Top Hacks
Introduction -- Best Aesthetics -- Most Creative Gameplay -- Best Quick Play -- Best Challenge -- Best Exploration -- Worst Hack -- Best Overall -- Closure
Best Overall 2011
Award
Winner: Phazon Hack by A_red_monk_called_Key
Released right before the end of 2011, Phazon 0.3 took the top prize with a combination of exciting new GFX and ASM changes to go along with some crazy fun exploration. Being a hack of the original Phazon Hack, players who were familiar were treated to an overall similar layout. However, things would be much different this time around. Now there were new enemies added and rooms built to accommodate the new items. Finding the Gears to get to the final area was a new feature that kept us searching these new areas.

On top of great exploration, new GFX, and searching for Gears came another hunt like no other. On your journey you were bound to come across a hidden item called a Phazon Particle. Collecting it did nothing noticeable, so when you found another, and then 5 more it became a purpose to discover the very well hidden Particles throughout the world. Finding these things is probably one of the best features of the hack, because it is a reward for the player for looking in odd corners and encourages the player to look everywhere and explore the whole hack. Seeing what collecting all of them did made the player not just try to beat the hack only, but made the player care about what upgrade could await them if they succeeded in this hunt.

Phazon 0.3 also set the bar high for future hacks to get new content put in. There are many interesting things done that no other hack has tried. There is a hint system added in so the player knows what sub-area the next major upgrade or Gear is located in. I won't spoil some of the new things that were put into the hack, but it is safe to say they are awesome.

I'm not saying that this hack is perfect, there are a few instances of enemies being absolutely annoying. They don't deal an extravagant amount of damage, instead, they take a massive amount of shots to defeat. Especially in the final area does this become a serious issue.

The complaints are very few and far between however. In the end, Phazon 0.3 is easily worthy of being named the Top Hack of 2011. It sets the bar pretty high for future fullhacks with all the new things added into the mix.
- MetroidMst


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