Okay, first let me say to the moderators that I'm not really sure if a post like this belongs here or in the General Discussion section, although it does happen to be ROMhacking-related...so please feel free to move it if it belongs somewhere else. I also wasn't sure if I should post a news report about this since the news submission section says that news articles without a corresponding project page may be rejected and I wasn't sure about the validity of submitting someone else's work without their direct permission, so just to be on the safe side I'll post it here. Sorry, I'm still just a newbie here trying to feel my way around.  \ Anyway, I thought this was a rather important development, and I haven't seen anyone else report on this, so here goes...

I was putzing about the 'net yesterday and thought I'd wander on over to the Metroid Database because I haven't been there in a while and I happened upon this news article. Apparently some previously unknown ROMhacker going by the moniker "SB" has created a Zero Mission style hack out of the SNES Super Metroid ROM.  I tried it out last night and it's basically exactly what I hoped it would be...a Metroid 1 remake using Super Metroid as it's engine, with Zero Mission style graphics, Super Metroid style sprites, and a map layout reminiscent of the original Metroid. The overall level design so far seems to be tighter than security at Fort Knox, although I'm currently having a lot of trouble progressing in the hallway leading to the bombs.  Nonetheless, I'd highly recommend checking this out if you happen to be a Metroid-phile. This seems to be a pretty amazing ROMhack by all standards.

Cheers and happy exploring. 

Yep, this hack came out of the blue. Metconstians mostly have good things to say about it. I've only played it a little bit, but I like what I see.

Took a look today and saw that this hack has been added to the database. Good!  :thumbsup:

That being said, I've actually had some time recently, amongst getting other projects done, to sit down and have a go at this thing. Let me say, in all fairness, that I really do like this hack, but it is kicking my ass!! I'm certainly not unaccustomed to playing these types of games, and 2D Metroid-series games in particular have always proven to be affairs that I can complete in three days or less...the ability to solve far-ranging puzzles like these comes with the OCD, I suppose. I certainly don't mind when a more difficult-than-usual Metroid game comes down the pipe, but come on already! When I said "hard", I meant I wanted it to be hard in a way that taxes my 143 IQ and makes me think outside the box, not hard in a way that taxes my patience by making me attempt the same move over and over and over just to fail time and time again. There are some parts of this that are needlessly hard...and I'm nowhere near even reaching Kraid yet.

One thing that bothers me is that when you first enter Norfair, you have to make a "hell run" through the first horizontal hallway you encounter in order to reach the elevator to Crateria on the other side. In other words, it's you beating feet through there sans Varia & Gravity suits as fast as you can while the heat is draining your energy. It's actually pretty easy to make it through this with energy to spare once you figure out the "puzzle" on how to do it. But naturally, a person's first instinct when encountering it, especially given the length of the hallway, is going to be to turn around and say "Can't go that way right now!"  A clue of some sort would have been nice.  \

Right now, I'm currently stuck in this really big room in Crateria where I have to use the grappling beam multiple times to swing all the way from the middle of the room to the top left of it like Tarzan hopping vines to get to this door in the upper left of the room. The problem is that the last big jump that you have to make is to a set of grappling blocks that are way off the visible screen to the left and above you, making hitting them with your beam as you fly upward on momentum toward it almost impossible for the average layman. And all the way down to the floor I fall again as I breath a sigh of disgust, dejected because, unfortunately, the only way to escape the area I am in right now and make any progress is to go through that #$&% door!! 

So for the time being, I've shut it off, deciding to return to it later as I have other things to finish at the moment. But I will return to it eventually. Despite it's difficulty I'm not about to let this game defeat me. I haven't crossed paths with a 2D Metroid game I couldn't finish yet. This game will be no different...that's a promise.

Cheers and happy frustrations.  :banghead: