, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
104% in 3:14
This is a pretty good hack, looks very nice as it has many interesting designs, uses project base and the items are fairly hidden. Well, Tourian was disapointing, X-Ray only in the escape bruh. This hack is very good overall and should be played.
By vsf3000 on Nov 09, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
% in 2:44
basically a mildly altered super metroid with zero mission elements. fantastic hack, beautiful tiling.

about the only complaint i had was the hyper speed boss battles. i wasnt a fan of it against most of the bosses, but i flat out disliked the experience it gave against phantoon. also, use of the x-ray was odd. not bad, just different. if i could give it 4.5 orbs i would, but i think so much about this is so well done that it earned a round-up to 5.

strongly recommend, particularly for people who arent looking for a completely different experience, but rather just a remix of SM.
By OmegaDragnet9 on Dec 29, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
73% in 3:41
Save states were used. All criticism comes from a place of respect and admiration.

I have really grown to appreciate this hack the longer I've played it. Beat 1.0.9 two years ago. While I enjoyed it I wasn't quite as enamored with the custom GFX at the time.

However I feel entirely the opposite now. I spent this whole playthrough of 1.1.5 mesmerized by the sheer work Albert put into this. Every room is a labor of love and most are outright masterpieces.

I feel like this is logical conclusion of Project Base's expanded Vanilla route. It adds a tremendous amount of replay value to a familiar location.

One problem I ran into was there were two red doors that were a bit gray/brown and that made me scratch my head for a while.
By VirtueAvatar on Jan 12, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
64% in 0:00
Ancient Chozo makes Project Base into a very pretty world, though I get the nagging feeling that Project Base just did a better job in not making the world loop around *too* much - it's so easy to miss lots of areas entirely.

As far as prettiness goes, I didn't think much of the evergreen Brinstar, but Maridia is an absolute standout from an extended Red Tower becoming part of Maridia's edge to making sure that you know at every turn that you're in a deep ocean world now and not just rooms of water.

The ending tried to do something new but I feel like it really fell flat. The item you find there adds nothing, would have had much more value to the whole hack if it could be found earlier on, and the new platform section feels extremely tacked on.

The new boss fights are good, though Draygon in particular felt very unbalanced for the added difficulty.
By KaptenR on Aug 31, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
83% in 3:00
[Watch Video]  
Very nicely done on creating a nice feel to the environments, it all looks amazing!
Great music!
I think the hack is quite beginner friendly, you could probably play this after finished the original, with some extra challenge.
I got a little bit challenged with Dragoon, which was nice.
By yuriks on Sep 29, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
96% in 4:10
Gorgeous hack, but I think I didn't really gel with its approach to map design. There were *tons* of redundant corridors and ways to access the same areas, and it made the map confusing to explore at times. It also keeps the same style of map as vanilla, so no doors or dynamic items dots on the map to help either. Fortunately, the layout was usually similar enough to vanilla for me to be able to use my knowledge of it as a guide.

The tiling is definitely the high point of the hack. Rooms are extremely detailed and vibrant, even to the point of being excessively busy in some areas.

There were also various annoyances such as many arbitrary one-way doors forcing long run-arounds if you took a wrong turn at times, the just downright mean escape sequence with no saves near the final boss, the frustrating grapple puzzle above the sandpits in Maridia leading to an upgrade, and some missile doors that are very easily mistaken by grey locked doors in Tourian. These were all somewhat frustrating when they happened, but overall I still enjoyed it.
By SakuraUnit on Nov 14, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
96% in 3:21
A beautiful exploration hack, while retaining vanilla feels. Very aesthetically pleasing to look at. Some areas presented challenges that were a bit annoying, and it felt like I was going in circles too many times. With a bit of clean up, this would be amazing! Wishing the map layout was different though, given how hard you went with the aesthetics!

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