Viktor_Kadic's Hack Reviews - Metroid Construction

Viktor_Kadic's Ratings and Reviews

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Super Metroid: Subversion by TestRunner and AmoebaOfDoom [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Mar 22, 2023 (

)

100% in 11:08

The scope of this hack is simply insane. It stretches the limits of how huge the map can be, stuffing at least 15 different sub-areas into the map's 4 or 5 main areas and neatly differentiating them with different HUD colours and stark differences in environments.

The first couple items follow a fairly linear progression but after that the exploration and open paths branch out to a crazy degree, while (mostly) staying fairly obvious as to where you're supposed to go. There was only one time where i got legitimately stuck trying to find my way forward (after getting power bombs) but it wasn't too bad trying to find my way out.

The puzzles were amazing, there are so many item pickups to find, and after a certain point in the game, you actually get a hint system on the map showing you all the items you hadn't found yet, which alongside the item area percentages in the menu makes it super cozy to 100% (this being the first hack i completed 100%). Some of the paths to hidden items were bullshit, some were great, but it's in the spirit of SM secrets so I can't complain.

The one thing i wish was different is area designs - some of the areas use completely new graphics (or heavily recoloured vanilla graphics) and they look incredible, some reuse original graphics in such an alien way that they come across as new, and then some (red brinstar mines, oceania beach) just kinda look and feel exactly like vanilla.

I didn't know where to place my praise of the log menu so ill just do it here. It's such a sweet addition and works incredibly well, is really well written and gives great exposition on the world (which is itself amazingly built, and makes perfect sense)

This is a very long, extremely well made, very good hack that has so much to explore, encourages you to find as much as you can and constantly rewards you for playing. Highly recommended!

SM - Cryogenesis by Onnyks [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Mar 06, 2023 (

)

72% in 5:31

One of the best hacks out there when it comes to visuals, atmosphere and map design. Fairly short (still unfinished with more areas to come) but incredibly tight and well made. The tiling is the absolute best i've seen in a hack and the novel room gimmick blew my mind every time it happened. I loved playing through this and i can not wait for the two new areas to be added so I can go through the game one more time!

V I T A L I T Y by Digital_Mantra [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Feb 26, 2023 (

)

64% in 6:48

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.

Hyper Metroid by RealRed [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Jan 15, 2022 (

)

75% in 9:31

This is a fantastic hack, with a genuinely incredibly well designed world, great pacing, a surprisingly well placed and designed gate system that wasnt even as frustrating as it could have been and a really fun escape sequence.

The one gripe I have with this hack is the boss fights, most of them felt unfair and way too tanky, unloading your entire set of missiles into some of them wasnt even enough to get them halfway and using the charge beam at low health was pretty much the universal experience with a lot of the fights. Let's not even talk about the golden Torizo, that fight was just genuinely painful to get through and felt wildly unfair even with the screw attack and tons of missiles.

Other than that, this was the best hack I've played so far, with an unmatched level and world design, and bonus points for the custom story, opening and credits, the wonderful resprites and colour scheme, and the fact that i never got lost or softlocked using entry level exploits like bomb jumps and wall jumping.

Super Metroid: Ascent by Benox50 [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Feb 22, 2023 (

)

78% in 9:00

Really nice hack, the world layout and level design is amazing, some of the puzzles are genius and some were too complex for my tiny brain. The shinespark mechanics are super fun, the UI looks great, the bosses are easy which is a win in my book as i prefer the exploration in these hacks. The few things bringing this one down is how frustrating a lot of the rooms are, and how you cant really go back once you progress past an area. it would have been cool to have more than one section where you return to somewhere you couldnt reach before in an earlier area. Recommended if you're good at SM and know some basic advanced tech (tight walljumps, bomb jumping).

Super Metroid Nature by Jefe962 [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Jan 08, 2022 (

)

75% in 6:18

Super Metroid: Arrival by Jefe962 [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Mar 08, 2023 (

)

85% in 3:12

This is a very well made, but very badly designed hack. The new tiles and palettes are very nice (especially the final area), everything works as intended,and the physics are incredible (I think this might be one of the fastest metroids overall when it comes to movement), theyre extremely satisfying and zooming through the world feels amazing.

The hack is unfortunately not exactly fun to play and explore. Most items are just handed to you with no skill or curiosity demanded of you to find them, theres barely anything to do in most rooms the second time you go through them, and the progression is painfully linear. Most of the gajme is just going to the next only possible place to go, getting the item, and then going back to the other next only possible place to go, and while the areas arent laid out linearly, the item progression and paths that open are completely linear (and not in a fun way like Fusion was).

The difficulty is way lower than the original metroid which didnt bug me as i tend to prefer vanilla difficulty hacks, but if thats something you dont like. And the music is good! There's a couple (as far as i can tell) original tracks which are very nice.

Super Metroid: Hotlands by MetroidNerd#9001 [

Exploration], rated by Viktor_Kadic on Mar 04, 2023 (

)

43% in 1:07

Well designed, short hack with some very frustrating glaring issues. The new boss fights are mostly just very annoying and not particularly fun to play at all, having to stand and jump in place and farm missiles to shoot some static blocks in order to progress. The final room before the escape sequence was kinda clever but also just very frustrating. The escape sequence itself is so full of enemies that the game lags to the point of being in full on slow motion while the timer still ticks at normal speed. Its a bit disappointing that theres nowhere to use the power bomb after getting it, as its the last thing you get before the escape sequence. The music is pretty good (Toby Fox???) but it doesn't fit too well, still a very nice addition.

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