Super Metroid: Gravy

Super Metroid: Gravy
Release date: Nov 14, 2007	Author: Cardweaver	Download: Version 1.0 [UH] (1479 downloads)
Genre: Vanilla+ [?] Game:	Difficulty: Expert [?]	Average runtime: 4:44 Average collection: 92%
Read Me: [None]	Forum Thread: [None]	Rating:

Description

Gravy is the first hack I made. It has the same map as the original, which only minor changes to the rooms. Very difficult, poorly made, back when a lot less about hacking was publicly known. I recommend heavy savestating. Play at your own risk.

Also, don't underestimate mini kraid. He will kill you.

Screenshots

Ratings and Reviews

By squishy_ichigo on Apr 11, 2015 (

)

No completion stats.

By crimsonsunbird on Apr 22, 2015 (

)

No completion stats.

By Aran;Jaeger on Dec 08, 2016 (

)

100% in 4:38

Animals saved.

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

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

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

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

Rating for some hacks may be off by 1 Star, but arguably not more, and ratings are not attempted to be provided within the precision of ''half orbs''.

By ClaireDiviner on Mar 23, 2024 (

)

84% in 4:50

I really hate this hack. The main issue lies in its routing. Everything is stupidly hidden from the player, forcing them to Bomb EVERYWHERE, or accidentally find a hidden Morph tunnel, or a hidden Grapple block.

Now, here's the thing: I could have truck with this if the X-Ray Scope was found reasonably early, as it does reveal pretty much all obtuse shit in this hack. The problem is that you need X-Ray Scope to find X-Ray Scope. By that, I mean the way to it is so cryptic and hidden, I challenge anyone who can find someone who managed to find it on their own without looking at a playthrough, or a level editor. I'll stake my life in such a person not existing.
I'll save you the trouble of shoving your thumb up your ass, trying to find it, and tell you here (so an obligatory spoiler warning): It is located in Mama Turtle's Room. The problem is that you need to find a super-hidden Morph tunnel under the ledge under the eastern door of Mt. Everest, of all the places to put that shit! No hint or clue, be it visual or anything telegraphs to the player that there's anything at all there. It isn't something you can Bomb either; it's a hidden Morph tunnel hidden within the rocky terrain, too high up, and in a spot that is largely unremarkable. LITERALLY NO ONE WILL THINK TO CHECK THERE!

Worst part is that the path forward, especially to Lower Norfair, is also as stupidly hidden as the X-Ray Scope, as there's a hidden Morph tunnel in Lava Dive that the player simply won't know to check at all, and only the X-Ray Scope can reveal it, hence the issue.

That's to say nothing of the door leading to Bowling Alley in West Ocean. It's a locked door with no hint as to how to open it. You MUST kill 15 enemies (the Zebs in the Zeb nest will count). Thing is, unless someone happen to need to do extensive energy/ammo farm, no one will know to do this; I had assumed I was missing some Boss or some other trigger to open the door.

Here's another thing: I am convinced the hack maker, and likely others beyond this, likely saw Impossible, and thought, "Wow, I want to make a hack like that!" without actually knowing what made Impossible work. Yeah, Super Metroid Impossible had an awful lot of cryptic and obtuse item locations, and X-Ray Scope is literally impossible for anyone to find on their own, even by accident. But the thing is, all of those super-obscure, super-hidden items are not needed; they're optional, and the path forward is also transparent to the player. You can get the items that are easy enough to see and acquire, and while it's the bare minimum, it's still all you need to beat the game's challenges.

This hack (and likely others I'll be playing) completely misses the point, and poorly emulates what made Impossible good. By hiding X-Ray Scope in such a way, that alone isn't an issue. What is an issue is hiding the path that progresses the game in such a way, it may as well require X-Ray Scope to find. Therein lies the egregious oversight presented here. This hack isn't without its cool ideas, but the frustrations of finding one's way to the end of the game is just too much for me to give this game anything higher than a 1/5, and I'm surprised I'm the only one (as of writing this) to give it this low a score.

Here's to hoping Cardweaver's other hacks are made better, and more transparent than this. I can handle hard games. I don't mind a challenge. But being super-cryptic in the same vein as something, like Shadowgate on the NES, or that one cryptic tornado puzzle in Castlevania 2: Simon's Quest, does not a good game (much less a hack) make.

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