Metroid: Expedition Z
Release date: Oct 29, 2015
Author: X-tradyte
Download: Version 1.0 [UH] (627 downloads)
Genre: Unknown [?]
Game: SM
Difficulty: Unknown [?]
Average runtime: 1:20
Average collection: 91%
Read Me: [None]
Forum Thread: Contest Release
Rating: Star Star Star Star Star
Description
A new threat has risen on the Planet Zeron.
Samus has received word that there are signs of Metroid life still left there...
Did she really eradicate the entire species?
The only way to be sure is to find out herself.
Screenshots
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Ratings and Reviews
By Aran;Jaeger on Dec 31, 2019 (Star Star Star Star Star )
100% in 1:09
[Watch Video]  
Proper Item Collection display: 100.0%.
No animals to be saved.

Quick Summary of the meaning of my SM hack ratings:
5 orbs: SM hacks within the 80% to 100% (90% ± 10%) range of perceived perfection; SM hacks for outstanding wholesome playing experiences and at most minor inconveniences.
4 orbs: SM hacks within the 60% to 80% (70% ± 10%) range of perceived perfection; Well done SM hacks with noticeable design problems.
3 orbs: SM hacks within the 40% to 60% (50% ± 10%) range of perceived perfection; Normal decent average SM hacks.
2 orbs: SM hacks within the 20% to 40% (30% ± 10%) range of perceived perfection; Overall messy, confusing, or punishing SM hacks with some upsides.
1 orb : SM hacks within the 00% to 20% (10% ± 10%) range of perceived perfection; Ruthlessly unplayable, broken, or barely from the original game changed SM hacks.

Judgement parameters summary:
° Creative ideas and features, polished design, how enjoyable and fun the hack can be, lack of hard to find or cryptic required game elements, the difficulty, and if the hack can be finished without major guides or tools.
° Note that the length of a SM hack will not necessarily contribute to my rating of the SM hack, since instead the averaged out experience over the whole hack will be taken into account to get a relative comparison between SM hacks.
° Besides this, lack of impactful changes from the original SM game also went into the evaluation of SM hacks (otherwise one may consider them among the 3 stars hacks) as follows: Ultimately, for my ratings I consider a situation in which an SM enthusiast that already has, knows about and is familiar with the original game and its prominent mechanics could only choose 1 new SM hack to play and thus would really want to make sure he/she will get a fresh and fantastic experience or journey out of his/her 1 choice.

The goal of all these SM hack ratings is so that rather new players have an overview of the whole spectrum of SM hacks and how to sort them in, in relation to each other, where SM hacks that are rated lower might still be enjoyable for more experienced players.

Finally, sometimes for SM hacks it can be relevant that they may be significantly more enjoyable from a player standpoint at which the player is well practiced and familiarized with Super Metroid's game mechanics in general, and that in particular some of the best SM hacks may not be the outright best first SM hack choices to play otherwise because of this, and for beginner SM hack players this typically steers the best first SM hack choices towards some of the SM hacks that I rated with 4 orbs instead of 5.

Rating for some hacks may be off by 1 Star, but arguably not more, and ratings are not attempted to be provided within the precision of ''half orbs''.
By Syphon on Jan 07, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
89% in 1:08
I rather liked this and didn't really have the issues that most people mentioned in the thread.

The hack suddenly going from being linear to having to backtrack didn't bother me much since the hack is rather small anyway. Neither did the Metroids in the suitless underwater area. I thought that part was pretty cool.

You can potentially get permastuck if you somehow get to Croc without Charge and Missiles.
Gold Torizo being immune to Charge was a bit weird and Draygon had a little too much health in my opinion.

Not a bad hack and it's worth checking out.
By Sapphron on Jul 15, 2020 (Star Star Star Star Star )
97% in 1:07
Really, REALLY cool contest hack!
Felt quite nonlinear but it was actually pretty linear, for what the creator wanted you to do.
No locked escape doors, some really cool item puzzles here and there (one crumble grapple though, ew!).
Level design is top notch, but some tiling errors and collision issues are kinda sucky. There are 2 softlocks in the escape, but nowhere else. Can tell that it was completely rushed right at the end just to get it out in time.
Regardless, one of the best contest hacks ever.
Finished.
Recommend.
By caauyjdp on Mar 25, 2021 (Star Star Star Star Star )
100% in 1:47
Probably spent more than an hour figuring out where to get supers because i'm dumb, but otherwise it was a fun hack.
Got stuck in a bad slope once, crashed out of bounds seems like this was bombing a reflec semi out of bounds, and went through bad door transition below the ship, but it's somewhat minor because regaining progression is pretty quick after you know what to do.
By Zincoshine on Jul 19, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
The developer doesn't seem to understand how to design difficulty properly. You'll die often and that's ok, what's not ok is that you'll be dying not because of your mistakes but instead because of mistakes with the design of many of the rooms. It's an exercise in frustration. Furthermore, more effort should have been put into modding the intro. When you start a new game it says you're on zebes, then the map says you're on zeron. Perhaps the plot should also have been put into the game instead of leaving it here on this webpage.

Difficulty is so-called "veteran" for sure.
By KPF on Dec 30, 2022 (Star Star Star Star Star )
No completion stats.
FUCK NO.
By Zhs2 on Jan 12, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
83% in 1:34
This hack was pretty good up until you needed to collect a very hidden plasma beam (no indication it's there or even how to get it, I found out from Aran;Jaeger's 100% video) and use it to defeat Ridley with only 4 energy tanks. Everything else is easy, there are a couple reflecs you must shoot with missiles (some hidden completely out of sight) for major items and you won't be progressing unless you hit them. Explore every corner and push against anything that looks like a secret passage and you'll succeed pretty simply. Well, except against Ridley.
By badatmetroid on Jan 26, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
91% in 1:19
Pretty fun hack. There were a few minor bugs that people mentioned, but really the reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because there's nothing amazing about this.

There is one obscure grapple technique I had to watch the Aran;Jaeger video to do. He then used an obscure missile clip (which wasn't actually required for that room). Otherwise it's vanilla difficulty.
By RX-78-2 on May 20, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
100% in 1:33
not that bad but it could've been better in my honest opinion.. but I'll give it a solid 8/10, I WOULD recommend it but I don't really know about that since I'm not sure if this hack is for beginners, casual players, or anyone past that due to some difficult tricks needed to progress
By drb on Aug 04, 2023 (Star Star Star Star Star )
71% in 1:06
Nice little contest minihack that uses exploration and progression to make the map feel bigger than it actually is. Some critical path issues early on - it's way to easy to stumble into Crocomire unprepared given where the charge beam is hidden, and I had to resort to Youtube to figure out the first Super Missiles. Pretty good otherwise, especially if you like hacks that expect you to think about where you've already been to find uses for new pickups as they arrive. Some midair morphing required, but nothing too strenuous at all. Worth a playthrough, though mostly for experienced players as boss difficulty is definitely taken up a notch or two.

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