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So, playing Super Junkoid relative to having already played and loved Junkoid was sort of analogous to playing Super Metroid back in the day! The difference is that it didn't take 6 years (I first played Metroid in kindergarten back in 88' and along came Super Metroid in 94') for me to get to experience the sequel. Both times, however, I went into the experience hoping that the new installment would manage to capture the magic of the original while expanding on that world and atmosphere I already loved. And just like the game Super Junkoid is derived from, it blasted through my expectations like Samus'gunship hurdling up, up and away out of Zebes' atmosphere!

I really loved this came and it's really interesting to me how I can feel like such a fan of a franchise that doesn't exist commercially. It made me reflect on how this game, while obviously based on and derived from Metroid creatively morphs into its own thing. The Junkoid universe is truly a separate entity almost like a new distinct species with an undeniable evolutionary ancestry.

Like Junkoid, there's a profound duality going in that combines almost Japanese kawaii (cutesy) aesthetic with one of the most of the sinister atmospheres I've ever encountered in gaming. I don't want to give anything away, but, seriously: it's really dark. While Junkoid had an enjoyable creepiness (okay the final area that was constructed of corpses was a bit dark, but it always felt like just Ghosts N' Goblins level of horror, but more nuanced and original), this is genuinely unsettling at times. It's a genuine exploration of the darker shades of human psychology- in 16 bit sprites!

As can be the case in video game "horror", there's nothing cliche or campy about the horror you're confronted with in the Junkoid series, particulary Super Junkoid. The serpentine antagonist and its sort of sadomasochistic realm that Junko must liberate herself from is truly nightmarish. The nature of idolatry is really explored... literally by little Junko in which she uncovers the horrifying and disturbing underbelly of her admiring entity's infatuation and worship. The way this is communicated tacitly and visually is also reminiscent of Super Metroid to me. You could say it's just a Romhacked game for Pete's sake, but I found this descent into the subterranean landscape of the dark soul of infatuation profoundly artistically satisfying.

Also, the soundtrack was 100% up to the job of translating all that mystery and forlorn etherealness into a more than worthy score. There's Metroid track or two adjusted to the atmosphere of Junkoid and I was really impressed at how the tracks were adjusted to feel like what Junkoid world should sound like. I would have been turned off if someone told me there was a Castlevania track, but, again, it is scored in a way that the track becomes Junkoid. As a musician once said, a cover should be reborn as the work of whoever is covering it.

Now, if Super Junkoid had all this artistic merit, but failed as an actual game, I would not recommend it. The fact, I found the actual gaming experience to rival the original Super Metroid - the controls are really similar, but how game proceeds was so anticipatory. I loved how the creator sort of messes with your anticipation based on your familiarity with Super Metroid and sets a few pitfalls here and there. There was one in particular that I was literally amazed at how inventive it was. That's sort of the subtle art of one aspect of this romhacking stuff sometimes, it seems: being able to use someone's anticipation of something occurring a given way, namely because they might have been experiencing it that way for 30 + years, and throwing a bit of a grenade into those expectations. That is something that is pretty amazing about this medium of romhacking. But, during this gaming experience, I often felt like I was watching Twin Peaks for the first time and fully consumed by a, "Who Killed Laura Palmer" level of mystery. There's just this atmosphere in which you feel like there's some answer to this dark riddle world and I personally stayed hungry to know the answer to it for the entirety of the game. But, to draw another David Lynch comparison, don't expect any clear cut like "explanation" at the end . The best mysteries remain mysteries.

So, like its predecessor Junkoid, I can't believe something this good only has a couple thousand downloads. If you loved Super Metroid, but wanted experience it as a kind of nightmarish acid trip version of a Miyazaki film with David Lynch/surrealist undertones (I'm thinking how sold I would be if someone pitched it to me that way before I played it haha) then don't hesitate to patch that sucker! After a year of discovering romhacks, this has been my favorite.

It's like a completely new game! I think I'm only 40% done. The thing I love most about this rom hack is how intuitive the gameplay is. I'd say it's intuitive enough for even my dad to play it, he's just learned how to wall jump in the og.

Pros: The hack looks amazing. It's like pretty much 110% entirely new textures. The Junko sprites are well put together and give off vibes of familiarity. Speaking of familiarity, the rat familiar is so clever as the morph ball equivalent. The Blood area is sooooo creepy, if the goal was to make the player feel uneasy, you completely achieved that for sure. The aesthetic for everything is just epic.

My ONLY Cons: I haven't made use of the gliding screw-attack-esque mechanic other than moving through the Deep Purple more easily. (Maybe I haven't figured out how to use it properly) And the positioning of hoppers can be a little annoying sometimes. Sound effects are too familiar despite how entirely different the atmosphere of the game is.

I see this hack as the new standard to achieve in order for me to play it all the way through. Way to go, I hope to see more hacks like this and I'll be on the search for hacks similar to this that were made in the past.

It is rare, but sometimes the sort of talent that'll turn even the biggest heads goes solemnly to work in its own space and of its own accord, away from the market, and away from center stage. Whether out of humility, introversion, or whatever insecurities an intelligent artist may labor under, an integrity is sensible: a mature design voice paired with a consistent, Dedalian urge to world-create. Here is an example that measures up so closely in quality to it's masterwork, and iterates upon it so truthfully that I hope Super Junkoid is played by Deer Force so that they know the fire still burns.

I could find no fault in anything, really, and I was looking with a hater's eye. The level design here is as worthy of study as the original. There is a thoughtfulness absent in most well-funded, modern titles. Sometimes tools which make the process easier, like editors and code previewers, allow for trial and error to quickly curve-fit so that something that works can be arrived at and implemented fast. Instead, there is a distinct pen-and-paper-permanence to Super Junkoid's world I was delighted to feel and exist in. As a sort of "reader's trust" builds, you realize you're working with a real one, that you're lucky and magic is happening. I felt this in Metroidvania most recently in Hollow Knight. But there's something even more satisfying in knowing that this has been achieved under comparatively extreme creative limitations, and through smoldering, unmoneyed passion and a steady hand could THIS magic be brought back to life.

Please download and play this if you are at all serious about Metroid and what it means.

This hack was crazy good man, I played it all in one sitting two days ago and I'm still thinking about it, it's got one of the most intriguing and fascinating worlds i've seen in a game. I even registered on this site just so I could recommend it.

This game asks the question: "What if Card Captor Sakura was trapped inside a story written by H.P. Lovecraft?"

It's one part magical girl and one part dark fantasy.

There are moments when you'll feel like you're playing just another Metroid clone. The sound effects haven't been replaced, so it sounds just like a Metroid game. The music is also very Metroid-ish.

The graphical assets that are being used are outstanding given that this was seemingly done by just one person. I DO admire that. However, the monster sprites will sometimes feel uninspired. The boss battles in particular will remind you that this is still just a Metroid clone. It's not required, but I'd love to see this game eventually stand apart from its roots (grounded in Super Metroid) altogether.

Could the game use a little more polish? Of course. But, you'll enjoy the ride as you play along. Hands-down, it's one of the best homebrew games I've played. It comes highly recommended.

This one is really something. Very much like the NES Metroid hack with the same name, the basic bones of Metroid are all there, but with a different character and atmosphere.

This game is way more chill than Super Metroid. Calmer somehow. Maybe it's the little kid protagonist. The pacing is a bit slower and I'm all for that.

The pixel work is great. Nothing too garish like I've seen in other hacks. This helps a TON with the atmosphere. Add that to the wistful sound track and oh man, this one's a winner!

This hack instantly opens with incredible atmosphere and maintains it throughout the whole game. The new mechanics are a lot of fun, sometimes even improving on classic SM in my opinion. Perhaps the best part after the art and atmosphere is the level design, every area has its own architectural style and fantastic pacing/looping, some very fun secrets to find as well. I appreciate the hp upgrades giving less health than in SM, since it was easy to become too tanky very fast, negating a lot of the tension. Boss fights are pretty much the same, with very minor changes like hp and projectile speed, but have great sprite replacements. The pixel art is very inspired, with interesting and well rendered creatures and tiles. It's not too difficult, at about the same level of difficulty as the base game, perhaps a slither higher, which makes it a great beginner hack. One minor gripe is that the map rooms perhaps reveal too much. I would have had them show item positions but not the actual rooms leading up to them. It's beginner-friendly, though, not everyone has played so many of these types of games. If a rom hack can be a game of the year (and I believe it can), this is mine!

This is an incredible hack that completely changes the mood by the color scheme, stunning visuals of new level elements and especially the main character as well as the animations. That alone justifies a recommendation for this hack, but the game itself (aka levels + story) are great too. Lovely hack!