Understandably so, many Metroid fans have been having a bad couple of years with no new traditional Metroid games in sight and Nintendo has been very coy about the current status of the series. And while I do believe we're going to be seeing more from our favorite heroine soon, that's not what we're here for.
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 20 years, you should know that the original Super Metroid is widely considered one of the best videogames of all time and for good reason. A masterfully created open ended map overhauled from it's predecesor, with an emphasis on exploration and acquisition of significant power ups. The strong design was accompanied by the creation of a believable ecosystem, gorgeous spritework, wonderful music and too many memorable moments to mention here. It's widely considered the best game in the franchise and every game since then has diverted itself mechanically or design wise to the beauty that is Super Metroid .
So to satisfy you guys before some of you lose it due to deprivation, I invite all of you to be part of GAF plays: Super Metroid Hacks, in which we can find solace in wonderfully designed games made by passionate and talented community that is the Super Metroid scene. These guys have been going strong for over a decade and they show no signs of stopping, making more and more progress and pushing what is thought to be possible to build when handed the keys of the game itself.
Gamasutra's Victoria Earl did a wonderful piece back in 2013 detailing the community's beginnings and later the unprecedented activity, participation and acomplishment they have brought, which is still going strong today. I recommend everyone to give it a read. The hacks themselves range from complete overhauls of the game that are completely new experiences to tweaks that might surprise long time fans due to their ingenuity. These are all Super Metroid hacks that run on actual SNES emulators unlike the wonderful and incredibly ambituous AM2R. So with that said, let's give a small overview to some games and let's start playing! None require any advance technique that isn't wall jumping or morphballs in the air.
http://www.metroidconstruction.com/hacks.php?x=top
The Games:
Super Metroid Redesign:
By Drewseph
Probably the most popular hack out there and for good measure. It was the first one deconstruct the game's code allowing almost complete freedom to rebuilding it. The game consists of a completely overhauled Zebes which is much larger than the original and is geared towards players already familiar with the original. On top of the new structure in place, the game made changes to the gravity making Samus fall much faster making it similar to Zero Mission's speed in a way, there's also some other slight tweaks to Samus playability for great quality of life upgrades. It also includes some new power ups, new enemy properties (many tougher enemies are only suceptible to missiles for example) and a challenging mission.
Metroid: Ice Metal
By Crys
Explore an entirely new planet Nerion III. The game has Samus trying to deactivate an Aurora Unit after some GF Marines were unable to complete the mission. Heavy on exploration with a very non linear design, a unique color palette and with some extra story bits with small text blurbs. We even had a small GAF Thread abut it
Super Metroid Z-Factor
Another complete map overhaul, but other than that, the game plays exactly the same, so for those of you that know Super Metroid's control like the back of your hand it's perfect. Check out this neat teaser to see what's expecting you. Also, be sure to keep an eye on his next hack, Metroid X-Fusion, a Super Metroid hack that is going to be a retelling of Fusion and it's looking fiiiiine
Super Metroid: Eris (2012)
Takes place in planet Eris where you are dispatched after losing contact with the Federation on the planet. Heavy on survival as you explore the broken facility and the rest of the planet for clues.
Metroid Super Zero Mission
by skirt_box
This one comes straight from Japan and supposedly, it's quality is top notch. It's a holy union between Super Metroid and Zero mission, without all of the fluff that Zero Mission adds like way points and cutscenes. It's practically a completely new map and 3 times as large as Zero Mission. Sequence break fans rejoice! As it has tons of opportunities and secrets hidden throughout.
Super Metroid: Project Base
This is more of a tool than a game of itself, it keeps the original map mostly intact, but modifies Samus movement to be more fluid and to conserve momentum, faster firing speed, modified enemies, and new moves like the back flip, the speed ball and advanced equipment.
Hyper Metroid
Using Project Base as.. well a base for the fast paced and fluid action, this is a complete overhaul based on the original Metroid storyline, a new highly costumized weapon system and new areas to explore.
I hope all of you guys come in and share your experiences and help each other progress through these games. I'd be happy to add small reviews or impressions on each hack or add more recomendations as I'm sure some of you know a lot more than me about this.
