Metroid Super Zero Mission - Thoughts

Metroid Super Zero Mission is a hack of staggering ambition. Crafting a unique rom hack out of Super Metroid's mold is difficult enough, but to throw Metroid: Zero Mission's blueprint in there as well—a game which itself is a reinterpretation of the original Metroid—is a mind-boggling task. The original Zero Mission acts as a sort-of interquel between the two Metroid titles, so I wasn't sure what Super Zero Mission was going to bring to the table. Plus most Super Metroid rom hacks are already "remixes" of the base game (aptly deemed "halfhacks"), and those are typically so lazily cobbled together that I prefer a hack that's wildly new and fresh (like Super Metroid Phazon). But SBniconico's take on the formula blew me away; Super Zero Mission is not only a stunning game in its own right, but its old school design is so meticulous that it becomes downright terrifying at times.

I would be hard-pressed to say that Metroid Super Zero Mission feels like a proper Nintendo title. It's as refined as Another Metroid 2 Remake, but AM2R frequently exhibits a soft, careful touch, so as not to drive off newcomers. Super Zero Mission, by comparison, is very much a game made by a Super Metroid expert for Super Metroid experts. It could theoretically be beaten by someone that has casually finished Super Metroid, but it would be an arduous and frequently punishing endeavor, requiring tight maneuvers like the midair horizontal shinespark. God only knows what is demanded of the player in the hard mode of the hack!

While Super Zero Mission is unarguably tricky, it never becomes insurmountable or cruel—not once did I need to revert to save states or backtrack to find e-tanks and missiles. But Super Zero Mission relentlessly tests your dexterity, observation skills, and memory of the older games. Even the bosses have undergone meaningful changes, their room layout altered and health buffed. There are two noticeable difficulty spikes in the game (Pirate Ship & Chozodia), but as long as you keep your wits about you and press on, you won't be stymied beyond a couple of painful deaths. I'd personally label the game "beatable" in the same way that I would tell anyone that Dark Souls or Contra is "beatable"; those unable to rise to Super Zero Mission's expectations will find it unfair, confusing, and ultimately frustrating.

Though the game is nowhere near impossible to finish, 100%ing it is a different matter. A couple power-ups are tucked away in such mystifying, nonsensical spots that finding out how to access them is akin to reverse-engineering a programming puzzle. For instance, speed booster blocks will taunt the player in a location far from flat land, and there's a constant use of foreground tiles that hide tiny morphball-sized paths. The presence of these ultra-hard power-ups don't ruin the game—I was definitely comfortable with my arsenal by the end—but it will be extremely vexing to completionists. Don't be surprised if Super Zero Mission reveals just how little of Super Metroid you truly understand.

Besides the maddening items that will linger just out of reach, the design of Metroid Super Zero Mission is also... pretty maddening. But it's a good kind of maddening, something that turns level designers green with envy. One of the biggest examples of this is that SBniconico has made hack super speedrun-friendly. This manifests itself in minor ways while you're playing; occasionally you'll stumble across a crumble-block cul-de-sac that tips you off to the presence of a shortcut. The concept is ripped directly from Zero Mission's speedrun-friendly layout, and like that game you're not likely to utilize any sequence breaks until you read about how you're supposed to access them.

What makes this feat more impressive than Zero Mission's is that the hack is massive, littered with plentiful opportunities for the player to get themselves into an area they're not prepared for. Yet SBniconico's design is so precise that it's not likely to happen, even when you think you've stumbled upon a secret path. In fact, Super Zero Mission depends on you sniffing out obscure tunnels in order to progress normally, especially towards the end when the game explodes into a maze of optional paths. This keeps you feeling like an intrepid explorer while hiding the fact that you're barely scratching the surface of the game's mysteries.

You would think that dull rooms and getting lost would be an inevitable byproduct of a hack of this size, but Super Zero Mission is almost always on point. Every room serves some kind of purpose and acquiring a power-up has you organically funneled towards your next destination. Even vets of Super Metroid will find themselves surprised by some of the twists and turns here; Tourian in particular is an awe-inspiring section that kept me on edge. If I had to describe Super Zero Mission in one word, it'd probably be "brilliant"—but it's a niche brilliancy, one that works due to the Metroid framework, cleverly juggling the known with the unknown.

Metroid Super Zero Mission's excellence is undeniable. Every area has been properly changed and feels perfectly tuned, incorporating an adroit blend of the base game with Zero Mission's philosophy—while still managing to exhibit SBniconico's unique, personal flavor. It's a great game!... but it's not for everyone. For Metroid experts, Super Zero Mission is a satisfying (and occasionally challenging) meal. For regular fans however, I fear it'll be an arduous climb that'll either make you hungry for more or turn you off of romhacking forever. I wouldn't stop anyone from trying the game out—it is great after all—I just wouldn't be surprised if their takeaway is that it's "too much."

Super Metroid Phazon - Thoughts

It is nearly impossible to re-capture what made the original Super Metroid so special. So much of the game is immersed in nostalgia, and what isn't is difficult to quantify and explain. There's a je ne sais quoi to its world and atmosphere—familiarity and alienation are masterfully blended together, forming a curious stew that you can never quite identify the ingredients of. And for the most part, a lot of Super Metroid rom hacks approach this untouchable recipe with strict reverence: weapon progression is similar, zones feel roughly the same, and your journey will always end with the player blasting Mother Brain to bits. But Super Metroid Phazon eschews with the formal, seeking to hone in on something that Metroid fans love but don't frequently emulate:

Weirdness.

Now, of course there's a lot of ugly, oddball hacks out there, but what those fail to understand is that Metroid has always had a sort of... dignified weirdness. The fauna is unnatural (if not a bit quirky) and the zones are colorful, but nothing is mismatched, nonsensical, or garish; a bright pink mossy almost makes sense coexisting next to a ruddy stone shaft. Metroid unnerves but never repels, and Super Metroid Phazon respectfully understands this concept. Not only does it shake up the typical Super Metroid item and boss progression, but it tugs at player expectations with its eerie alien ambition.

First, you'll awake as Dark Samus inside of a malfunctioning capsule, mere steps away from a free energy tank and an empty red door on the ceiling. Rather than run across the surface of an alien planet in search of the morph ball, you'll dive through underwater passageways, climb frozen cliffsides, and dart past a boss for your first missile pack. Soon you'll uncover a big room that displays a picture of all the areas in the game, your next destination indicated by a small flashing dot. You won't find maps to download, a ship to recharge at, or item hints on the minimap. And as you collect beam powerups, you'll find your arm cannon gets slower—rather than stronger—when the beams are stacked. While Super Metroid Phazon may look familiar, it doesn't feel familiar in the slightest.

What really helps differentiate it from a lot of other Metroid hacks is the visual presentation. Super Metroid Phazon brings with it a massive graphical overhaul, changing nearly every enemy, every zone, and even the UI itself. Caverns, phazon groves, and underwater trenches look realistic and beautiful at times, while the massive complexes of Tetrafuse are unsettling and inexplicable. The entire world of SR217 is infested with snakelike piping, protected by strange machinery that rarely resembles anything humanoid. The bosses themselves have really excellent sprites (Kraid in particular), their attack patterns the only indicator of what they once were. In fact, if there's one thing from Phazon I'm likely to remember, it's how bizarrely rectangular most of its enemies were.

Besides the new coat of paint, the most memorable aspect of Super Metroid Phazon is how massive the world is. My run-time clocked in at a total of 7:24 with only 77% of the items obtained, and (at least I thought) I was pretty thorough. A good chunk of time was spent hunting down the Prime-esque collectibles required to reach the final area (an interesting addition), as well as traversing the land since the screens themselves are also gargantuan. The Tetrafuse towers are mechanical mountains to explore, and the lower depths of the Sewers is one of the coolest journeys: it goes on forever and is mostly empty. "Vacancy" may not sound like much of a compliment, but plunging down to its dark, aquatic depths will make you feel insignificant and alone, eager to find signs of life (or missiles!) amidst the coral.

There's really not much criticism I have to offer for Super Metroid Phazon, as I really dug its aesthetic and direction. If anything, I feel the first half of the game where you're brilliantly strung along from powerup to powerup is the strongest, and sniffing out the Prime-collectibles in the second half not only lacks difficulty but is a bit too aimless (I accidentally missed the final beam powerup). I wouldn't say Phazon overstayed its welcome, but for as cool as the long trek through cavernous rooms are the first time, they're plainly exhausting on revisit. Warp points thankfully mitigate this issue, but you should still prepare your legs for a hefty workout.

If Super Metroid is one of your favorite games, I implore you to give Super Metroid Phazon a try. It's not a major overhaul that retools enemy AI or adds cool new items, but it deftly transcends the typical "second quest" trope a lot of hacks fall into. From the great new visuals to the completely new world, Phazon feels like an alternate dimension parallel to Super Metroid—or maybe more aptly, a third party stand alone sequel. It plays around with the Metroid formula and succeeds, creating a tantalizing soup to Super Metroid's special stew.