kkzero's Hack Reviews - Metroid Construction

Metroid SR387 by OneOf99 and NathanTech [ MZM

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Jul 06, 2018 (

)

66% in 1:00

Pretty fun little hack with a swell sense of exploration and the custom gfx/music to back it all up. I approve.

Symphony of Soap by Ing-ing [ MZM

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Aug 30, 2019 (

)

90% in 0:28

Completion time in minutes:seconds.
The speedbooster jump was tough to get used to, but once the Megaman X highway section is over with, this hack really starts taking off. It's a fun little shorthack that can be rather tricky, a known aspect of Ing-ing's hacking. Nonetheless it's fun and playable as long as you know how ZM works. The custom tilesets/visuals are pretty cool, too, even if most of them are just taken from other games.

Also I never got credited for them, but I did three custom music pieces used in the hack; Cinnabar Mansion from Pokemon RBY (item room), Main Theme from Duke Nukem II (tower hub area), and Stage 8 from Contra (beach area).

Vermifugal by alexman25 [ MZM

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Dec 01, 2019 (

)

14% in 0:04

I found the aesthetic of the main areas to be interesting, actually. Other than that it's just a broken hack with respawning missile/energy tanks and a Mecha Ridley fight that refuses to go on.

Missile Door Hack by Trunaur68 [ MZM

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Dec 01, 2019 (

)

No completion stats.

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Super Metroid: Cristener Homenag 5 by Juan Dennys [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Dec 17, 2019 (

)

No completion stats.

The enemies are too strong and your beam is too weak and there are door locks every time there are enemies.
More in-depth review: https://imgur.com/a/HnZ5ZgV

Menu Hack by Trunaur68 [ MZM

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Feb 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Literally in MAGE. But yeah it's really useful.

Zero Challenge by Ing-Ing [ MZM

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Feb 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Nope.

Metroid Fusion RBO by Phazar [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Feb 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

You'll be scrambling around an identical Fusion world looking for anything remotely different.

Alt-Fusion [Demo] by Electrometer Prime [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Feb 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

It's an unfinished halfhack from over a decade ago, there's not much you'll get out of it.

Metroid Dread - The Reawakening: Remastered Edition TURBO by mccad [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Feb 27, 2020 (

)

519% in 0:05

Interesting, to say the least.

Metroid FreezeFlame by Conner [ MZM

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Feb 27, 2020 (

)

92% in 0:30

Really enjoyed it! The heatrun aspect was not a detriment--it kept me scrambling to find the way, and the level design accommodated for that very well. Also, I always wanted to see the "mirror-worlds" concept in a hack, so I enjoyed that too.
The only shortcomings are at the very end, being changed from vanilla not too much. Perhaps the next update will make it more aesthetically in-tune with the rest of the hack?
Recommended to any ZM hack player.

Super Metroid Weekend by dewhi100 [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Feb 27, 2020 (

)

14% in 0:08

Very short, but not too bad given its creation circumstances.
One oddity I noticed was the vertical hatch to the path to Bomb Torizo was able to suck me back in downward. Easily averted by doing a fancier jump up into the hatch.

Metroid - Racing by ShuiJing [

Speedrun/Race], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Interesting idea, and the level flow isn't broken. But it mostly relies on gimmicks like crumble blocks, which kinda slows down the action. Stopped at the Sector 6 speedboost area because I don't feel like trying to actually get that shinespark. Nonetheless, that's just me, and I'm still giving it a 3 for going a bit outside the box and letting the player progress at their own pace, as well as avoiding the cheap death traps common in Chinese hacks.

Faster Fusion by Den [

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Simple, but does what it needs to.

Metroid Fusion: Get to the F'n Point! by DestroyerOfAglets [

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Very simple modification.

Metroid Zero Mission - NoMap by Asaki [ MZM

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Doesn't quite do enough for the game.

Metroid Fusion - NoMap by Asaki [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Doesn't quite do enough for the game.

Crocomire Demo by Trunaur68 [ MZM

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Very basic demonstration, does what it needs to, but is nothing more than that.

Metroid Walljump by Parasyte [

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Resource.

Metroid: Zero Mission - Chozo Hint Statue Removal by spiffy [ MZM

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Feb 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Resource.

Unnamed Zero Mission Hack by Jefe962 [ MZM

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Ain't nuthin'.

Metroid Complete Mission by Sephirous [ MZM

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Not worth working through the exact same game again for.

Another MZM Hack by uNsane [ MZM

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Invisible wall at the morph tunnel in the Chozo statue hallway and a huge walljump shaft in the room following it. That, among others, should let this bad challenge halfhack speak for itself.

Metroid Super Mission by Xyifer12 [ MZM

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Graphics hack with little else. At least for now since progress on this is slowly ongoing.

Metroid Zero Mission: Boss Rush Mode by monkeyboi [ MZM

Boss Rush], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

100% in 0:14

HOLY SHIZZLE I SAW THIS HACK IN A YOUTUBE VIDEO IN 2011 I WAS SO YOUNG AND NOW IT'S ON METCONST AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA--
Real talk, this is a simple boss rush hack. The door transitions are shoddy, and you get spoiled with all the items right as you get started on it, so it's a walk in the park. The graphical style is quite neat for an early GBAtroid hack, though. Still, the experience ain't much, and you're not missing out on a lot if you avoid it.

Metroid - Fusion Limit Operation (Earth Man Edition) by Meilove [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Bad halfhack with crumble blocks and tiling errors, nothing to see here.

Metroid Super Autosadism by Meilove [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Just another poorly thrown together ""challenge"" halfhack with only tile changes that make it needlessly tedious. It's not worth anyone's time. Hell, I didn't bother finding out how to get out of the docking bay littered with fake missile blocks. It's autosadism. Literally. It's in the title.

Review by huanmengxujing [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

5% in 1:50

Full RTA of 1:50:42.08. Began timing at first objective briefing, ended timing after the Sector 4 Nav room since the hack only goes that far. Used the linked bilibili video at times so that I didn't go too insane.
This hack is one mixed bag. On one hand, it does more than just retile the existing Fusion rooms like other Chinese hacks do. It also provides some custom tilesets/palettes to make the hack feel fresh. On the other hand, there were still various annoyances throughout, such as the lack of a custom map, and convoluted Sectors. One part that was really exhausting was the electric water shinespark needed to reach the water lowering unit, which was luckily the last major part of the hack. Despite that, I was able to get through what it had to offer for me, and is definitely playable.
The one major glitch I found was in Arachnus' room, where running too far past the crumble block leads to an infinitely-falling trap.

Metroid - Fusion X by ShuiJing [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Feb 29, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Just another retile of the rooms and nothing else. All it does it add unnecessary tedium to an otherwise normal Fusion. As such, I chose not to complete it. At the very least it seemed to be very functional, and it wasn't nearly as crazy with the masochism aspect as other Chinese halfhacks tend to be.

Super Metroid: Substitute Turkey by Crystal_Knight [

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

12% in 0:12

Very simple, very straightforward, and it does a pretty good job working within that mentality. The autumn-related visuals are cool too.
Recommended if you have a half-hour or less to spare.

Super Metroid Matias Gomas by pedro123 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

You get dropped into one of Tourian's escape-sequence rooms on game start and seemingly have to backtrack through to Mother Brain's room and fight her. Oh, and you have to shoot down all the pirates with just the normal beam along the way.
I dunno about you, but that was enough for me to not bother even trying to get past that.

Super Metroid: Confinement by Bolognab [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

It's old, it's basic, it has you deal with spikes and walljumping on single blocks under a low ceiling at the beginning.

Metroid Switch by anonymous [

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

This was kind of an interesting hack. I really liked how the enemies help get you through each room. Maybe another hack can take advantage of this concept, because this one is just way too short.

Super Metroid: Sunshine Oddity by Vismund Cygnus/Quote58 [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Didn't beat it because of what seemed to be an absence of saves, plus I got softlocked in a Chozo statue, but I'll drop a review anyway because I liked where this was going.
The ammo switching method was a bit awkward for me, but that's more subjective. Additionally, the colors of the structures tended to throw me off before I got the Dark Visor. Despite these, it was an interesting experiment that felt very fresh, and I enjoyed what I did play.
Recommended.

Super Metroid: Glitchtroid by ducknerd [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Red Crateria, "challenge" aspects--yeah, you know where this is going.

Super Metroid Gold Chozo Double Kill by pedro123 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Very poorly put together, not worth wading through water for unfairly overpowered Torizos.

Super Metroid Dark Nightmare by jailsonmendes [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Bad "challenge" halfhack, nothing to see here.

Super Metroid Ultimate Hidden Version by GuduJimoYigeren [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Sapphron lied, it's .rar :P
Anyway, stupid halfhack that just moves the items to annoying locations. Carry on.

Metroid Fusion - Phoenix Dance by Meilove [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

What Sapphron said about the rooms.
Oh, and it's just another retile.

Metroid Mother Visibility Rearranged and Compactified by metalmight [

Vanilla+], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

% in 0:45

Time is approximated RTA in hours:minutes from when I patched the file (wasn't too far from game start, don't @ me) to leaving the elevator. Didn't use the lua script because FCEUX is trash for general gameplay.
Some may argue that this is just a dumbed-down easy version of NEStroid. Given the straightforward world design, toned-down enemy placement, lowered boss health, and hallways of just missile tanks, this isn't too nosy of an argument.
However, this is exactly what someone needs if they want the core NEStroid experience without all the pains of the NES era. I'm frankly pretty tolerant of vanilla NEStroid, but I really felt I was enjoying my playthrough of this hack, blasting through everything without a worry about my energy going down. It's just something really enjoyable in this sea of exasperating takes on this game that only appeal to the people trained on games of the time.
Recommended for anyone who can't stand the gameplay/difficulty of NEStroid.

Metroid Automap by Parasyte [

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Mar 04, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

NEStroid with a minimap made of Energy Tank graphics. That's all it is. Not quite enough to warrant another playthrough of the same game.

Super Samus by Grond [

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Mar 05, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Nice sprite bro, shame that's all it is.

Metroid Mutation by Tek [

Vanilla+], rated by kkzero on Mar 05, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

There are better options for playing a nicer-looking NEStroid.

Tallon IV Tours: Chozo Ruins Rumble by dewhi100 [

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Mar 05, 2020 (

)

81% in 0:36

Definitely a fun little conversion of the Chozo Ruins sequence in Prime 1 using what SM has to offer. The Kraid fight was kinda neat, too, even if rather tedious at first.

Metroid: Ice Break by ThatSpoiler [

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Mar 05, 2020 (

)

% in 0:09

Full RTA of 9:19.95.
Bite-sized adventures are pretty neat, especially when it's NEStroid. The new palettes are splendid, and exploration isn't painful. I enjoyed it.
Put this one right on your quick play list.

ConCons first hack by Conner [ MZM

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Mar 12, 2020 (

)

2% in 0:02

Completion time in minutes:seconds.
Welp.
A quick flash of poor automap tiling and basic item progression.
Not much else to say about it, play if you have like five minutes to spare.

Metroid Fusion 9yin Version by GuduJimoYigeren [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 23, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Stupid minimal-effort retile hack that puts SA-X in the second room and an instakill Powamp in the floor of the third, right as you run in. Oh, and the starting missile maximum is zero, so you'd be convinced at first that you have to cheat to get farther than the Operations Deck.
Don't bother.
Oh and also you can't even open it in MAGE to see what little you're missing out on because the "AMTE" code in the header is changed to "9yin". So get that fixed before trying such if you want to waste another minute of your life.

Super Metroid: Cristener Homenag 3 by Juan Dennys [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Still better than Homenag 5.

Super Metroid 9yin Version 2 by GuduJimoYigeren [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

The .thing in the download is actually a .rar.
Not that it matters much anyway since this is just a troll halfhack with spikes and crumble blocks.

Metroid Boost Training by Spark [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Cramped. Janky. Bosses behind the doors and you can't even fight them. The vanilla game should be sufficient enough for boosting practice.

ZM: Samus Returns by alexman25 [ MZM

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

I played a bit of it, closed it out, opened it in Sappy, and listened to the new music track.

Another Super Metroid by Banana Oyaji [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Played a bit then stopped because it's just a retile of vanilla. Not that it's a bad one, just not enough new to the table for me to chew away an hour or two on.

Super Metroid: Cristener Homenag 6 by Juan Dennys [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

You can do better for your ears than playing this.

Super Metroid: Cristener Homenag 7 by Juan Dennys [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Almost entirely the slowed fire rate and nothing else. Tried it back when it released and stopped before I made it back up the space pirate shaft.

Super Metroid: Cristener Homenag 8 by Juan Dennys [

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Only one phrase can describe the way this tops off all the Homenags:
"Jebaited."

The Hallway by alexman25 [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2020 (

)

100% in 0:10

Full RTA of 10:49.91.
Very simple hack, some smartassery in the level design, at least it's more bearable than most NEStroid hacks, you get the picture.

Super Metroid: Intense by Eddy23911 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

This is a spike retile.

Super Metroid Noobs dont like this by pedro123 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

1% in 0:00

nope

Super Metroid: Automatic by aigamerDS [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

0% in 0:04

wonderful prequel to other m theater mode

Super Metroid: Resurrection by BoostGuardian [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Gimmicky Spike n' Crumble (TM) halfhack.

Super Metroid: Puddin by Cardweaver [

Vanilla+], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Troll halfhack.

Super Metroid: Puzzle by Eddy23911 [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Spikes, blocks in the way, it's not very good.

Super Metroid: Cristener Homenag 4 by Juan Dennys [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

A garbage dump that takes the form of a Super Metroid hack.

RBO Impossible by aigamerds [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Bad challenge halfhack. Do RBO in vanilla instead.

Super Metroid: Dragon Shot by pedro123 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Literally Dark Nightmare all over again. Not worth playing.

Super Metroid Blue World of Events by pedro123 [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

It's more blue than the tears I cry playing this guy's hacks.

Return of Justin by squishy_ichigo [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Interesting ZX Spectrum-style visuals and ZM room layout. Not much beyond that though.

RBO by aigamerds [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Bad challenge halfhack, carry on.

Super Metroid Puzzle Lunatic by pedro123 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

The beam fire rate is abysmally slow. Also it's just another bad halfhack. Not worth playing.

Super Metroid Ernesto Gonzagga Killer by pedro123 [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

What Syphon said. Just vanilla with more tedium, really. Don't play this.

Metroid - Rogue Dawn by Grimlock, Optomon, snarfblam [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 25, 2020 (

)

50% in 5:03

Full time of 5:03:03.
About damn time I finished this work of art! I had several on-and-off attempts at this, the first being in early 2017, a couple months after it launched. I didn't get too far with it at that time, and I eventually played more of it in 2018 after I got a new PC. Still, I never even made it to any of the bosses. But just tonight, I dug straight into it and knocked it right out of the park.
The custom graphics and music are what make this hack really shine. It's basically its own game at this point, moreso than any other hack of any Metroid game is in comparison to the one they're based on. I'm particularly impressed with the sound engine modifications, something romhackers of any kind tend not to attempt. I was also charmed by the presence of certain secrets in the game's world.
Gameplay-wise, it's quite an improvement. While some of NEStroid's weird physics still kick in at some parts, control is not much of an issue, especially with the added mechanics. The exploration, while tiresome at times, was well-developed, especially with a fully-functional map in the pause screen and the HUD.
The only real issue I've had with this hack is more of a personal thing. The final boss was a bit too intense for my tastes. I'm generally decent with the Mother Brain fight in NEStroid, but there was something about this hack's version of it that seemed quite a bit more beefy. Maybe it was just me slowing down my missile fire rate that got me through at last, hell if I know. But again, this is something specific to me and does not take away any orbs from my rating.
Overall, if you are a Metroid fan at all--play this hack. I repeat: PLAY THIS HACK! It's an amazing experience. Just play it. Go. Download it. Patch it. Launch it. PLAY IT!

Project ZM by FelixWright [ MZM

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Mar 26, 2020 (

)

50% in 1:24

[v0.6.1]
Excellent improvement! This makes the game quite a bit better in various ways. In particular, I felt I was getting more out of the unknown items with them being available early game. The speedbost/shinespark modifications are neat too.
There are still some minor issues, like with the map tiles, as well as with some sound not playing after getting my first Super in Crateria while doing the speed/spark thing, but overall this has potential for players and other romhackers alike.

Ceribris by bydolord [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 26, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Kind of a shame this isn't finished, because it was interesting for a halfhack, having a more unique progression and all. I can tell the creator was really passionate about their hack.

Super Metroid Fog by pedro123 [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 26, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

It's just Super Metroid with a bunch of annoying fog and dumb item placements. Might as well do a blindfolded run of vanilla instead.

First Horizon Demo by Lion/Rebel [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 26, 2020 (

)

2% in 0:00

Interesting graphics changes, yet annoying zippy gravitational physics...not much else to this.

Metroid Other ZM by Luce Seyfarth [ MZM

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

The start from the landing site was interesting, but from there on it's just a halfhack with buffed-up bullet sponge enemies and weird pickup locations.

Metroid Pro Mission by Crys [ MZM

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Makes you move through acid, and that's all there really is.

uNsanity by uNsane [ MZM

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

On the contrary, it is, indeed, insanity.

Juice Metroid by Juice [ MZM

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Bad "challenge" halfhack, carry on.

Neon City by uNsane [ MZM

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 27, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

The premise and basic tilesets were kinda intriguing, but the backgrounds and general flow of gameplay is a mess.

Metroid: Zero Mission - AP Boss Rush by Trivial Man [ MZM

Boss Rush], rated by kkzero on Mar 27, 2020 (

)

100% in 0:16

Interesting barebones boss rush that even gives you choices on things like if you want to heal or not after each boss. Not much else other than that though.

Metroid OneDay by JumZhu [ MZM

Vanilla+], rated by kkzero on Mar 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

More or less just a demonstration of the included speedboost modifications, with obnoxiously beefy missile doors. No real changes outside of that.

Metroid Zero Mission: Deluxe by DarkLink1996 [ MZM

Improvement], rated by kkzero on Mar 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Similar to Other ZM, it adds a more SM-like beginning sequence and does little else. It's interesting how it makes use of some of the resources, like the morphball animation, and even goes for a full-scale removal of the maroon border, but there's not much to get out of playing it.

Metroid Something by raygun [ MZM

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Confusing progression due to an unedited map, and an overall rough-edged experience. The spazer is interesting, but overall there just isn't enough.

Metroid-Reversed Fusion by ShuiJing [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 28, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Played up to when shinesparks and speedboosting became a real deal in the hack, and I can't really pull those off in the situations imposed in it. Definitely well designed in the beginning, condensing down the fluff that most vanilla-esque Fusion hacks leave in. But with the lack of a map, few saves, and stuff really ramping up the more you go, it's a mixed bag.

Metroid: Recovery Mission by alexman25 [ MZM

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Apr 01, 2020 (

)

100% in 0:33

lol nice

Metroid Mission II by Sapphron [ MZM

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Jul 19, 2020 (

)

91% in 0:13

A short and sweet M2-looking adventure that's kind of trolley along the way, but it's all good. Recommend for those into the short GBATroid adventures.

DOOMtroid by Jefe962 [ MZM

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Jul 19, 2020 (

)

17% in 0:21

Love the Doom inspiration, was pretty good all around despite being a little trolley in some places. But trial and error will get you through, so it's fine.

Samus vs. Karid-X by RT-55J [

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Jul 20, 2020 (

)

% in 0:13

Time is approximate, got 10 items I think.
A short yet fun NEStroid adventure with beautiful Fusion-inspired tile graphics. Recommended to anyone looking for a less headache-inducing NEStroid experience.

Metroid Revenge by L.Soft Hacks [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Jul 22, 2020 (

)

No completion stats.

Just like the above two reviews say, this hack changes almost nothing. It's just a repalette with some of the rooms in Brinstar changed, along with oddities like Samus spawning in one of the floor blocks, and required damage-boosting off of a ripper to reach one of the platforms in the first vertical area.
You can skip this one and not miss out on anything.

Metroid: Oil Spill by Spedimus [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Sep 13, 2020 (

)

52% in 1:42

For version 1.5.
Definitely the best full Fusion hack as of yet. The bosses are definitely kind of a pain given the fewer amount of items/tanks you generally have for them, but thanks to the nonlinearity of the hack, I found myself able to try another one if I was stuck (at least after I got the Varia Suit).
Now, there are some other lesser aspects of the hack, though they're really a result of Fusion being Fusion, and this hack being made before more recent patches like Glitch's item orbs asm or Kazuto's sequence breaking hack. Such aspects include the total lack of bombs (data rooms are weird), as well as the workarounds to hatches in the boss rooms being able to lock (they're hardcoded to the event you're on as well as the sector you're in). Despite this, Spedimus managed to make the hack work through it all, and I'm quite fond of that.
All in all, definitely something to play if Fusion's your thing.

V I T A L I T Y by Digital_Mantra [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Oct 19, 2020 (

)

58% in 6:53

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.

So Little Bubble by Conner [ MZM

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Jan 31, 2021 (

)

80% in 0:09

Short bun fun hack, and pretty polished for that, only issue I noticed was some tiling garbage at the bottom while retreading Mua's room after getting Morph. Recommended for those who dig brief hacks.

Demo SA-X Hack (Unfinished) by Trunaur68 [ MZM

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 19, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

What it says on the tin. A simple fight with the SA-X, and there's nothing else to do once it's over. Had it been completed, it probably would've been more interesting.

One Room ZM hack (ing-ing) by ing-ing [ MZM

Quick Play], rated by kkzero on Mar 20, 2021 (

)

45% in 0:10

Pretty neat hack given the constraint it was made against, it was tricky in the beginning, expectedly so since it's Ing-Ing, but those Reos won't be laughing at you for long.

beth by JonnyManjiro [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 21, 2021 (

)

% in 2:43

Full RTA of 2:43:42.82.
This was quite an interesting hack, I have to say. The main thing that kept me going was the rather small scale of rooms/area throughout, because the exasperatingly large exploration sequences of other NEStroid hacks turn me away.
Now, this is definitely not a hack for those who can't stand NEStroid. For one, it makes a lot of use of the game's tech, like unmorph-jumping and bomb+jumping. Another thing is the enemy placements; a lot of stuff's underfoot, especially during times when the hatch spits you out onto their movement trajectory. The placements of objects and tiles, therefore, definitely are what give the hack difficulty. So yeah, "Kaizo light" is a pretty fair description of this hack.
That being said, I found Ridley and Kraid rather easy. Ridley, I could quite effortlessly shoot down without Long Beam once I made it to the platform left of him, with the fireballs just cruising down the pit without bothering me. As for Kraid, it was pretty easy to avoid taking damage just shooting him through that little shot block.
All-in-all, a pretty decent hard-style hack. I personally managed to get through without savestates until Tourian (I was desperate to finish this and rinkas are terrible).
If you can stand NEStroid-style difficulty and "features", I'd recommend giving this a try. If not, I can't quite say the same.

Super Metroid Pseudo Screw Attack by jailsonmendes [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Mar 21, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

What the other two said. You'll get nothing out of playing this.

Super Metroid Short Charge Practice by XiaiBaiyun [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Mar 21, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Does exactly what it says, and does it pretty well.

Metroid Classic Demo by JAM [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Mar 22, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

With the awkward and broken transition from the SM rooms to the NEStroid-like rooms, as well as this being an eternally incomplete demo, I can't say there's much of a reason to try this out. In addition, like Sapphron mentioned above, this concept has been outdone by Retroid.

Super Metroid Super's Gravity by pedro123 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 22, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Played up until the space pirates first appear, where neither power beam nor missiles can harm them.
It gives you Space Jump and Spring Ball at the beginning, and you have to wade through incredibly heavy gravity through brute-forcing Space Jump. And that's pretty much it. That's all this is.
Therefore, I do not recommend this hack.

Super Metroid Final Crimson RBO by crimsonsunbird [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 22, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Yup, just another worthless pedro hack.
On top of what the other two said, pausing leads to a glimpse of the map screen before switching right to the status screen, with the game refusing to display the map screen again even after pressing L.

Super Metroid Holocauzto Edition by pedro123 [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 22, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Basically just enemies taking longer to kill and causing more damage to the player. Kinda like Homenag 5.
So yeah don't play this.

Polarity by Oi27, Moehr [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Mar 23, 2021 (

)

58% in 1:23

Pretty well-done hack. Great custom soundtrack, cool aesthetic, excellent nonlinearity, nice concept. The whole magnet thing was a bit weird sometimes, the rows of trails in particular somewhat throwing me off, but it's still quite a neat idea. As for the whole thing with the Xeno parasites, I was puzzled as to what exactly they were there for other than potentially allowing more of them to spawn from enemies (I think that's how it worked? Could be wrong though).
Overall though, I think this hack is worth a play. You'll definitely need to understand how to utilize the magnet stuff, even if it seems unappealing to you, but yeah, if you like SM hacks and haven't tried this one, I suggest you do.

Super Hard Metroid by Crocomire [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 23, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Yup, just another one of those old tedious "challenge" hacks, with the totally ingenious feature of Spikes(TM). Played a bit of it and stopped because it's just that. Nothing interesting about this one.

Super Metroid Nightmare by JAM [

Challenge], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Yup, the same old formula of more tedium in the vanilla game. Though I appreciate the nod to Doom in the name, there's nothing to get out of this otherwise.

Correction 3 by lebonchocolat [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Mar 24, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Yeah, like Sapph said, avoid. While some of the little graphical changes are interesting, this is really just another one of those poorly-done "hard" hacks whose claim to fame is just tedium in progression. The landing site alone reeks of this.

Metroid zero mission Harder by yohann [ MZM

Vanilla+], rated by kkzero on Apr 18, 2021 (

)

48% in 3:09

Honestly pretty good for a halfhack. Definitely had a bit of a challenge to it, with some troll moments, some buffed enemies/bosses (Ridley was quite tough the way the room was changed and me having only 2 supers), Speedbooster shenanigans, all that stuff.
The forced progression from some of the doors being locked from not having certain items was kind of a nuisance, but isn't the worst thing ever. Also the area name displays tended to be the wrong ones, but that's a very minor issue, of course.
Overall a pretty decent hack, especially for a first one.

Super Metroid Renewed - The Battle of Enemies by Rennew [

Boss Rush], rated by kkzero on Apr 18, 2021 (

)

59% in 0:57

Used lots of rewind and, similarly to Syphon, cheated my way through the absolutely obnoxious escape. I normally don't totally dip in my gameplay competence like this, but this hack was just too stupid and awful for me not to.
Bottom line, do not play this, it is a horribly put together boss rush, with little misfeatures throughout like the killer Geemers and the 50-missile doors. Just don't bother, even if you are a savestate ninja, this hack is not worth it.

Super Metroid Renewed - The Beginning of the End by Rennew [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Apr 19, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Tedious morph mazes, no save stations, other similar annoyances, yeah that's what this hack is all about.
Like the first Renewed, I rocked the rewind for this one. Also used the video a bit. Made it to the tall shaft with the two PB doors and stopped there because I don't feel like going back all the way through where I came and farming more energy for the heatrun in one of the rooms beyond.
So yeah, this one's on my "do not recommend" list.

Super Metroid Renewed - The Station by Rennew [

Boss Rush], rated by kkzero on Apr 21, 2021 (

)

No completion stats.

Played up until I got to Phantoon's room. Torizo, Spospo, Kraid, and Croco were actually fine with just Charge Beam (+Spazer for Croco), but having to do Phantoon without Missiles or E-Tanks is just crossing a line for me and my poor dodging skills.
I'd hate to just dip on this hack like such, because the sparse item selection actually worked for the first several bosses like I said, but then the curve just shoots up when that scrambling ghost bastard directly follows with nothing in between. And going by the other two folks above, I do not look forward to having to fight Ridley E-Tankless.
Not recommended.

Super Metroid Renewed - The Final Escape by Rennew [

Boss Rush], rated by kkzero on Apr 21, 2021 (

)

98% in 0:30

Probably the strongest Renewed hack, though that's not saying much. The beginning parts are an absolute slog, collecting all the items and getting through all the things in the way. Escape RBO was kinda interesting using the Hyper Beam to take down the bosses. But yeah, that's all there really is.
I recommend neither this hack nor any of the others in the Renewed series.
Oh yeah and rewind was my friend here too, if it weren't I'd just break.

Metroid Fusion: The Mass by Heyhooheyhoo [

Exploration], rated by kkzero on Apr 24, 2021 (

)

17% in 3:15

I attempted this hack multiple times since it appeared on the site, but never made it too far until the past few days when I picked it back up. While there are aspects of the hack that make it seem like a 2-orb hack, I think the overall experience warrants a 3.
So, The Mass. A very interesting and challenging experience. I often found myself using the linked video to guide me on the most obtuse parts.
Observations/little thoughts:
-There is no new map, it just uses the vanilla game's. Have fun!
-Soft-resets have the potential of allowing part of the custom title music to continue playing the same note ingame after launching a file. Certain music change events clear this though.
-Various bits of gfx seem to reflect what I'd assume are in-jokes at the Chinese site this hack was first distributed on, can't know for sure myself especially since I don't know Chinese.
-Also I like the NES gfx, like with the Mario things, and with that whole room that uses the gfx of Contra's final level.
-The bomb and PB gfx were swapped, was this intentional?
-The Sector 6 glitch room: after the SA-X chase, the door transition cycles through a bunch of glitchy graphics with no player input allowed for like 10 seconds or so and then plops you into a room full of said glitchy gfx.
-Plenty of OOB opportunities.
-Now let's talk gameplay. Sector 1 was what made me start using the video, with the forced damage from the stabilizer to be able to shoot it, and the lava run to one of them.
-A thing I found quite neat, despite the jankiness, was the little walls made of slopes where you can charge speedbooster in place. Maybe a future hack could fully implement a kind of "Speedbooster Post"?
-On that topic, the shinespark puzzles were indeed kind of a chore sometimes, demanding you keep up the ante for multiple sparks. That sorta thing's definitely one where my trial and error process kicks in.
-Physics changes: aerial movement is quite a bit faster, something I was able to get used to fine.
-Oh, and the bombs; I thought the way they just instantly blew up and launched the player high was quite amazing, honestly.
-The changes to the Gerons caught me off guard, like with the purple Gerons in Sector 3 blocking of BOX's area, which are now immune to Supers, carrying a bunch of bomb blocks like Atlas holding the heavens.
-The hack does get cut a bit short, pitting you against the Omega Metroid shortly after the fourth SA-X chase. By the way, this hack first came out the year before interdpth released Omega Freedom, yet managed to implement similar functionality on its own, so that's quite impressive.
All-in-all, a worthy hack despite its shortcomings and rough edges. Managed to reach the end with 3 E-Tanks (well, 4 in the display with 00 as the max value for the fourth one, whatever idk). I recommend giving this one a shot if you like Fusion. If you're not so much a Fusion-eer, your mileage may vary.

Adam Please by Ing-ing [

Unknown], rated by kkzero on Apr 24, 2021 (

)

7% in 2:20

Ever since 2018, I've attempted this hack on numerous occasions, only to get frustrated by the beginning sequence and give up. As such, I ended up loathing this hack for a while.
But just today, I've finally managed to not only get past that, but also finally beat the hack. And boy, is it one fine hack despite the trademark Ing-ing style of challenge.
So, to play through this hack, you will most definitely need to know how to slow down your falling velocity in air by repeatedly pressing B and A. I've found myself being able to do this better via a keyboard on emulator, or with the small buttons of an actual GBA (which I've been using to play GBA hacks lately), instead of a controller with relatively bigger buttons like my Logitech F310. Well, either that or just rolling my thumb across the buttons without really lifting it off of them. I dunno.
So yeah, the difficulty, it is indeed challenging, but it gradually gets a bit more lenient as it goes on. Serris, in particular, is nerfed a bit from what I saw, making the fully underwater battle a bit less of hassle. BOX is also kind of easy, probably more so than the vanilla game, just grab the ladder and aim downwards to just shoot him from there.
Now let's talk the heat/cold runs. This hack has plenty of them. It may require some trial-and-error, but the way it works is really just one room of heat/cold leading to a normal room to give you some time to refocus yourself. So I'd say that aspect is pretty well-designed in this hack.
I also thought the part after BOX was kinda neat, having to avoid the Powamps falling from the ship. It almost felt like a minigame.
So yeah, a challenging hack, but a good challenge, as a whole, I'd say. I definitely recommend if you're up for some Fusion action. I also think this is one of the more underrated Fusion hacks, being most likely overlooked because of, again, the beginning part giving it a bad look.
So yeah, nice hack Ing-ing, sorry I dropped it so hard for a while.

Fusion HACK (4 zones completed) by anonymous [

Incomplete], rated by kkzero on Apr 25, 2021 (

)

12% in 1:08

Full RTA of 1:08:36.91, starting from the first briefing and ending at the start of PYR when the changes end. 4 E-Tanks and 8 Missile Tanks acquired.
So, an incomplete Fusion halfhack. Yeah, nothing particularly special about this one. Buffed enemies, altered rooms (with some oddities in one of the doorways, as well as a broken map), yeah. Managed to permastuck myself in the room after Arachnus by depleting all my missiles, having to reset the game and do the boss over again.
Also the tedious stabilizer room mazes in Sector 1, as well as the even more annoying morph maze in Sector 2.
So yeah, not much to get out of playing this hack.

Subpar Metroid by WompaStompa [

Spoof], rated by kkzero on Apr 26, 2021 (

)

55% in 1:20

I wouldn't really call it "subpar", as there are hacks on this site that much better fit the negative undertone of that word, but it certainly was a shrunken down Super Metroid. Kind of a cute idea in my opinion, and it got executed decently with this hack.
I think the only real design issue that got my attention was the enemy placements in some rooms. For example, the room before Bomb Torizo--you're basically guaranteed to get hit by the barrage of mellows upon entering. Additionally, some of the rooms bunch multiple enemies cramped together in a relatively small area, which may have been part of "maintaining the general layout" by preserving the enemy amounts, but it's still a thing of note.
Other than that, not much else I have to say about this hack, it's essentially what it says on the tin. Maybe you'll enjoy it for what it is, or maybe you'll just see it as another halfhack. I think it's certainly worth a try, though.

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