GuestLog in

A note about this review, this is about the "easy version" of Cliffhanger, as the original version is only playable by masochists. Even with the easy version, please take note that I only recommend this for very skilled players. If you are very good at Super Metroid, then this hack will offer up a very good challenge for you. Otherwise, don't play this hack. The easy version puts a lot of other hacks to shame in terms of challenge. I am writing my review with that thought in mind.

Cliffhanger (Easy version) Offers up an impressive challenge to any player. Enemies maul you, secrets must be discovered, and there is a prolonged heat run. I feel like this hack requires a lot of technical mastery to get the most out of it. Being proficient at walljumping is a must, and patience to refill your energy is also required. Cliffhanger has a scale of challenge that goes from Very Challenging to Outright Blistering. But besides that, exploration is also a nice focus of this hack. Yes it is difficult, but it offers up a really good exploration factor that most really challenging hacks lack. Cliffhanger is basically a normal Metroid game, with a heaping side of difficulty.

There are two major issues with this hack. The first is that there is a heat run. Actually, there are two of them. And the second issue is that players could accidentally skip Varia Suit and completely get themselves worked over. The first heat run requires you to have all the Energy Tanks you can collect at that point, and it cuts it close. DMantra actually did something very interesting in that you will have to do the heat run later, but take a different route. However, the interesting bit is all that is really good about them. The second time around however, you have a bit more leeway to work with. And the Varia Suit is hidden in a spot that not everyone notices. Yes, it does have a hint to it, and yes, the game implies you need it. But finding it, and in that location, is a very strange experience.

The Wrecked Ship area may also be a bit of problem area, as the Coven enemy will one-hit-KO you. And Cliffhanger loves making the player do all kinds of little puzzles and skill tricks to advance. Add an enemy that will destroy you in one hit to that mix, and you get serious potential for frustration and rage-quitting. I will also add that Cliffhanger does tend to hang onto making the player do little tricks to get around too much. At some point, it is nice if the player can start running through rooms much easier, but the only time that really happens is when you get your suits to protect from water and lava.

The exploration of Cliffhanger however, is pretty much the highlight of the hack. Following the Cliffhanger pattern for success, exploration is not exactly easy. As I mentioned before, traversing common rooms you will see a lot and having to constantly do little tricks and things can be tiring. But the exploration in just finding where to go and getting to new areas is easily the strength of this hack. Some very nice use of "room behind a room" is also done, in which a play looks like they are going behind the other room. This allows for crossover rooms on the map, making the player check out some more spots just to make sure they didn't miss anything.

PROS

• Really good exploration
• Reusing part of one heat run for another
• Lots of good little skill challenges
• Items and item progression very well done

CONS

• Very, very difficult
• First heat run is extremely tight
• Early rooms are still hard to travel and break the flow up after player has gotten many late game items

Again, only play this if you are really good at this game, otherwise it will be a bunch of frustration. But once you get beyond the tricks and learn to keep your health up, this hack really shines in exploration. This hack really brings up some wonderful areas and great secrets. Maybe a surprise or two as well. So while this hack certainly has its flaws, and is definitely not friendly, I still recommend it as a very good hack to explore.