“Why don't more people hack Fusion or Zero Mission!?”
| V I T A L I T Y | ||
Release date: Oct 17, 2020 |
Author: Digital_Mantra
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Genre: Exploration [?] Game: 
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Difficulty: Vanilla [?]
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Average runtime:
6:15 Average collection: 72% |
Read Me: [None] |
Forum Thread: Forum |
Rating:
 
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Awards:
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Description
Samus Aran has been contracted to investigate an installation on Planet Auriga.
Screenshots
Ratings and Reviews
I genuinely can't overstate how great this hack is.
Without spoiling the experience: DMan has presented an absolute master class on world design. There's flashier hacks for sure, but I don't think anything has come close to being as engrossing as V I T A L I T Y was simply by the way the world tells its story. There's so many moments where I literally just stopped to take in what I was seeing. I'm a sucker for a pretty hack, but honestly V I T A L I T Y goes beyond just looking good. There's a certain... feeling of actually being on an alien world that no other hack really achieves.
As someone who's been playing hacks for like... 10? 12? years now, you get a little jaded. Every once in a while something comes along and gives you a little bit of drive to keep going with them, but V I T A L I T Y really hits different. You can feel the love and dedication DMan put into crafting not just a hack, but a world and a story. Everything is so meticulously, carefully designed to be exactly what he intended, and that care reflects on the player. Some hacks give a little reminder of what's to like about SM, but V I T A L I T Y has genuinely reinvigorated my love for the medium.
Play it.
Without spoiling the experience: DMan has presented an absolute master class on world design. There's flashier hacks for sure, but I don't think anything has come close to being as engrossing as V I T A L I T Y was simply by the way the world tells its story. There's so many moments where I literally just stopped to take in what I was seeing. I'm a sucker for a pretty hack, but honestly V I T A L I T Y goes beyond just looking good. There's a certain... feeling of actually being on an alien world that no other hack really achieves.
As someone who's been playing hacks for like... 10? 12? years now, you get a little jaded. Every once in a while something comes along and gives you a little bit of drive to keep going with them, but V I T A L I T Y really hits different. You can feel the love and dedication DMan put into crafting not just a hack, but a world and a story. Everything is so meticulously, carefully designed to be exactly what he intended, and that care reflects on the player. Some hacks give a little reminder of what's to like about SM, but V I T A L I T Y has genuinely reinvigorated my love for the medium.
Play it.
Extremely creative usage of vanilla tiles, innovative level design, and gameplay driven storytelling make this hack an easy contender for hack of the year, but it almost borders on being two different games. So much of Vitality feels like a totally different game while other places just feel like a rehashed Super Metroid. Easily one of the best hacks around, if you can handle a jarring reminder that you're still playing Super Metroid every once in a while.
This hack pushes the boundaries of what is possible to be done with vanilla tiles, and extensively utilizes background layer blending effects in a way I dont think anyone else has done before. The level of thought and detail put into every environment, and the game world as a whole, is completely unparalleled. You aren't just exploring some rooms that some jackass threw together in an afternoon, you're travelling through a genuinely immersive planet.
It's a relatively vanilla experience, and despite that I can say with wholehearted honesty that I think it's the best hack on this site.
It's a relatively vanilla experience, and despite that I can say with wholehearted honesty that I think it's the best hack on this site.
A masterclass in Super Metroid hacking.
I'll make biases apparent right up front, for the sake of transparency: Eris is perhaps my favourite Super Metroid hack out there, and I was able to play VITALITY weeks before most others were able to, thanks to FuncoLand shipping my copy early. That being said, I will, to the best of my ability, not let these biases affect my critique. That being said, there may be some discrepancies between what is mentioned in my review and the contents of the final game, as it was edited slightly before release.
Like with Eris and Cliffhanger before it, VITALITY stands tall among all other Super Metroid hacks as a sterling example of creative level design blended beautifully with expressive tilework. While the majority of VITALITY uses vanilla tiles to construct its world, they have been so creatively edited that the world of Auriga feels so completely and utterly alien that I was transfixed from the very moment I started the game. The lighting simulation via tiles - as shown in the cover image here on this site - is something I have never seen before in a Super Metroid hack. The atmosphere presented here is, quite simply, totally unmatched by any other hack out there, except for Digital Mantra's other hacks, particularly Eris. If you're a fan of his other hacks, you will not be at all disappointed with what is on display here.
That being said, it would be one thing if VITALITY was able to capture the meticulous room design of Eris, but VITALITY manages to go one step beyond and craft a world that feels completely coherent in its environmental design. Details that are presented in one room will provide the environmental context to another room, like a stray sandfall on the surface eventually leading to a large sand pit several rooms below. It doesn't quite reach the sheer density of Eris, but that attention to detail is emblematic to Digital Mantra's hacks, and it is firing on all cylinders in VITALITY.
But it goes even further than that. While I personally liked the exploration that comes with finding a new powerup in Eris, some players found it difficult to find the path forward at times, myself included on my first playthrough. I think it is safe to say, however, that VITALITY manages to avoid this particular pitfall, due in some part to the generally improved level structure and the slightly more freeform item progression. No effort has been spared in providing environmental cues that hint towards the presence of an upgrade or the existence of a hidden passage, but they're integrated so well and they blend in so naturally with the environments that it never feels too obvious. The hack respects the player's attention to detail and exploration feels utterly satisfying.
In an effort to convey a sense of lore and history to the worlds they create, hackers often come up against the harsh limitations of the medium: Super Metroid isn't a game that is natively capable of modern-day conveniences like scan logs or text dumps. Great efforts have been made to circumvent these limitations, often through the use of map screen text or environmental storytelling. The results can often be clumsy, but it's a reality of Super Metroid hacking at this point. That is why I am happy to say that VITALITY executes on these concepts exceptionally well. The lore and environmental storytelling are at their best here, and the secrets that lie in wait on Auriga are amazing to experience firsthand.
What else that remains to be said will remain unsaid. VITALITY is best experienced without spoilers. All I can say at this point is that I give this hack my highest recommendations.
Hack of the Year.
5/5
I'll make biases apparent right up front, for the sake of transparency: Eris is perhaps my favourite Super Metroid hack out there, and I was able to play VITALITY weeks before most others were able to, thanks to FuncoLand shipping my copy early. That being said, I will, to the best of my ability, not let these biases affect my critique. That being said, there may be some discrepancies between what is mentioned in my review and the contents of the final game, as it was edited slightly before release.
Like with Eris and Cliffhanger before it, VITALITY stands tall among all other Super Metroid hacks as a sterling example of creative level design blended beautifully with expressive tilework. While the majority of VITALITY uses vanilla tiles to construct its world, they have been so creatively edited that the world of Auriga feels so completely and utterly alien that I was transfixed from the very moment I started the game. The lighting simulation via tiles - as shown in the cover image here on this site - is something I have never seen before in a Super Metroid hack. The atmosphere presented here is, quite simply, totally unmatched by any other hack out there, except for Digital Mantra's other hacks, particularly Eris. If you're a fan of his other hacks, you will not be at all disappointed with what is on display here.
That being said, it would be one thing if VITALITY was able to capture the meticulous room design of Eris, but VITALITY manages to go one step beyond and craft a world that feels completely coherent in its environmental design. Details that are presented in one room will provide the environmental context to another room, like a stray sandfall on the surface eventually leading to a large sand pit several rooms below. It doesn't quite reach the sheer density of Eris, but that attention to detail is emblematic to Digital Mantra's hacks, and it is firing on all cylinders in VITALITY.
But it goes even further than that. While I personally liked the exploration that comes with finding a new powerup in Eris, some players found it difficult to find the path forward at times, myself included on my first playthrough. I think it is safe to say, however, that VITALITY manages to avoid this particular pitfall, due in some part to the generally improved level structure and the slightly more freeform item progression. No effort has been spared in providing environmental cues that hint towards the presence of an upgrade or the existence of a hidden passage, but they're integrated so well and they blend in so naturally with the environments that it never feels too obvious. The hack respects the player's attention to detail and exploration feels utterly satisfying.
In an effort to convey a sense of lore and history to the worlds they create, hackers often come up against the harsh limitations of the medium: Super Metroid isn't a game that is natively capable of modern-day conveniences like scan logs or text dumps. Great efforts have been made to circumvent these limitations, often through the use of map screen text or environmental storytelling. The results can often be clumsy, but it's a reality of Super Metroid hacking at this point. That is why I am happy to say that VITALITY executes on these concepts exceptionally well. The lore and environmental storytelling are at their best here, and the secrets that lie in wait on Auriga are amazing to experience firsthand.
What else that remains to be said will remain unsaid. VITALITY is best experienced without spoilers. All I can say at this point is that I give this hack my highest recommendations.
Hack of the Year.
5/5
Digital Mantra has pushed what is possible within the medium of Super Metroid with VITALITY. He has innovated the graphics in ways never seen before, cleverly utilizing background/transparency layers to create movement, animation, blending colors, etc (a painstaking and time-intensive process). He has enhanced replay value by decreasing linearity and reliance on items (what is the lowest Capacity you can beat the game with?!), while still subtly guiding the player on the main path. Most of all, he tells a story that affects long after the game ends; like all great Science Fiction, VITALITY sticks with you.
VITALITY is overflowing with environmental storytelling — every room is designed for an in-world reason. Planet Auriga is alive, and has been before Samus arrived. Can you hear the voice of Digital Mantra, guiding you to clues...to secrets...to the lore? Gamers with big imaginations, you will love this aspect!
VITALITY is a masterpiece, on all fronts. And its long road to completion is a massive achievement. It earns a spot on “Best SNES Games of All Time” lists.
Thank you, and congratulations, to Digital Mantra for creating this game! We all now live in a post-VITALITY world, and I for one am feeling inspired. I hope many others feel it too!
VITALITY is overflowing with environmental storytelling — every room is designed for an in-world reason. Planet Auriga is alive, and has been before Samus arrived. Can you hear the voice of Digital Mantra, guiding you to clues...to secrets...to the lore? Gamers with big imaginations, you will love this aspect!
VITALITY is a masterpiece, on all fronts. And its long road to completion is a massive achievement. It earns a spot on “Best SNES Games of All Time” lists.
Thank you, and congratulations, to Digital Mantra for creating this game! We all now live in a post-VITALITY world, and I for one am feeling inspired. I hope many others feel it too!
Vitality is the culmination of over a decade of Digital Mantra learning, practicing, and most of all, dedicating himself to refining his levels and his unique visual style.
It boasts a level of visual storytelling that doesn't exist in other fangames. On top of that, it manages to do so within a well balanced and fun set of Super Metroid levels.
As vanilla as it tends to be, we may never get another release like this one.
It boasts a level of visual storytelling that doesn't exist in other fangames. On top of that, it manages to do so within a well balanced and fun set of Super Metroid levels.
As vanilla as it tends to be, we may never get another release like this one.
VITALITY is a masterpiece and among the best hacks out there.
Visuals, atmosphere, environmental storytelling, level design. Everything was exceptional. Absolutely fantastic work.
Thank you Digital Mantra!
Visuals, atmosphere, environmental storytelling, level design. Everything was exceptional. Absolutely fantastic work.
Thank you Digital Mantra!
Vitality is basically like "what if Eris was playable by normal humans?" It's got the same lush double-layer tilework and palettes and effects and atmosphere, but it's been thoroughly playtested so the necessary tech-skill is much lower (and enemies don't all hit like trucks). The only advanced technique required to beat the game is the rising mid-air morph -- not a single wall jump is necessary.
One particular thing I like about the world design is the cues it takes from Metroid 2. Like Return of Samus, there are a lot of big structures and ruins in this game which are contextualized by having massive rooms delineating their exteriors. This (a) owns, and (b) helps give the planet a definite sense of geography.
Now, as far as whole "Rated R" thing: aside from the nudity on the title screen and with the death animation, most of the hack is pretty tame in a ratings sense. However, the final area (which I will not spoil) contains the bulk of the game's potentially objectionable content. Double check the age settings on your stream when you get there (if you're streaming).
Good hack.
One particular thing I like about the world design is the cues it takes from Metroid 2. Like Return of Samus, there are a lot of big structures and ruins in this game which are contextualized by having massive rooms delineating their exteriors. This (a) owns, and (b) helps give the planet a definite sense of geography.
Now, as far as whole "Rated R" thing: aside from the nudity on the title screen and with the death animation, most of the hack is pretty tame in a ratings sense. However, the final area (which I will not spoil) contains the bulk of the game's potentially objectionable content. Double check the age settings on your stream when you get there (if you're streaming).
Good hack.
![[Watch Video]](images/video.png)
Quite an excellent hack, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The visuals are striking. Great palettes, great use of lighting effects, cool boss respriting, and plenty of the classic dman room design aesthetics.
The storytelling is done well and hits home, with very little text.
There's tons to explore. A couple of times I was sure I was supposed to be in a certain area but got it wrong, and yet I never felt lost or stuck, which is really perfect. Item progression seemed very smooth and good. The overall low amount of ammo meant that almost every secret was a welcome find.
If I have to say anything bad about it, only two things come to mind. In a few rooms it was challenging to tell what was foreground and what was background, and most of the bosses were rather easy.
The visuals are striking. Great palettes, great use of lighting effects, cool boss respriting, and plenty of the classic dman room design aesthetics.
The storytelling is done well and hits home, with very little text.
There's tons to explore. A couple of times I was sure I was supposed to be in a certain area but got it wrong, and yet I never felt lost or stuck, which is really perfect. Item progression seemed very smooth and good. The overall low amount of ammo meant that almost every secret was a welcome find.
If I have to say anything bad about it, only two things come to mind. In a few rooms it was challenging to tell what was foreground and what was background, and most of the bosses were rather easy.
4 years well spent, but I wouldn't necessarily trust DMan with the phrase "hack made for noobs". There is much in the way to pick up that has been made very not obvious, and some items are even less obvious in this final release than during the playtesting phase. Always be wary of secret passages, especially near locked doors, and do know there's a way to escape Ridley's volcano if you don't have enough items to beat him. That being said, it's not a difficult hack at all. Searching every nook and cranny you can find goes a long way toward rounding out your ability to survive. Absolutely worth more than one playthrough.
Another 6 to that % and I would have been golden,
This is now my favorite hack, its like my Eris 2, more modern and
well made level design wise. The palettes are also better than Eris, but even if they looked broken they still looked good in Eris. The level art is as good if not better than the author previous entries, my favorite part being the use of layer 2 transparency to detail overlay over everything and animate tiles in unique various organic ways probably no snes games and maybe even no games has done. Dman hacks scratches one of the most important itche for metroid and its the alien story telling esthetic exploration. Vitality does that part better than the OG and others Dman hacks by being what it is but a culmination of all the learning and practice of the author with the medium, resulting into the said above with a more fun and smooth progression. There is use of circular navigation and one way that become two ways once a side is walked through. With all that good flow you still crawl through unique intricacies of level art that are waiting to be discovered. The tiles arent just decorating a world, they are the world. My only grip is that the map is still vanilla barebone and doesnt represent too well the area in a sense you need to repeat some navigation around structures many times to know it well. Where instead the map could have told you better that this wall here has an opening so you can pierce farther than the snes tiny res and foresee a path before executing. but I mean thats vanilla map right, but I still feel the complexity here would need a more complex and even changing map. There is also some art overgrowing over the level design hurting the reading of it as many hacks do, but this is way better than in his past projects. For some reason I was more than half way with 2 E-tanks and it was too intense, I feel I got a bad seed but I also felt a lack of proper easy to find/grab e-tank. However the hack aint particularly hard with the proper gears. Im still not sure to recommend as a first first hack for a beginner to play even if for me vitality is now the best hack of SM. This is the first hack to solve the msg box layer 3 temporary removal with a new way of doing things and it has some changes for the better, respin is love respin is life. Behind its more serious tone and alot of big eyes moments, Vitality also made me smile :). I remember talking to my friend about a proper last metroid game going all out with the story and it looks like we just got it.
Metcons definitly did what Nintendont
This is now my favorite hack, its like my Eris 2, more modern and
well made level design wise. The palettes are also better than Eris, but even if they looked broken they still looked good in Eris. The level art is as good if not better than the author previous entries, my favorite part being the use of layer 2 transparency to detail overlay over everything and animate tiles in unique various organic ways probably no snes games and maybe even no games has done. Dman hacks scratches one of the most important itche for metroid and its the alien story telling esthetic exploration. Vitality does that part better than the OG and others Dman hacks by being what it is but a culmination of all the learning and practice of the author with the medium, resulting into the said above with a more fun and smooth progression. There is use of circular navigation and one way that become two ways once a side is walked through. With all that good flow you still crawl through unique intricacies of level art that are waiting to be discovered. The tiles arent just decorating a world, they are the world. My only grip is that the map is still vanilla barebone and doesnt represent too well the area in a sense you need to repeat some navigation around structures many times to know it well. Where instead the map could have told you better that this wall here has an opening so you can pierce farther than the snes tiny res and foresee a path before executing. but I mean thats vanilla map right, but I still feel the complexity here would need a more complex and even changing map. There is also some art overgrowing over the level design hurting the reading of it as many hacks do, but this is way better than in his past projects. For some reason I was more than half way with 2 E-tanks and it was too intense, I feel I got a bad seed but I also felt a lack of proper easy to find/grab e-tank. However the hack aint particularly hard with the proper gears. Im still not sure to recommend as a first first hack for a beginner to play even if for me vitality is now the best hack of SM. This is the first hack to solve the msg box layer 3 temporary removal with a new way of doing things and it has some changes for the better, respin is love respin is life. Behind its more serious tone and alot of big eyes moments, Vitality also made me smile :). I remember talking to my friend about a proper last metroid game going all out with the story and it looks like we just got it.
Metcons definitly did what Nintendont
I've only recently hear about Vitality, and waited anxiously for the release. And, needless to say...
It was amazing. The detail Dman puts into his hack is one thing, and Vitality steps it up. It definitely felt like I was exploring a whole new world. Some developers of Super Metroid hacks struggle to tell their hacks' stories. And yet, Vitality delivers. While I only needed some help with finding out where to go in the beginning, the rest of my playthrough was a phenomenal experience to witness, up until the end. And I loved it all.
Since the other reviews don't intend on spoiling the story, this review will follow in the non spoiler review group.
I highly, highly, HIGHLY, recommend playing this. It is one experience most deserving of a blind playthrough. Congratulations on an amazing hack, Dman. ^-^
It was amazing. The detail Dman puts into his hack is one thing, and Vitality steps it up. It definitely felt like I was exploring a whole new world. Some developers of Super Metroid hacks struggle to tell their hacks' stories. And yet, Vitality delivers. While I only needed some help with finding out where to go in the beginning, the rest of my playthrough was a phenomenal experience to witness, up until the end. And I loved it all.
Since the other reviews don't intend on spoiling the story, this review will follow in the non spoiler review group.
I highly, highly, HIGHLY, recommend playing this. It is one experience most deserving of a blind playthrough. Congratulations on an amazing hack, Dman. ^-^
...it's an experience not to be missed.
edit: gave it another playthrough. I don't like how gameplay and mechanics are sacrificed on the altar of plot and A E S T H E T I C S. Thought I'd give it a pass, because it is good, but 2nd playthrough was definetly less fun, and I can see where few things could be really bad if happened on first playthrough. First line of the review still holds true tho.
edit: gave it another playthrough. I don't like how gameplay and mechanics are sacrificed on the altar of plot and A E S T H E T I C S. Thought I'd give it a pass, because it is good, but 2nd playthrough was definetly less fun, and I can see where few things could be really bad if happened on first playthrough. First line of the review still holds true tho.
Plot was great, the aethestics were on point. Another great hack by dman.
Most of the praise you've been reading to this point is well deserved. You've got your usual DMan tiling, which is weird and imaginative and the depth added to a 2D world is pretty great. However, hacks can't live off of A E S T H E T I C S alone. There is supposed to be a game after all.
For the most part, this hack delivers an excellent experience. The world is fun to explore and easy to traverse, with shortcuts opening up later to help speed things up. The secrets are great to find, since the majority are extremely well hidden in the scenery, but for someone looking they'll spot the secret. This is not Other M pixel hunting.
And for 96ish% of the hack, you have a pretty amazing world to explore, albeit a little too easy for my liking, but much more friendly for newer players. You get what looks like a DMan hack that unfortunately places story above gameplay for a brief moment at the end. Now, this likely won't make you as sour as it made me, but its something I definitely disagree with and the reason for the 4 orb rating instead of 5 orbs.
The best feature(s) of the hack though, are the creative means used to remove certain things from using layer 3. For non-hackers out there, I will try to explain this in English. Basically, DMan is one of the few people who really uses FX1 effects to their potential. The issue is, these are all on layer 3, and things like Power Bombs and message boxes from collecting items or saving will remove the layer, since they also use that layer. So DMan went through some great lengths to prevent that and still give the player the information. Definitely one of the best things I took away from the hack, and will probably do myself since the layer being deleted is often ugly.
Would definitely recommend the hack. The ending bit may work for you or it may not, but overall it's definitely fun and should be added to your list of hacks to play.
For the most part, this hack delivers an excellent experience. The world is fun to explore and easy to traverse, with shortcuts opening up later to help speed things up. The secrets are great to find, since the majority are extremely well hidden in the scenery, but for someone looking they'll spot the secret. This is not Other M pixel hunting.
And for 96ish% of the hack, you have a pretty amazing world to explore, albeit a little too easy for my liking, but much more friendly for newer players. You get what looks like a DMan hack that unfortunately places story above gameplay for a brief moment at the end. Now, this likely won't make you as sour as it made me, but its something I definitely disagree with and the reason for the 4 orb rating instead of 5 orbs.
The best feature(s) of the hack though, are the creative means used to remove certain things from using layer 3. For non-hackers out there, I will try to explain this in English. Basically, DMan is one of the few people who really uses FX1 effects to their potential. The issue is, these are all on layer 3, and things like Power Bombs and message boxes from collecting items or saving will remove the layer, since they also use that layer. So DMan went through some great lengths to prevent that and still give the player the information. Definitely one of the best things I took away from the hack, and will probably do myself since the layer being deleted is often ugly.
Would definitely recommend the hack. The ending bit may work for you or it may not, but overall it's definitely fun and should be added to your list of hacks to play.
Large-scale Super Metroid hacks typically turn me away. Vitality didn't.
With the fine-tuned gameplay and masterfully-crafted visuals, this isn't an opportunity to miss. The hack's plot was also told quite well, I feel. I know plot isn't everyone's thing, but it's mostly unobtrusive to the gameplay in this hack.
I particularly liked some of the little things thrown into the mix, the sliver of Metroid II-like world design being one example off the top of my head.
That's all I really have to say, this is definitely my favorite SM hack, highly recommend.
With the fine-tuned gameplay and masterfully-crafted visuals, this isn't an opportunity to miss. The hack's plot was also told quite well, I feel. I know plot isn't everyone's thing, but it's mostly unobtrusive to the gameplay in this hack.
I particularly liked some of the little things thrown into the mix, the sliver of Metroid II-like world design being one example off the top of my head.
That's all I really have to say, this is definitely my favorite SM hack, highly recommend.
This game is exceptional. It's not my favourite hack nor even my favourite hack from this author but it's none the less great. It's unique and unlike Digital Mantras other two phenomenal hacks it should be accessible to all. His hacks are works of art and impeccably designed to be fun and fresh. The promo materials and the included poster were also top notch. Thanks for the terrific hack.
For those new to Super Metroid hacking I would suggest playing through the Digital Mantra trilogy in this order Vitality-Eris-Cliffhanger Redux. Vitality is comparable to Super Metroid in difficulty and provides a whole new experience like very few hacks have. Cliffhanger is for experts only and is VERY hard and likely won't appeal to some but I think it's incredible. Eris is kinda right in between and arguably the sweet spot but for some will be too difficult.
For those new to Super Metroid hacking I would suggest playing through the Digital Mantra trilogy in this order Vitality-Eris-Cliffhanger Redux. Vitality is comparable to Super Metroid in difficulty and provides a whole new experience like very few hacks have. Cliffhanger is for experts only and is VERY hard and likely won't appeal to some but I think it's incredible. Eris is kinda right in between and arguably the sweet spot but for some will be too difficult.
Wow...
Great visuals, story, aesthetic. Best hack I've played yet.
Play it
Great visuals, story, aesthetic. Best hack I've played yet.
Play it
Can't say that this hack was most enjoyable gameplay-wise (some jumps early game required for me sometimes 20-30 minutes) but story-wise and visual-wise... BEST. HACK. EVER.
8:34, 80.4%, 4 deaths.
Atmosphere - 98/100, can't put 100 because of early jumps.
Gameplay - 90/100, i must admit that i love fast collection of items as well as usage of top left part of hud.
Visuals - 100/100, i am sorry that can't give higher score for this masterpiece.
Must be played by everyone who loves Super Metroid.
8:34, 80.4%, 4 deaths.
Atmosphere - 98/100, can't put 100 because of early jumps.
Gameplay - 90/100, i must admit that i love fast collection of items as well as usage of top left part of hud.
Visuals - 100/100, i am sorry that can't give higher score for this masterpiece.
Must be played by everyone who loves Super Metroid.
The rooms very very good looking, as stated in other reviews. Super Metroid has never looked so nice! Though, I had frequently problems looking at a glance and knowing what surfaces I could walk on, especially in rooms that have a solid layer 3 in addition to the normal level layer. Sometimes you walk on the background too, which looks pretty trippy in underwater/heated rooms since the background oscillates and the foreground (the layer you've been interacting with in say, the previous room) is solid.
On the same note, it threw me off that the lava and acid are a dark gray color; it makes it hard to see against a dark background. When I got to the first room that has lava, I just kinda walked into it and ??? woah why am i taking damage. OH THERE'S LAVA??
The best advice is to take the first playthough nice and slow; if you go running into new rooms at top speed, you will be confused and probably underwater.
Aside from those minor points, Vitality is a very solid hack that uses the game mechanics well. Nice 8/10!
On the same note, it threw me off that the lava and acid are a dark gray color; it makes it hard to see against a dark background. When I got to the first room that has lava, I just kinda walked into it and ??? woah why am i taking damage. OH THERE'S LAVA??
The best advice is to take the first playthough nice and slow; if you go running into new rooms at top speed, you will be confused and probably underwater.
Aside from those minor points, Vitality is a very solid hack that uses the game mechanics well. Nice 8/10!
Haven't been able to get time to finish this yet but the time I have been blessed with to play has been amazing, congrats on getting this beast out and being able to see the idea morph and turn into this has been a privilege, so glad you stopped being stubborn and learned how to really do what you wanted, im still very impressed with what your able to do with this messy game that I cherish so much, wish I had more time to give this the attention it deserves.
Another massive piece of art that is obviously on a different level then what us mere mortals are capable of. Hope you never stop creating dman, you are a legend ill always admire! Thanks for being you buddy.
Another massive piece of art that is obviously on a different level then what us mere mortals are capable of. Hope you never stop creating dman, you are a legend ill always admire! Thanks for being you buddy.
One of my favorites. The atmosphere is very good. The difficulty of the game is suitable for most players. The ending is really unexpected. It's like watching a movie. This is a masterpiece.
What more is there to say that hasn't been said already? The experience was incredible especially when doing zero sequence breaks. I feel like that's the thing that pushed this above and beyond, nothing felt out of order. I never got stuck for more than 20 minutes; lots of QOL changes and massive rooms, virtually no lag, etc. It's crazy. If you have the time, beat it a second time. It makes a lot of the experience more understandable, at least for me.
Playing this as blind as you can also helps the experience, along with understanding the lore of a certain movie franchise.
Finished.
Recommend.
Playing this as blind as you can also helps the experience, along with understanding the lore of a certain movie franchise.
Finished.
Recommend.
I have no words to tell you how much I love this game, is a masterpiece.
Some places are so beautiful tiled that I don't want to leave these rooms.
Please play this game, you will not be disappointed!
Some places are so beautiful tiled that I don't want to leave these rooms.
Please play this game, you will not be disappointed!
Excellent Hack, very good atmosphere, totally new level design. There were moments when I felt some fear for the environment, the end because I did not expect it, it was a surprise.
Something I want to ask is if the "X-ray viewer" is in inventory because I never found it.
Excellent work and congratulations to the creators "Hack of the Year 2020".
Something I want to ask is if the "X-ray viewer" is in inventory because I never found it.
Excellent work and congratulations to the creators "Hack of the Year 2020".
Honestly I'm not even sure what to say that hasn't already been said, but from the god level visuals, the excellent map design, and the surprisingly interesting story, this is downright one of the best games I've played in recent memory, let alone one of the best hacks. I might be new to the whole modding side of Metroid, but even I can spot a masterpiece when I see one. And despite how I accidentally played the game in a really difficult manner (only getting the varia suit near my last hour or two of the game when I had done almost everything that didn't require it due to a small oversight) I loved every single second of it. And the best part is, I'll definitely be coming back to it... hopefully getting the varia suit when I actually should of and not at the very end of the game. 10/10 game, 10/10 hack.
You may be asking yourself: Is this good hack? What if people saying it is good hack are too good and my noob ass wont be able to play it just like it couldnt with eris? What if they are sellout like game journalist when they talked about last of us part 2? What if they are russian bots? MY ANSERW IS DONT WORRY ITS JUST AS GOOD AS EVERONE TALKS ABOUT IT.
It has twist and turns. It may have some challanges. But its so good. And remember that saving is not possible in Space ship.
It has twist and turns. It may have some challanges. But its so good. And remember that saving is not possible in Space ship.
Awesome Hack! Makes me proud to be apart of this community and see the progress of these hacks. Great job sir!! Wish i would have remembered earlier to die and be reborn in a different room ;)
Absolutely fantastic. Great metroid gameplay experience while also boasting a strong story.
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I somehow managed to get to Ridley without Gravity suit or Plasma Beam... and god was it hard. Couldn't miss a single Super Missile, had to get good accuracy with X-Factor. It took between 20 and 30 tries, but I eventually beat him with 0 of any ammo remaining and 02 health left.
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I somehow managed to get to Ridley without Gravity suit or Plasma Beam... and god was it hard. Couldn't miss a single Super Missile, had to get good accuracy with X-Factor. It took between 20 and 30 tries, but I eventually beat him with 0 of any ammo remaining and 02 health left.
This is a really great hack, but not without its flaws. The atmosphere is exceptional and the gameplay is comparable to SM however much more non-linear. I really would recommend anyone who enjoyed Super Metroid to play this one.
Having said that, finding items is quite difficult and don't be surprised if you end up dying to the bosses a lot. I mean a lot.
It can't be understated how often you will not know what is a platform and what isn't, especially in the second half of the game. There were SO MANY times where I was just guessing what I could land on or not and experimented with trial and error. There's some fun in this, but it's frustrating and could really have been avoided.
The map is enormous and because large parts loop around itself (this is the best way I can describe it), the map screen is often not very helpful as you'd like.
A couple of items have enhanced functionality, all of which is really cool. Shinesparks don't cost health to use, which is fantastic.
Having said that, finding items is quite difficult and don't be surprised if you end up dying to the bosses a lot. I mean a lot.
It can't be understated how often you will not know what is a platform and what isn't, especially in the second half of the game. There were SO MANY times where I was just guessing what I could land on or not and experimented with trial and error. There's some fun in this, but it's frustrating and could really have been avoided.
The map is enormous and because large parts loop around itself (this is the best way I can describe it), the map screen is often not very helpful as you'd like.
A couple of items have enhanced functionality, all of which is really cool. Shinesparks don't cost health to use, which is fantastic.
Beautiful landscape! Map design was absolutely incredible. It really makes you feel like you're super metroid for the first time. A lot of the criticism about not knowing what platforms are foreground or background are definitely valid but I feel that it really absorbs you more into the environment and adds a different approach to the game. I cannot stress enough how amazing this hack is. If you're looking for the exploration in Super Metroid hacks PLAY THIS HACK! Praises to Digital_Mantra! He nailed it! 10 Stars!
Completion time is inflated from extra time minor item seeking. Not much to say that hasn't been said other than thank you for this amazing hack. I really hope that this isn't Dman's last work of art. Its very interesting to see the evolution of his hacks. Started out with Cliffhanger that was super challenge oriented with art sprinkled in there. Then came Eris with challenge down a notch, but the art and creativity significantly ramped up. Now Vitality that doesn't require any advanced tech and accessible to beginners, and the art now through the roof. I love them all and hope one day to play his work again no matter what the style is.
I am a huge fan of Eris and I was super excited to try V I T A L I T Y. I must say I am far from disappointed; I was completely blown away! I was constantly stopping and admiring the art and fantastic level design. Every area feels so lavish and alive, just absolutely gorgeous. The story was superb, I wish I was a streamer because there were so many moments I found myself screaming with excitement! The ending was so well done! (Don't want to give away spoilers, but the way you tied it to the YOU-KNOW-WHAT franchise was so brilliant! My love for Super Metroid has been resurrected! Lol, it was never dead, but you know what I mean.)
I like how non-linear the world is, although it did end up to bite me in the ass a couple times. I'm pretty sure there's a door you can only access once after beating a boss? I kept trying to get back to that area but could not. I also got to Ridley super early with barely any upgrades and energy tanks, so I must say a good chunk of my playthrough was just trying to kill Ridley over and over, it was very painful lol.
I love the "Rated R" aspect as well. The first time I died I was so happy lol. It felt great to play Super Metroid as it was originally intended and the gore factor really made it feel the way it always should have been too.
Definitely felt the AM2R inspiration and a lot of GBA feeling moments also, which was awesome! The custom sprite work and music were also fantastic. So insanely impressed with this! I will definitely be playing it again soon! Thank you so much for your dedicated work and continued contributions to the Metroid Community!
I like how non-linear the world is, although it did end up to bite me in the ass a couple times. I'm pretty sure there's a door you can only access once after beating a boss? I kept trying to get back to that area but could not. I also got to Ridley super early with barely any upgrades and energy tanks, so I must say a good chunk of my playthrough was just trying to kill Ridley over and over, it was very painful lol.
I love the "Rated R" aspect as well. The first time I died I was so happy lol. It felt great to play Super Metroid as it was originally intended and the gore factor really made it feel the way it always should have been too.
Definitely felt the AM2R inspiration and a lot of GBA feeling moments also, which was awesome! The custom sprite work and music were also fantastic. So insanely impressed with this! I will definitely be playing it again soon! Thank you so much for your dedicated work and continued contributions to the Metroid Community!
I'm enthralled and engrossed in this hack. I've been playing SM and hacks since the 90s, and while I don't consider myself an expert, I "know some maneuvers" - Han Solo.
I'm roughly halfway through. At first, it was pretty difficult because you are given so little, but allowed to explore so much area. The teasing of future items is good, and I enjoy it. There is a lot of remembering back to parts you were at when you saw super missiles or power bombs required, and you need to remember that going into the game, because you will probably be going back and forth a bit. That irritates some people, but it's the kind of thing I actually enjoy.
It's puzzling sometimes, but usually it's because you haven't gone back to explore something you saw before. I like that it takes a while to build up at first because you start so weak and it helps you learn new techniques (that I already know, but it's good refresher).
This is a high quality hack that deserves some respect for the time and thought that went into it. Great Job!
I'm roughly halfway through. At first, it was pretty difficult because you are given so little, but allowed to explore so much area. The teasing of future items is good, and I enjoy it. There is a lot of remembering back to parts you were at when you saw super missiles or power bombs required, and you need to remember that going into the game, because you will probably be going back and forth a bit. That irritates some people, but it's the kind of thing I actually enjoy.
It's puzzling sometimes, but usually it's because you haven't gone back to explore something you saw before. I like that it takes a while to build up at first because you start so weak and it helps you learn new techniques (that I already know, but it's good refresher).
This is a high quality hack that deserves some respect for the time and thought that went into it. Great Job!
I have a lot to say about this one. It's got a lot of hype surrounding it and it definitely lives up to the hype. its polish is on par with hacks like redesign and hyper.
I'll start with the good things. The level design and creative use of vanilla assets is astounding this is a really slick looking hack and is a testament to the creative ability of the maker, and of how truly great the original super metroid is.
the level design is sprawling and chock full of secrets and creative places to hide power ups. This hack will keep you guessing and completely throws the original progression out the window in favor of a more open ended progression near the end.
The story is fantastic told purely through clever level progression and through some sparse text information that is laid out when you find the map stations of all things. I'm sure there are hacks that have used this strategy before but this one actually gives you a reason to check them for more info on story elements.
now for the bad stuff: This hack has a really lopsided difficulty curve. It starts off punishingly difficult. especially when you reach tchernobog. The enemies are numerous, pitfalls are constant and power ups are so sparsely spread that it won't be until you complete this area and move onto the next that you will finally feel comfortable exploring without the fear of just being instakilled from taking a wrong turn into the wrong room.
the idea that this hack is vanilla difficulty is laughable i would label it as advanced difficulty. You will struggle without advanced knowledge of bomb jumping, and wall jumping. there are frequently places in the game that you will get stuck in forcing you to reload saves if you aren't able to execute advanced movement tech. Once I defeated draygon however i found that the difficulty curve drops to nothing. at this point the enemies you face will not be a challenge and it only gets easier which makes collecting the final power ups pretty pointless. By the time you face ridley you can easily defeat him with just varia and maybe screw attack and you dont even need the gravity suit to complete the game. I did find the thing but it was so far away from the actual game progression that searching for it was a waste of time. You spend so little time traversing waterlogged passageways that having it is not necessary.
what really tripped me up is this games insistence on intentional death or restarts in order to find certain powerups. You'll know what i mean once you play it but i can't explain for spoiler reasons.
overall I really did enjoy this hack the ending was a surprise and really interesting as it doesn't follow the trope of the escape sequence. I highly recommend this to everyone interested in another super metroid adventure. This one really does the game justice.
I'll start with the good things. The level design and creative use of vanilla assets is astounding this is a really slick looking hack and is a testament to the creative ability of the maker, and of how truly great the original super metroid is.
the level design is sprawling and chock full of secrets and creative places to hide power ups. This hack will keep you guessing and completely throws the original progression out the window in favor of a more open ended progression near the end.
The story is fantastic told purely through clever level progression and through some sparse text information that is laid out when you find the map stations of all things. I'm sure there are hacks that have used this strategy before but this one actually gives you a reason to check them for more info on story elements.
now for the bad stuff: This hack has a really lopsided difficulty curve. It starts off punishingly difficult. especially when you reach tchernobog. The enemies are numerous, pitfalls are constant and power ups are so sparsely spread that it won't be until you complete this area and move onto the next that you will finally feel comfortable exploring without the fear of just being instakilled from taking a wrong turn into the wrong room.
the idea that this hack is vanilla difficulty is laughable i would label it as advanced difficulty. You will struggle without advanced knowledge of bomb jumping, and wall jumping. there are frequently places in the game that you will get stuck in forcing you to reload saves if you aren't able to execute advanced movement tech. Once I defeated draygon however i found that the difficulty curve drops to nothing. at this point the enemies you face will not be a challenge and it only gets easier which makes collecting the final power ups pretty pointless. By the time you face ridley you can easily defeat him with just varia and maybe screw attack and you dont even need the gravity suit to complete the game. I did find the thing but it was so far away from the actual game progression that searching for it was a waste of time. You spend so little time traversing waterlogged passageways that having it is not necessary.
what really tripped me up is this games insistence on intentional death or restarts in order to find certain powerups. You'll know what i mean once you play it but i can't explain for spoiler reasons.
overall I really did enjoy this hack the ending was a surprise and really interesting as it doesn't follow the trope of the escape sequence. I highly recommend this to everyone interested in another super metroid adventure. This one really does the game justice.
Such an awesome hack. Has a huge map and very smart level design. The difficulty is more in the exploration than combat but I prefer that personally.
The final boss alone is worth 5 stars, would love an ips file to apply that to a rom for giggles!
The final boss alone is worth 5 stars, would love an ips file to apply that to a rom for giggles!
Take what I say with a grain of salt because this is the only DMan hack that I have completed, and I usually don't play Super Metroid hacks.
Despite using mostly vanilla assets, Digital Mantra has forged a world that is incredibly detailed, immersive, and unique. Samus is not on Zebes this time, she is on Auriga. There are an incredibly limited number of hacks that don't feel like you're still just on Zebes. I won't go into detail here, but actions that the player takes tend to have an effect on the environment which makes Auriga feel alive. Auriga is vast, equal to if not bigger than Zebes. Because of this, it is also quite a long hack compared to others. Of course, there is also plenty of sequence breaking you can do. I do have some minor gripes with the level design however. There are many such occasions where you will find something that you believe is in the foreground (i.e. a solid object) but actually lies in the background, or vice versa. This can hurt or even end up killing you. That may be intentional however. Also there is at least one area that has a lot of rooms layering over each other, which ends up being incredibly confusing and hard to navigate. Tchornobog is the biggest offender of this, I'm sure you will discover why when you play through.
The difficulty of this hack is slightly harder than Super Metroid, but only by so much. Not a single advanced technique is required to complete this hack. (i.e. short-charging, IBJ) You really don't even need to walljump anywhere. What makes it harder than vanilla is the scarcity of resources. There are energy and ammo recharge stations, but expansions tend to be few and far between. This problem comes to a head when you fight Ridley, but fortunately there is an escape shortcut if you feel you aren't equipped to defeat him just yet. To me, this was the hardest part of the hack, as I absolutely had enough gear to take him on, but I continued to absolutely melt when fighting him. Why? Because of screw attack and respin. Screw attack resets your invulnerability frames (i-frames) and respin lets you start spinjumping at any time in the air. I would get combo'd by running into his tail, trying to space jump away, and run into his tail again. This gave me an opportunity to learn how to properly fight SM Ridley, instead of just spamming my weapons and tanking hits.
There's a story here too, and oh my god it really is something else...So be sure not to skip map stations! Fret not however, these stations are intentionally designed not to give much away. You will not spoil your expedition through Auriga by collecting these map stations. In fact, the way the map works is also fairly different from vanilla. Dots now only indicate major items... Expansions are truly hidden. Despite having no indication on the map, it's not all that hard to tell that something might be a secret item. Knowing where it is tends to just be half the battle, however. Even if you have the powerup to get it, you may need to do some snooping around to find a path to it. I'm a big fan of this because it builds anticipation and makes you use your head a little more than just "break block and grab item."
Back to that story though... Not a whole lot is said. Most of it is still given through subtext. Some things are so subtle, you may miss them unless you take a break and come back later! The ending was totally unexpected and it's something that will stick with you even after you complete the hack.
Overall, despite its minor grievances, this is still definitely the best hack to date. This will be my new #1 recommendation for people looking to try Metroid romhacks. I've got to wonder though... Will this be DMan's final or best work? Or might something else be around the corner?
Despite using mostly vanilla assets, Digital Mantra has forged a world that is incredibly detailed, immersive, and unique. Samus is not on Zebes this time, she is on Auriga. There are an incredibly limited number of hacks that don't feel like you're still just on Zebes. I won't go into detail here, but actions that the player takes tend to have an effect on the environment which makes Auriga feel alive. Auriga is vast, equal to if not bigger than Zebes. Because of this, it is also quite a long hack compared to others. Of course, there is also plenty of sequence breaking you can do. I do have some minor gripes with the level design however. There are many such occasions where you will find something that you believe is in the foreground (i.e. a solid object) but actually lies in the background, or vice versa. This can hurt or even end up killing you. That may be intentional however. Also there is at least one area that has a lot of rooms layering over each other, which ends up being incredibly confusing and hard to navigate. Tchornobog is the biggest offender of this, I'm sure you will discover why when you play through.
The difficulty of this hack is slightly harder than Super Metroid, but only by so much. Not a single advanced technique is required to complete this hack. (i.e. short-charging, IBJ) You really don't even need to walljump anywhere. What makes it harder than vanilla is the scarcity of resources. There are energy and ammo recharge stations, but expansions tend to be few and far between. This problem comes to a head when you fight Ridley, but fortunately there is an escape shortcut if you feel you aren't equipped to defeat him just yet. To me, this was the hardest part of the hack, as I absolutely had enough gear to take him on, but I continued to absolutely melt when fighting him. Why? Because of screw attack and respin. Screw attack resets your invulnerability frames (i-frames) and respin lets you start spinjumping at any time in the air. I would get combo'd by running into his tail, trying to space jump away, and run into his tail again. This gave me an opportunity to learn how to properly fight SM Ridley, instead of just spamming my weapons and tanking hits.
There's a story here too, and oh my god it really is something else...So be sure not to skip map stations! Fret not however, these stations are intentionally designed not to give much away. You will not spoil your expedition through Auriga by collecting these map stations. In fact, the way the map works is also fairly different from vanilla. Dots now only indicate major items... Expansions are truly hidden. Despite having no indication on the map, it's not all that hard to tell that something might be a secret item. Knowing where it is tends to just be half the battle, however. Even if you have the powerup to get it, you may need to do some snooping around to find a path to it. I'm a big fan of this because it builds anticipation and makes you use your head a little more than just "break block and grab item."
Back to that story though... Not a whole lot is said. Most of it is still given through subtext. Some things are so subtle, you may miss them unless you take a break and come back later! The ending was totally unexpected and it's something that will stick with you even after you complete the hack.
Overall, despite its minor grievances, this is still definitely the best hack to date. This will be my new #1 recommendation for people looking to try Metroid romhacks. I've got to wonder though... Will this be DMan's final or best work? Or might something else be around the corner?
Please PLEASE don't use save states or look up solutions. The hack isn't all that hard, and if you're stuck, the struggle is worth it. I cannot sing the praises of this hack enough. I can see that many other people share my views, so I'll keep it quick. The ridiculous amount of effort and polish in this one is incredible. Playing through this gave me the same feeling that I got going through Super Metroid and Metroid Prime for the first time. There were so many holy $#!& moments that I lost count and realized I might as well be playing an official Nintendo sequel to SM akin to Majora's Mask rather than a hack. The visuals are gorgeous, and the level design is impeccable. It's crazy what Digital Mantra was able to pull off with such limited resources. Thanks again, DMan. You did something amazing here.
9.5/10 hack
one of the best hacks
very interesting story and unexpected ending
highly recommend
one of the best hacks
very interesting story and unexpected ending
highly recommend
From a gameplay perspective, it's pretty good, but nothing too spectacular. What makes this hack so great is all the detail put into every single room and the progression of the world. The story is well told and interesting. My biggest gripe is a nitpick, but it's still prevalent, and that's the map. At this point, it's not that hard to add doors to the map, so unless something else in the hack takes up that space, it would be greatly appreciated. Other than that, this hack is pretty fantastic and I highly recommend it.
Damn. This was a really cool experience. I had to look up only one solution and it is rather embarrassing I didn't see it... anyway other than that I was not expecting this hack to be what it was. I'm not very good at SM so a couple of the bosses were frustrating but they're not hard at all if you know how to beat them.
The environments were so detailed it was hard to tell whether I was looking at a platform or part of the background. That was probably the intent but it's a nitpick. Each area is rich and it feels like I'm on a completely different world and not a Zebes-remix.
The hack's difficulty: a little harder than vanilla. Exploration is the focus in this hack, but the main bosses will require a good amount of skill. A couple of the solutions were not obvious to me at all, like I said, so one tip I will give new players is to look for clues, DON'T check every nook and cranny on the map (on rare occasions this helps but in general don't do it).
I did half-spoil myself on the story, but it didn't ruin my experience. Everything in the hack except for one thing I figured out on my own.
If I had anything negative to say about the hack, it would be that it does not have a high replay value. Actually that's not even a negative comment, because I feel like this is one of those things you experience once and you're satisfied.
In short, play this hack. It is by far the best hack for any Metroid game.
The environments were so detailed it was hard to tell whether I was looking at a platform or part of the background. That was probably the intent but it's a nitpick. Each area is rich and it feels like I'm on a completely different world and not a Zebes-remix.
The hack's difficulty: a little harder than vanilla. Exploration is the focus in this hack, but the main bosses will require a good amount of skill. A couple of the solutions were not obvious to me at all, like I said, so one tip I will give new players is to look for clues, DON'T check every nook and cranny on the map (on rare occasions this helps but in general don't do it).
I did half-spoil myself on the story, but it didn't ruin my experience. Everything in the hack except for one thing I figured out on my own.
If I had anything negative to say about the hack, it would be that it does not have a high replay value. Actually that's not even a negative comment, because I feel like this is one of those things you experience once and you're satisfied.
In short, play this hack. It is by far the best hack for any Metroid game.
In a word: incredible.
This was a game that was beautiful to look at, fun to play, and a delight to get lost in. Backtracking and wandering didn't feel like a chore, so item hunting was a lot of fun (even if I did get trolled by the same item orb like 8 times, but that's completely on me). The ending was a total punch to the sternum and blew me away!
This is going to be a hack that I will play over and over again, that's a fact.
This was a game that was beautiful to look at, fun to play, and a delight to get lost in. Backtracking and wandering didn't feel like a chore, so item hunting was a lot of fun (even if I did get trolled by the same item orb like 8 times, but that's completely on me). The ending was a total punch to the sternum and blew me away!
This is going to be a hack that I will play over and over again, that's a fact.
Wow. Wow. Wow. 6 stars out of 5. Best hack I've ever played.
Difficulty is vanilla... in terms of this hack picking up on the difficulty curve where SM left off. ie. if you barely made it through SM, you probably won't make it through this. But you don't have to be an all-star to beat it by any stretch of the imagination, either. I can see how if you're a speedrunner or high-level random player, this might be too easy for you, but for the average Joe that can't do tech but no longer has trouble with the original, this is exactly your jam.
I had to up my game with a couple bosses and learn how to fight them properly... simply tanking/spamming won't cut it. But all you really need is mid-air morph, wall jump, and patience. And technically, you don't even need wall jump.
I won't waste your time saying what's already been said about the hack itself (other than beautiful!), I'll just add don't use savestates. This hack uses mechanics that you won't find in the original, so you'll miss stuff and plot points if you do.
Difficulty is vanilla... in terms of this hack picking up on the difficulty curve where SM left off. ie. if you barely made it through SM, you probably won't make it through this. But you don't have to be an all-star to beat it by any stretch of the imagination, either. I can see how if you're a speedrunner or high-level random player, this might be too easy for you, but for the average Joe that can't do tech but no longer has trouble with the original, this is exactly your jam.
I had to up my game with a couple bosses and learn how to fight them properly... simply tanking/spamming won't cut it. But all you really need is mid-air morph, wall jump, and patience. And technically, you don't even need wall jump.
I won't waste your time saying what's already been said about the hack itself (other than beautiful!), I'll just add don't use savestates. This hack uses mechanics that you won't find in the original, so you'll miss stuff and plot points if you do.
While it was a very difficult hack to break into due to the reduced item pickups in terms of capacity ex. 2 missiles per pack, as well as the fact some of them are extremely well hidden, overall this is probably one of my favorite hacks in terms of story. Which I won't spoil, but the hack does hint at the ending in some big ways, and some minor "right place at the right time" ways.
Don't make this your first hack, but definitely play it when your're more seasoned with ROM hacks of SM in general.
Great hack Digital_Mantra, very well done!
Don't make this your first hack, but definitely play it when your're more seasoned with ROM hacks of SM in general.
Great hack Digital_Mantra, very well done!
Super awesome hack!
Unique, creepy, big, and intense!
I'd say, very artistic rooms!
100% recommended!
Unique, creepy, big, and intense!
I'd say, very artistic rooms!
100% recommended!
Amazing atmosphere, great exploration. Just the right length. Very VERY good hack.
Go play it now, don't read any story spoilers.
Go play it now, don't read any story spoilers.
V I T A L I I T Y is spooky, but good.
I like the tiling and colours in the different areas.
Difficulty was a bit rough in the first half, but it was easier by the time you reach the end, so pretty a pretty chill experience overall.
Exploration is good aside from the aforementioned difficulty curve. All the rooms were unique that I knew where in the world I was, and getting around was pretty easy for the most part.
I like the tiling and colours in the different areas.
Difficulty was a bit rough in the first half, but it was easier by the time you reach the end, so pretty a pretty chill experience overall.
Exploration is good aside from the aforementioned difficulty curve. All the rooms were unique that I knew where in the world I was, and getting around was pretty easy for the most part.
One of the best SM romhacks, ever, and the best for story/atmosphere. Yes, it's like Ridley Scott made this, but what inspired Metroid in the first place?
Still, a few things I'd have preferred:
Quality of life improvements in the maps would have been great (think Metroid Escape 2, etc.)
Difficulty curve is too high at first, and too easy at the end. Just a little tuning would fix it.
Ridley not being immune to Screw Attack trivializes the fight.
In Tchornobog, there's a rocket that requires shinesparking left to get to. If you get it and then go into the room immediately above and right of it, you'll have to then do a tight short charge to get out of that area or else you're stuck. Seems like an oversight.
The Tchornobog and Andavald map stations have no exposition. Seems a lost opportunity for at least 1-2 of those.
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SPOILERS
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Fridge logic: There doesn't seem to be anything showing why any cloned Samuses you play as have free will (or at least the original's personality/memory and items/upgrades), but the other 17 do not. Just a little foreshadowing/exposition in early map stations might have solved that, where at first it seems like a throwaway line or applicable to something else, but it all comes together in the end. Maybe a map station in Pendulu Morda after the Draygon fight? Maybe something for Andavald?
Still, a few things I'd have preferred:
Quality of life improvements in the maps would have been great (think Metroid Escape 2, etc.)
Difficulty curve is too high at first, and too easy at the end. Just a little tuning would fix it.
Ridley not being immune to Screw Attack trivializes the fight.
In Tchornobog, there's a rocket that requires shinesparking left to get to. If you get it and then go into the room immediately above and right of it, you'll have to then do a tight short charge to get out of that area or else you're stuck. Seems like an oversight.
The Tchornobog and Andavald map stations have no exposition. Seems a lost opportunity for at least 1-2 of those.
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SPOILERS
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Fridge logic: There doesn't seem to be anything showing why any cloned Samuses you play as have free will (or at least the original's personality/memory and items/upgrades), but the other 17 do not. Just a little foreshadowing/exposition in early map stations might have solved that, where at first it seems like a throwaway line or applicable to something else, but it all comes together in the end. Maybe a map station in Pendulu Morda after the Draygon fight? Maybe something for Andavald?
I made it to ridley with only 4 e-tanks. Lucky I didn't save cause I needed to find more..
Andavald is pretty cool, wish there was more to do there.
Thankz for the hack!!
Andavald is pretty cool, wish there was more to do there.
Thankz for the hack!!
Vitality is up there as one of my favorite ROM Hacks of all time and not just limited to Super Metroid ones. Thoroughly enjoyed how it uses the environment to help tell its own story and masterfully set up its own ambiance. The feeling of immersion and exploration blended into something beautiful. Which is something tremendously difficult for Hacks to do. Especially when also holding true to the energy of what Metroidvanias are all about & still bringing something new to the table on its own. Big Recommendation here!
best hack ever period
I loved exploring the areas especially Tchornobog
please never stop making hacks :)
I loved exploring the areas especially Tchornobog
please never stop making hacks :)
I just finish this Hack, and I love it, it was a fantastic hack, I give it 5/5. Very creative and interesting. Story and looks are brilliant! A bit different from other SM hacks, which is refreshing. I didn't find the hack to be too hard, which is good for newer players, but it still got its challenges, so every SM fan can and should play this one!
Hm maybe one small complaint would be that you can get into the last part/zone and still have a lot to explore and find in the other zones. But maybe that was intended?
Hm maybe one small complaint would be that you can get into the last part/zone and still have a lot to explore and find in the other zones. But maybe that was intended?
And the award for silliest area names goes to... Vitality !! For, Tac Lacora, Elseq and, TCHORNOBOG ??!! What the- ?? Is that, like, Ukranian for Black God or something ??? Geez...
Vitality was my first experience with Super Metroid hack roms and it almost made me give up on the hacking community, the game is basically an ounce of neat concepts surrounded by bad game-design decisions.
Atmosphere, which is the strongest aspect of the game due to some really neat enviromental storytelling, is held back by a tileset that struggles to differentiate the foreground from the background, coupled with the fact that enemies can hide in this messy tileset and hit you out of nowhere, makes exploring Auriga frustrating.
Speaking of exploration, a lot of the rooms have a shallow layout that plays basically the same, some of them being nothing but hallways with enemies, Tchornobog (the hub) also has a lot of dead ends and it's confusing to navigate, even after getting myself familiarized with the map by my second playthrough, I was still confused and frustrated by the enemies that hit you out of nowhere, the arbitrary level-design changes and the boring room layouts.
The few rooms that were fun to navigate, were the rooms that led me to power-ups that were designed to be as unsatisfying as possible to collect, getting a missle expansion that gives you 5 missles isn't that satisfying, who thought it would be more satisfying to get a missle expansion that gives you 2 missles ??
In the end Vitality is a miserable experience and it feels like a hate tribute to Metroid and I'm very disapointed to give this game a 2/5
Vitality was my first experience with Super Metroid hack roms and it almost made me give up on the hacking community, the game is basically an ounce of neat concepts surrounded by bad game-design decisions.
Atmosphere, which is the strongest aspect of the game due to some really neat enviromental storytelling, is held back by a tileset that struggles to differentiate the foreground from the background, coupled with the fact that enemies can hide in this messy tileset and hit you out of nowhere, makes exploring Auriga frustrating.
Speaking of exploration, a lot of the rooms have a shallow layout that plays basically the same, some of them being nothing but hallways with enemies, Tchornobog (the hub) also has a lot of dead ends and it's confusing to navigate, even after getting myself familiarized with the map by my second playthrough, I was still confused and frustrated by the enemies that hit you out of nowhere, the arbitrary level-design changes and the boring room layouts.
The few rooms that were fun to navigate, were the rooms that led me to power-ups that were designed to be as unsatisfying as possible to collect, getting a missle expansion that gives you 5 missles isn't that satisfying, who thought it would be more satisfying to get a missle expansion that gives you 2 missles ??
In the end Vitality is a miserable experience and it feels like a hate tribute to Metroid and I'm very disapointed to give this game a 2/5
RDPK Completed.
Awesome. Metroidvania storytelling at its finest. Beautiful textures, thoughtful level design, unique menu and hud. Fun gameplay. Unique challenges. 5 star hack
I liked this hack, but didn't love it. While the visuals are legitimately stunning in some places, in a lot of others they're way overdone, obscuring the action and making it hard to guess which platform is for jumping on and which is in the background. Vitality's pace is also all over the place - the first couple of hours of my first playthrough were a brutal slog and felt like actual work, and then the game started to open up and feel really good for an hour or two before the end.
Storywise I liked it, and especially liked how it drip-fed me the details of what was going on. This hack does a lot more show than tell and I always love a story that works that way. The ending was very abrupt and I was a little frustrated that it just kinda ends, especially since as I mentioned before I felt like I had just gotten to the point where I could actually effectively explore.
Overall a pretty good hack. Not great, not the best I've played, but certainly not bad or the worst either. I'm glad I played it and you probably will be too. Just be prepared to give it some time to get started.
Storywise I liked it, and especially liked how it drip-fed me the details of what was going on. This hack does a lot more show than tell and I always love a story that works that way. The ending was very abrupt and I was a little frustrated that it just kinda ends, especially since as I mentioned before I felt like I had just gotten to the point where I could actually effectively explore.
Overall a pretty good hack. Not great, not the best I've played, but certainly not bad or the worst either. I'm glad I played it and you probably will be too. Just be prepared to give it some time to get started.
One of the strongest hacks with an intense story told by the ambient itself, the world, the action.
And... man that ending was something else.
Thank goodness I didn't get spoiled by the end and neither should you.
Go and play it yourself.
100%ed it. Not much difficulty on that at all even with no experience on speedrunning or tricks one should be able to. Just a bit of easy Mid-air morph required but found out it wasn't hard in this hack at all.
Can't wait to play Eris!
Thanks DM!
And... man that ending was something else.
Thank goodness I didn't get spoiled by the end and neither should you.
Go and play it yourself.
100%ed it. Not much difficulty on that at all even with no experience on speedrunning or tricks one should be able to. Just a bit of easy Mid-air morph required but found out it wasn't hard in this hack at all.
Can't wait to play Eris!
Thanks DM!
I was so skeptical that I would like this hack, but turns out it's one of the all time best.
Story-wise it feels like it's from an alternate "Super Metroid Hack Universe" but I shouldn't spoil what that means. Good on its own merits, but I admit I would've preferred a more "canonical" Metroid feel. I thought the twist ending was built up very well and the world building is superb.
Any time I got lost or reached a dead end I felt like it was my fault, which is all I can ask for. Map stations are readily available but don't tell you everything either, very clever signposting for what items you needed for an area (except for one optional area), and occasional rewards for going to places you're not supposed to be in so your time isn't wasted (including said optional areas). Although backtracking could get tedious, and some dead-ends were more annoying than others, it's not much different from SM, and the environments are beautiful anyways.
Enemies and bosses are usually similar to vanilla but sometimes are a lot harder than their original versions (save stations are fairly generous for the hardest parts though), and you already have to be decent at SM's movement/physics and a competent explorer to complete it, but it's also one of the easiest SM hacks I've played so by process of elimination it's one of the best hacks to start with.
Story-wise it feels like it's from an alternate "Super Metroid Hack Universe" but I shouldn't spoil what that means. Good on its own merits, but I admit I would've preferred a more "canonical" Metroid feel. I thought the twist ending was built up very well and the world building is superb.
Any time I got lost or reached a dead end I felt like it was my fault, which is all I can ask for. Map stations are readily available but don't tell you everything either, very clever signposting for what items you needed for an area (except for one optional area), and occasional rewards for going to places you're not supposed to be in so your time isn't wasted (including said optional areas). Although backtracking could get tedious, and some dead-ends were more annoying than others, it's not much different from SM, and the environments are beautiful anyways.
Enemies and bosses are usually similar to vanilla but sometimes are a lot harder than their original versions (save stations are fairly generous for the hardest parts though), and you already have to be decent at SM's movement/physics and a competent explorer to complete it, but it's also one of the easiest SM hacks I've played so by process of elimination it's one of the best hacks to start with.
It was pretty neat. Dman's visual design is top notch as always.
I ended up beating Kraid with no e-tanks because I just simply didn't find any before him though which was pretty goofy. Not a bad thing though!
I also really appreciate the final area not being combat-focused and instead being focused on a narrative, it's a nice change of pace after the endless Tourians of other hacks.
I ended up beating Kraid with no e-tanks because I just simply didn't find any before him though which was pretty goofy. Not a bad thing though!
I also really appreciate the final area not being combat-focused and instead being focused on a narrative, it's a nice change of pace after the endless Tourians of other hacks.
This hack is great and is obviously one of the best Super Metroid hacks out there. The level design is very good and visually it almost surpasses the original in some areas. There is also a part that was very clearly inspired by AM2R, which I enjoyed a lot! However, while on one hand this is a fantastic hack, on the other one there are a handful of glaring problems that made this hack somewhat painful at times to play.
I agree with Wizard's criticism that the first half (in playtime, not in item progression) is a slog and only after you get access to some of the power-ups you would normally get at the beginning of vanilla it feels like it starts opening up. The first half wouldn't be nearly as painful if it wasn't so hard to tell where you're supposed to go and if the map wasn't so maze-like, but as you keep playing what becomes a bigger problem is that weapons and save points are extremely scarce. I also agree that sometimes it's hard to discern what's supposed to be a platform, foreground decoration or part of the background, specially because everything belonging to the same area has the same color which causes nothing to stand out. Particularly in the area where you find Phantoom it felt like a joke because enemies, platforms and background all have the same color and there's thick fog and it's darkly lit. Speaking of which, this hack is VERY, VERY dark. I cannot emphasize enough how dark this hack is. It's so dark that it's the first time ever playing something where I got lost and had to look up where to go purely because I couldn't for the life of me see there were hidden tunnels or passages in some areas because I could almost barely even tell where the platforms were to begin with. The only area that didn't have this problem was Akhlys (which is my favorite area as well).
After you have gotten all items, you don't really get a challenge and you aren't put to the test unlike vanilla, which is strange because up until that point it has been very difficult (a lot more so than vanilla, even though it doesn't require special techniques and tries to accommodate all players), and I think this also contributes to the feeling that it is very weirdly paced.
Overall, this has the foundation to be a spectacular hack, but it has so many glaring problems that would have been very easy to fix which caused me to want to give up finishing it.
I agree with Wizard's criticism that the first half (in playtime, not in item progression) is a slog and only after you get access to some of the power-ups you would normally get at the beginning of vanilla it feels like it starts opening up. The first half wouldn't be nearly as painful if it wasn't so hard to tell where you're supposed to go and if the map wasn't so maze-like, but as you keep playing what becomes a bigger problem is that weapons and save points are extremely scarce. I also agree that sometimes it's hard to discern what's supposed to be a platform, foreground decoration or part of the background, specially because everything belonging to the same area has the same color which causes nothing to stand out. Particularly in the area where you find Phantoom it felt like a joke because enemies, platforms and background all have the same color and there's thick fog and it's darkly lit. Speaking of which, this hack is VERY, VERY dark. I cannot emphasize enough how dark this hack is. It's so dark that it's the first time ever playing something where I got lost and had to look up where to go purely because I couldn't for the life of me see there were hidden tunnels or passages in some areas because I could almost barely even tell where the platforms were to begin with. The only area that didn't have this problem was Akhlys (which is my favorite area as well).
After you have gotten all items, you don't really get a challenge and you aren't put to the test unlike vanilla, which is strange because up until that point it has been very difficult (a lot more so than vanilla, even though it doesn't require special techniques and tries to accommodate all players), and I think this also contributes to the feeling that it is very weirdly paced.
Overall, this has the foundation to be a spectacular hack, but it has so many glaring problems that would have been very easy to fix which caused me to want to give up finishing it.
The first hack I ever played.
Wow, such a game. The atmosphere is just amazing. It screams "mistery" at every screen. The scenarios are mesmerizing, and just watching the environment feels mesmerizing. I can´t emphasize how amazing and immersive the atmosphere and scenarios are, full of details, and able to ause a deep feeling of strangeness and alien-ess
The map design is really good, not only the aesthetic (wich is also suprb) but the layout and interconections.
Also happy is not a super-hard hack, and dosn´t need to abuse mechanics or use "special skills" as perfect walljumps or bombjumps (wich you can anyway use to your advantage)
My only complain is at certain boss, wich can be quite hard without a certain powerup you could or not have found by the time you reach it, and not being able to backtrack to gain power as the way back before that boss got blocked (and the save chamber is on the boss side, so if you play using save chambers you are forced to just fight the boss with no chance of going back) - Also when you beat that boss, it could be terribly annoying you can still get killed easily on the way back to another save chamber or being able to recover HP after the fight.
Played it on a original SNES (Pal version) using a flash cartridge, worked wonderfully. (And also forced me to use save chambers and no savestates or any emulator option)
Wow, such a game. The atmosphere is just amazing. It screams "mistery" at every screen. The scenarios are mesmerizing, and just watching the environment feels mesmerizing. I can´t emphasize how amazing and immersive the atmosphere and scenarios are, full of details, and able to ause a deep feeling of strangeness and alien-ess
The map design is really good, not only the aesthetic (wich is also suprb) but the layout and interconections.
Also happy is not a super-hard hack, and dosn´t need to abuse mechanics or use "special skills" as perfect walljumps or bombjumps (wich you can anyway use to your advantage)
My only complain is at certain boss, wich can be quite hard without a certain powerup you could or not have found by the time you reach it, and not being able to backtrack to gain power as the way back before that boss got blocked (and the save chamber is on the boss side, so if you play using save chambers you are forced to just fight the boss with no chance of going back) - Also when you beat that boss, it could be terribly annoying you can still get killed easily on the way back to another save chamber or being able to recover HP after the fight.
Played it on a original SNES (Pal version) using a flash cartridge, worked wonderfully. (And also forced me to use save chambers and no savestates or any emulator option)
Overall a great hack.
Now let's get in the details.
The hack puts a lot of emphasis on the story (which I won't spoil, I think it's great). There's foreshadowing to the ending. It even have in the files a quite well made movie poster of the hack, I like it.
Now, to the way it looks.
This hack looks amazing, digital manthra outdone himself with the new tiling, background and foreground. Sometimes I had a little issues with "am I going to land on the background or foreground?" But it didn't really got in the way of gameplay.
The new tiling makes for some totally new areas, with new names and ambiences, and places actually feels like places, I'm thinking of the temple in the far est zone.
The ambience is really, really great, you might be more immersed than in any of the other hacks.
Now to the way the hack plays.
Difficulty-wise, it's mostly vanilla, the game won't throw crazy shit at you (a nice change of pace from eris), and there won't be any crazy shinespark/wall-jumps/bomb-jumps required.
Exploration-wise, the beginning is restraining you quite a bit, but the second half is very, very open. Once you get to some key items, you can go about anywhere, and get any items in the way you want. While this can help with replayability, it can also make you feel cornered in a room feeling weak (which here is a good thing).
Fighting-wise, it is almost vanilla. There is only a few new monsters, which are re-sprites, and all the bosses are the same, maybe with some health tweaks. But even then, fighting won't feel outdated, thanks to smart use of the enemies.
Control-wise, it is almost vanilla, with the exception you can spin again in the air.
Now overall:
A really great experience. The exploration is god-tier, the fighting is good and doesn't feel cheap, and the final plot-twist is awesome.
Play it now.
Now let's get in the details.
The hack puts a lot of emphasis on the story (which I won't spoil, I think it's great). There's foreshadowing to the ending. It even have in the files a quite well made movie poster of the hack, I like it.
Now, to the way it looks.
This hack looks amazing, digital manthra outdone himself with the new tiling, background and foreground. Sometimes I had a little issues with "am I going to land on the background or foreground?" But it didn't really got in the way of gameplay.
The new tiling makes for some totally new areas, with new names and ambiences, and places actually feels like places, I'm thinking of the temple in the far est zone.
The ambience is really, really great, you might be more immersed than in any of the other hacks.
Now to the way the hack plays.
Difficulty-wise, it's mostly vanilla, the game won't throw crazy shit at you (a nice change of pace from eris), and there won't be any crazy shinespark/wall-jumps/bomb-jumps required.
Exploration-wise, the beginning is restraining you quite a bit, but the second half is very, very open. Once you get to some key items, you can go about anywhere, and get any items in the way you want. While this can help with replayability, it can also make you feel cornered in a room feeling weak (which here is a good thing).
Fighting-wise, it is almost vanilla. There is only a few new monsters, which are re-sprites, and all the bosses are the same, maybe with some health tweaks. But even then, fighting won't feel outdated, thanks to smart use of the enemies.
Control-wise, it is almost vanilla, with the exception you can spin again in the air.
Now overall:
A really great experience. The exploration is god-tier, the fighting is good and doesn't feel cheap, and the final plot-twist is awesome.
Play it now.
Completion stats were from a blind playthrough last year. I replayed it today blind up until the Norfair area, then I used a map (http://www.nordub.ca/Maps/Vitality.png) & completed @ 4:27 with 85%
It's definitely memorable. A year later and there's quite a few areas a remembered (Tchernobog in particular)... I remember getting gravity by accident the first time but this time even with the map I couldn't figure out how.
The graphics were expertly put together, caused me to stop and stare at times. Unlike others I didn't notice an issue figuring out what platforms you could walk on.
Boss difficulty was about perfect (Ridley was a little tough others were just easy enough)
Enemy difficulty was done well, too- strong enough to force you to slow down on the way in and weak enough after you collected the areas items to blow through them.
Unlike others, I thought that it was too linear, if anything (using the map might've been part of that) & I didn't like the forced heat run when it felt like there was a lot of areas to potentially explore (it's ultimately why I loaded the map, trying to avoid sequence breaking)
The ending felt a little bit railroaded, too, but it worked well with the overall design.
Edit: forgot to mention that I agree with others about the beginning being slow. The phrase "progression drought" came to mind.
______
TLDR: Awesome hack, hope you can give us another masterpiece before too long
It's definitely memorable. A year later and there's quite a few areas a remembered (Tchernobog in particular)... I remember getting gravity by accident the first time but this time even with the map I couldn't figure out how.
The graphics were expertly put together, caused me to stop and stare at times. Unlike others I didn't notice an issue figuring out what platforms you could walk on.
Boss difficulty was about perfect (Ridley was a little tough others were just easy enough)
Enemy difficulty was done well, too- strong enough to force you to slow down on the way in and weak enough after you collected the areas items to blow through them.
Unlike others, I thought that it was too linear, if anything (using the map might've been part of that) & I didn't like the forced heat run when it felt like there was a lot of areas to potentially explore (it's ultimately why I loaded the map, trying to avoid sequence breaking)
The ending felt a little bit railroaded, too, but it worked well with the overall design.
Edit: forgot to mention that I agree with others about the beginning being slow. The phrase "progression drought" came to mind.
______
TLDR: Awesome hack, hope you can give us another masterpiece before too long
I’ve played quite a few hacks, but this one really stood out to me in so many ways that it’s hard to even explain. I’ve played Eris/Eris 2 and Cliffhanger/Redux so I kinda knew what to expect going in, but honestly that couldn’t have been farther from the truth. What I got in this playthrough was a beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable experience which I feel like everyone who is a fan of the Super Metroid IP should dive into. I literally sat at the end of the playthrough just thinking to myself… “fuck.. what did I just witness?…” Digital Mantra delivered a pivotal piece of masterful art that really sets the bar through the ceiling of anyone who wants to try to do something of this nature. Hats off to you DMAN. This shit was nuts.
I treated this hack like a walk through of an art gallery, the quality of the tiling was just mind blowing. So many visual moments to appreciate: baked in lighting on the terrain and background, perspective and reflections, detailed forms of both organic and mechanical objects, deep variety, interesting geometry. The hack felt grounded in its otherworldliness, believably exotic, with a flowing diversity of environments. I cannot say how pleasurable it was to explore, probably 2 hours of this run time was just me gawking at the rooms.
The secrets were fun to find, the environmental clues were subtle enough to make me feel clever, but they still stood out from the already creative tiling variety, something that I was afraid would not be the case when I started. No need to bomb every corner, just keep your eyes peeled.
Story elements were very successfully integrated into the environment. There were many moments in the playthrough where I got to stop and take in a scene that was richly detailed and mysterious, not only using visuals but also game mechanics. This was largely in part by making many segmented regions be self-contained loops, often resulting in a change to the world upon returning, or concluding with some cinematic flair.
I can give it no less than 5 orbs for these achievements.
The hack is not free from criticism, but the following would not be enough to diminish its score:
The darkness and contrast levels sometimes hurt navigation. I found myself using tricks like short charge or IBJ, only later to realize the path forward was easily available but visually unclear.
The hub area felt too mazelike. Item window dead ends and overlapping rooms were interesting to clear, but something could have been done to improve their necessary revisits.
Midgame combat was a bit of a slog. Worst offenders were flying enemies in tall rooms swooping on and offscreen to land a lot of blind hits. Farm spots were also somewhat rare, especially for such a limited arsenal.
Overall this hack is inspirationally creative and beautiful. Bravo.
The secrets were fun to find, the environmental clues were subtle enough to make me feel clever, but they still stood out from the already creative tiling variety, something that I was afraid would not be the case when I started. No need to bomb every corner, just keep your eyes peeled.
Story elements were very successfully integrated into the environment. There were many moments in the playthrough where I got to stop and take in a scene that was richly detailed and mysterious, not only using visuals but also game mechanics. This was largely in part by making many segmented regions be self-contained loops, often resulting in a change to the world upon returning, or concluding with some cinematic flair.
I can give it no less than 5 orbs for these achievements.
The hack is not free from criticism, but the following would not be enough to diminish its score:
The darkness and contrast levels sometimes hurt navigation. I found myself using tricks like short charge or IBJ, only later to realize the path forward was easily available but visually unclear.
The hub area felt too mazelike. Item window dead ends and overlapping rooms were interesting to clear, but something could have been done to improve their necessary revisits.
Midgame combat was a bit of a slog. Worst offenders were flying enemies in tall rooms swooping on and offscreen to land a lot of blind hits. Farm spots were also somewhat rare, especially for such a limited arsenal.
Overall this hack is inspirationally creative and beautiful. Bravo.
This review is very late but I want to finally say that I was patiently waiting for this hack ever since I had seen it in some of the screenshots during development, and I am very happy with the outcome. This hack not only fulfilled all of my expectations but far, far exceeded them. What Digital Mantra has managed to create was so impactful I couldn't stop thinking about what I played by the end. From the visuals, to the refined gameplay, the lore, everything felt so good. This isn't just a rom hack but something truly special and unlike anything else I've played on this site.
So from the bottom of heart, thank you for this brutally wonderful masterpiece and I can't wait to see what is next from you! Also those are some very cool area names, my favorite being Andavald ;)
So from the bottom of heart, thank you for this brutally wonderful masterpiece and I can't wait to see what is next from you! Also those are some very cool area names, my favorite being Andavald ;)
Wow... WOW. Where do I even begin? This hack certainly can't be reduced to a numerical score but I've given the best approximation I can think of. There's nothing else like this hack and there will never be anything like it ever again. Let's talk about the good things first.
This hack takes all the preexisting graphics in super graphics and turns them into palettes for a masterpiece of a painting that this world is. Aesthetically this is really great but there are issues this causes which I'll address later. Another good thing about this hack is how the world changes at various points in response to your effects on it. Finally, there is the incredibly shocking ending which is... well, just play and see it for yourself!
Then there are the negatives, and unfortunately, there are plenty of problems with this hack. The first problem is the lack of nearly all QoL features that you can now find in most modern hacks thanks to project base. I was worried that this would make the map useless but it turned out not to be the case, instead the biggest problem ended up being that mid air morphing is harder than it needs to be. project base has QoL improvements for mid air morphing which this hack really needs. Yes, the hack DOES teach the player to mid air morph and that means metroidsvania players in general can play this but there are some areas where it is really hard to do. It didn't need to be that way. The second problem is that the excellent aesthetics were made at the expense of gameplay... Now, what do I mean by this? Well, it is difficult to navigate in some dark areas, it is difficult to tell background from foreground objects in other areas. Lava seems virtually invisible... you get the idea. You're going to have a lot of visual problems with the hack.
All in all, despite its problems, this hack will provide you with an unforgettable experience if you are willing to be patient with its limitations.
Recommended.
edit: removed the mention of the heat run problem as it turns out that this was actually handled well and I simply didn't notice.
This hack takes all the preexisting graphics in super graphics and turns them into palettes for a masterpiece of a painting that this world is. Aesthetically this is really great but there are issues this causes which I'll address later. Another good thing about this hack is how the world changes at various points in response to your effects on it. Finally, there is the incredibly shocking ending which is... well, just play and see it for yourself!
Then there are the negatives, and unfortunately, there are plenty of problems with this hack. The first problem is the lack of nearly all QoL features that you can now find in most modern hacks thanks to project base. I was worried that this would make the map useless but it turned out not to be the case, instead the biggest problem ended up being that mid air morphing is harder than it needs to be. project base has QoL improvements for mid air morphing which this hack really needs. Yes, the hack DOES teach the player to mid air morph and that means metroidsvania players in general can play this but there are some areas where it is really hard to do. It didn't need to be that way. The second problem is that the excellent aesthetics were made at the expense of gameplay... Now, what do I mean by this? Well, it is difficult to navigate in some dark areas, it is difficult to tell background from foreground objects in other areas. Lava seems virtually invisible... you get the idea. You're going to have a lot of visual problems with the hack.
All in all, despite its problems, this hack will provide you with an unforgettable experience if you are willing to be patient with its limitations.
Recommended.
edit: removed the mention of the heat run problem as it turns out that this was actually handled well and I simply didn't notice.
Superb story. Excellent exploration, atmosphere, and visuals. The balance of combat felt tilted towards Veteran difficulty - this hack wants you to die.
There was a stretch of time I had some negative experience. In multiple instances when I was completing areas or sub-areas, I had a feeling of "thank god that's over" instead of a feeling of triumph or joy. But maybe that's because I played the hack too fast. Or maybe it's an overall strength of the hack that you feel dread more often that you feel a sense of powerfulness.
Regardless, by the time the story hit its climax, any momentary discomforts didn't matter anymore. I will remember this as one of my all-time favorite hacks.
There was a stretch of time I had some negative experience. In multiple instances when I was completing areas or sub-areas, I had a feeling of "thank god that's over" instead of a feeling of triumph or joy. But maybe that's because I played the hack too fast. Or maybe it's an overall strength of the hack that you feel dread more often that you feel a sense of powerfulness.
Regardless, by the time the story hit its climax, any momentary discomforts didn't matter anymore. I will remember this as one of my all-time favorite hacks.
This hack absolutely knocked it out of the park, and even if you struggled with eris, found it too hard or difficult to approach this is an absolute masterpiece that does not suffer from those flaws.
I was able to work my way through this blind with no issues. Only rising morphball is needed which is a very natural skill to learn while fooling around in game and just in general, everything is extremely readable and well delivered.
The environmental storytelling is at it's peak here, and really feels like a very modern game overall, considering it's just super metroid - this is the kind of game anyone who likes super metroid should absolutely play.
I was able to work my way through this blind with no issues. Only rising morphball is needed which is a very natural skill to learn while fooling around in game and just in general, everything is extremely readable and well delivered.
The environmental storytelling is at it's peak here, and really feels like a very modern game overall, considering it's just super metroid - this is the kind of game anyone who likes super metroid should absolutely play.
incredible experience. very different. very dark, even flat out creepy at times. new concepts. amazing visuals. immersive story.
i would say this is definitely for veterans, not just due to the difficulty (although its certainly more difficult and requires more skill than SM) but also due to some of outside the box thinking that is required.
only issue i had was at times the dark visuals make it difficult to distinguish whats going on. sometimes platforms and background are difficult to differentiate. some of the lava (or whatever it was) can be hard to see, and you wont know to avoid it until you fall in since its nearly clear as water. but those werent major issues, especially since this is a hack geared towards veterans anyways. they shouldnt have much trouble with those things.
strongly recommended, especially for people who want something completely different from a near vanilla SM experience. this is probably the most unique hack ive played, in terms of the story and world, and easily the most creepy metroid experience ive had since i was a 4 year old playing nes metroid in the dark at midnight on my little tube tv lol.
i would say this is definitely for veterans, not just due to the difficulty (although its certainly more difficult and requires more skill than SM) but also due to some of outside the box thinking that is required.
only issue i had was at times the dark visuals make it difficult to distinguish whats going on. sometimes platforms and background are difficult to differentiate. some of the lava (or whatever it was) can be hard to see, and you wont know to avoid it until you fall in since its nearly clear as water. but those werent major issues, especially since this is a hack geared towards veterans anyways. they shouldnt have much trouble with those things.
strongly recommended, especially for people who want something completely different from a near vanilla SM experience. this is probably the most unique hack ive played, in terms of the story and world, and easily the most creepy metroid experience ive had since i was a 4 year old playing nes metroid in the dark at midnight on my little tube tv lol.
It has a great and dark story. It has great visual design. But it's not without flaws.
First of all, the design of rooms is beautiful but it has a lot of mixing foreground and background elements which was really frustrating sometimes, like fake blocks on top of lava in Akhlys or the lava itself which you just can't see (maybe it's actually hot water?). Also this is a hack where you definitely will mess up a solid block with a part of background.
Some parts although look great but feel very disorienting (Tchornobog is a great example).
Some rooms are so dark, you just can't find a way in these mazes like in Andavald (I mean, I know it's atmospheric but at one point it made me crave this hack had dark visor like recently published Subversion).
You take a lot of damage midgame from enemies when you don't have one or both suits and only manage to find ~2 E-Tanks. To anyone reading this before actual playing (probably no one): just find Varia as soon as possible or be ready to die multiple times if you don't use savestates or rewinds. And about 2 E-Tanks... Yea, you're probably going to conserve ammo and energy to the very end of the game and usually use ammo only to destroy required blocks. You should only trust your beam. Because of this, naturally, you will frequently grind geegas and gamets and use the recharge stations.
Great hack, recommended. But be aware that with all that I've said, I'm not agreeing with this hack having vanilla difficulty. It's definitely done with veterans in mind.
First of all, the design of rooms is beautiful but it has a lot of mixing foreground and background elements which was really frustrating sometimes, like fake blocks on top of lava in Akhlys or the lava itself which you just can't see (maybe it's actually hot water?). Also this is a hack where you definitely will mess up a solid block with a part of background.
Some parts although look great but feel very disorienting (Tchornobog is a great example).
Some rooms are so dark, you just can't find a way in these mazes like in Andavald (I mean, I know it's atmospheric but at one point it made me crave this hack had dark visor like recently published Subversion).
You take a lot of damage midgame from enemies when you don't have one or both suits and only manage to find ~2 E-Tanks. To anyone reading this before actual playing (probably no one): just find Varia as soon as possible or be ready to die multiple times if you don't use savestates or rewinds. And about 2 E-Tanks... Yea, you're probably going to conserve ammo and energy to the very end of the game and usually use ammo only to destroy required blocks. You should only trust your beam. Because of this, naturally, you will frequently grind geegas and gamets and use the recharge stations.
Great hack, recommended. But be aware that with all that I've said, I'm not agreeing with this hack having vanilla difficulty. It's definitely done with veterans in mind.
A truly exceptional hack. Don't rush this experience.
This was just fantastic. Absolutely amazing hack from start to finish with an incredible (and original) atmosphere, a very satisfying progression, backtracking that never feels too annoying or repetitive and master class level design. Most of the bosses (apart from Ridley) were fair for a non-veteran, enemy health was always appropriate and the secrets were really well done.
A couple things i wish were different, is that gravity suit wasnt optional as I beat the game without ever getting it (and without ever exploring that one section of Andavald, which i think i might go back to just to get to see whats out there), some of the doors just randomly open after certain progression points without you ever being notified and some bosses seemingly do nothing after being beaten (I'm still not sure what that one lonely Torizo did when i killed it). I can't help but wish the arrangement of the areas wasn't as linear. Andavald is the only world with more than one point of entry as far as i could tell, and having to trek through a couple full areas any time I wanted to go back to the start of the game was, while not too bad, still a little excessive.
One of the best hacks out there, a must play for anyone wanting to get into SM hacks!
Edit: Went to get gravity right after writing this and it's not super useful, so i understand why it's optional.
A couple things i wish were different, is that gravity suit wasnt optional as I beat the game without ever getting it (and without ever exploring that one section of Andavald, which i think i might go back to just to get to see whats out there), some of the doors just randomly open after certain progression points without you ever being notified and some bosses seemingly do nothing after being beaten (I'm still not sure what that one lonely Torizo did when i killed it). I can't help but wish the arrangement of the areas wasn't as linear. Andavald is the only world with more than one point of entry as far as i could tell, and having to trek through a couple full areas any time I wanted to go back to the start of the game was, while not too bad, still a little excessive.
One of the best hacks out there, a must play for anyone wanting to get into SM hacks!
Edit: Went to get gravity right after writing this and it's not super useful, so i understand why it's optional.
very creative and beautiful looking hack. i gather that i would understand the plot if i watched more films (doesn't really stop the enjoyment but i'd probably understand more of the references). i got kind of bored of the "grey door but you can (or must) circumvent it with a morph tunnel" thing, which this hack does all over the place. i'm thinking i will go back to try for hundo at some point (the empty space in the hud makes me wonder), which i think requires a replay in order to do? (point of no return at the end)
extremely good hack though, play it now.
60.9% in 4:56:48 (site does not display correctly)
extremely good hack though, play it now.
60.9% in 4:56:48 (site does not display correctly)
One of the finest. So far it was the best romhack I played. The ambience and mood are perfect, the lore and areas fit the Metroid universe very nicely.
Item progression is great. The game has some sequence breaks, which incentivize exploration. Difficulty it's nice at the beginning and trivial by the end, unless you're going fast and missing content (you shouldn't, unless it's a speedrun).
Apparently most, if not all tile sets were from SM original's assets, which is amazing. I could keep giving praises to this hack for hours, it's that good. It incentives exploration, not uber difficult but not braindead easy. Combining all that with great atmosphere and minimal, but very effective texts throughout the game makes it a 10/10 experience for me.
Finished in 5h21min, 67% item collection. Cloned 6 times. Recommended.
Item progression is great. The game has some sequence breaks, which incentivize exploration. Difficulty it's nice at the beginning and trivial by the end, unless you're going fast and missing content (you shouldn't, unless it's a speedrun).
Apparently most, if not all tile sets were from SM original's assets, which is amazing. I could keep giving praises to this hack for hours, it's that good. It incentives exploration, not uber difficult but not braindead easy. Combining all that with great atmosphere and minimal, but very effective texts throughout the game makes it a 10/10 experience for me.
Finished in 5h21min, 67% item collection. Cloned 6 times. Recommended.
This hack was ok, I understood what it tried to do in story telling, however I didn't felt I got most of it, minus the ending. Wish there was more in terms of lore.
Also wished I could see where I was going. I get that the theme and atmosphere this was trying to create, but it just resulted in some frustration trying to navigate rooms. I liked the last area, just wish it didn't softlock you in the final area.
Also wished I could see where I was going. I get that the theme and atmosphere this was trying to create, but it just resulted in some frustration trying to navigate rooms. I liked the last area, just wish it didn't softlock you in the final area.
Overall a very well put together hack. The ending made me wonder what was going on though, and I was very confused by it... Definitely worth a play if you're looking for a hack to give you a new Super Metroid experience!
Visually amazing and still technically challenging to a seasoned player while being accessible. One of the greatest.
IMO, the best hack on this site so far. Definitely a bold claim, but it's my personal favourite...
Man, VITALITY is creepy, fun and a fair challenge, but not unreasonable like say Redesign... It's about the ATMOSPHERE, horror and psychological thrills! The tilework and thematic tone is quite similar to Eris, but also different - maybe less campy? Anyways, I really digged the art and story progression. Also, watched MST's LP of VITALITY after beating it and had a good laugh or two. Good times.
PS: I even have the V I T A L I T Y poster as my desktop wallpaper.
(Also, shout out to Super Junkoid, which just came out, another GREAT hack I recommend you guys try out!)
Man, VITALITY is creepy, fun and a fair challenge, but not unreasonable like say Redesign... It's about the ATMOSPHERE, horror and psychological thrills! The tilework and thematic tone is quite similar to Eris, but also different - maybe less campy? Anyways, I really digged the art and story progression. Also, watched MST's LP of VITALITY after beating it and had a good laugh or two. Good times.
PS: I even have the V I T A L I T Y poster as my desktop wallpaper.
(Also, shout out to Super Junkoid, which just came out, another GREAT hack I recommend you guys try out!)
This hack is a amazing experience for just the environmental design alone. The air of mystery and foreboding atmosphere this creates with just vanilla assets is astounding. Exploring and seeing everything is one of the driving forces in this mod for sure. Every room is stunning and intricately designed, with top notch environmental storytelling This whole world made me feel immersed and wanting to learn more of the story... with an exception.
Though I loved almost every minuet of this mod there were a few things I found a little frustrating with it. The colors and background work, while adding to the amazing world design, sometimes caused the actual foreground elements to blend together with it making it hard to see platforms and enemies at time.
As said above there was an exception to the quality of the storytelling.
I'll keep spoilers as close to zero spoilers as I can but I felt ending namedrop was a bit out of left field with one thing that ripped me out of my immersion in this story and had me raising an eyebrow. The random crossover reference at the very end was just sort of weird in my opinion. I sort of already got the story was inspired by the thing referenced but was not expecting it to be directly namedropped. Though not weird enough to warrant me knocking off any points for, but still worth mentioning.
Despite my minor gripes I bring up below. This mod deserves a perfect score which I will give. 5/5. Amazing Hack.
Though I loved almost every minuet of this mod there were a few things I found a little frustrating with it. The colors and background work, while adding to the amazing world design, sometimes caused the actual foreground elements to blend together with it making it hard to see platforms and enemies at time.
As said above there was an exception to the quality of the storytelling.
I'll keep spoilers as close to zero spoilers as I can but I felt ending namedrop was a bit out of left field with one thing that ripped me out of my immersion in this story and had me raising an eyebrow. The random crossover reference at the very end was just sort of weird in my opinion. I sort of already got the story was inspired by the thing referenced but was not expecting it to be directly namedropped. Though not weird enough to warrant me knocking off any points for, but still worth mentioning.
Despite my minor gripes I bring up below. This mod deserves a perfect score which I will give. 5/5. Amazing Hack.
This is another one of those "I beat this before I got on Metconst and didn't remember where I left the completion stats" deals. Well, found them so I can leave a proper review.
I remember getting really hyped when this first came out, but I had a huge backlog to work through. I finally committed to the campaign maybe a year or two later, and it was such an excellent experience.
Can't say this will ever take Eris' place in my heart, but it definitely surpasses Eris in almost every objective category.
The world is larger, the graphics have more variety. The gameplay is definitely challenging, yet a little more forgiving.
Back on the graphics, this is easily one of the most beautiful hacks made. Digital Mantra is a master at his craft. When I played this game, I had some appreciation for how detailed the layering was, but I gained a great deal more when I got serious with SMILE RF and SMART some time later.
The way items instantly appear on the HUD instead of traditional message boxes really streamlines the experience.
Each area has its own flavor without relying on the structure of Zebes. That in and of itself isn't new with hacks, but this one does a particularly great job of making it so you don't know what area you are in relative to the base game. This is Auriga; you play by its rules.
SPOILERS:
Regrettably, at the time I played this I was still relying on save states far more than I should. As a consequence, it was quite some time before I would become acquainted with the special respawning mechanics (and the Easter eggs I would have otherwise come across.) That's on me.
I can't do the storytelling justice as it needs to be played to completion to be appreciated fully. Suffice it to say this hack takes the cinematic flair of Eris and pushes it even further, particularly on the last leg of the journey.
I remember getting really hyped when this first came out, but I had a huge backlog to work through. I finally committed to the campaign maybe a year or two later, and it was such an excellent experience.
Can't say this will ever take Eris' place in my heart, but it definitely surpasses Eris in almost every objective category.
The world is larger, the graphics have more variety. The gameplay is definitely challenging, yet a little more forgiving.
Back on the graphics, this is easily one of the most beautiful hacks made. Digital Mantra is a master at his craft. When I played this game, I had some appreciation for how detailed the layering was, but I gained a great deal more when I got serious with SMILE RF and SMART some time later.
The way items instantly appear on the HUD instead of traditional message boxes really streamlines the experience.
Each area has its own flavor without relying on the structure of Zebes. That in and of itself isn't new with hacks, but this one does a particularly great job of making it so you don't know what area you are in relative to the base game. This is Auriga; you play by its rules.
SPOILERS:
Regrettably, at the time I played this I was still relying on save states far more than I should. As a consequence, it was quite some time before I would become acquainted with the special respawning mechanics (and the Easter eggs I would have otherwise come across.) That's on me.
I can't do the storytelling justice as it needs to be played to completion to be appreciated fully. Suffice it to say this hack takes the cinematic flair of Eris and pushes it even further, particularly on the last leg of the journey.
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