Download Super Metroid Z-Factor ROM Hack

Author: Metaquarius
Z-Factor
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November 30, 2012

Yay, I'm eventually done with my first hacking project. 2 years and a half working on this. Time has come to do a short presentation.

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DESCRIPTION

This hack is a complete make over of planet Zebes level-design wise, very few rooms actually look like they used to be. The planet is a little bigger now, it still relies on the original region structure but layed out differently. The gameplay is unchanged, no new abilities or stuff like that.

However, there're numerous small ASM changes and tweaks, mainly on PLM and enemies so as to keep the player interested in exploring. Item progression and item count has been sightly altered. Sequence breaking is also possible to some extent (might not be as permissive as SM tough)

This is NOT a hard hack but more difficult than the original game. Special/advanced techniques are NOT required to beat it. If you're not used to performing shinespark manoevers as well as the mid-air morph ball, you may have trouble getting some places later in this hack.

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ABOUT THE PROJECT

This project was a really interesting, but time-consuming experience, I'm globally satisfied with the result. My original motivation came from when I've played Legacy some years ago, I sensed there were grounds for building a much more interesting and extensive hack, something really close to the way SM is played but with a new aventure on Zebes.

Then as I gain more experience in the haking field, this project quickly became sort of a personal challenge, so as to prove myself capable of running a lenghty project from start to end alone. I always wanted to keep the hack simple, not really to aim at an overhaul hack that would require huge effort and time for a questionnable result.

Still, this year was very intense in the process of making this hack, I was forced somehow to rework on entire areas at some point. Several side projects like the Omega Metroid boss fight slowed down work on this hack but eventually I think it was necessary to make some pauses once in a while.

I still don't even realize it's done now, after all of this time struggling against dozen of relunctant shit... haaaa, memories. But enough talk, I'm looking forward your comments or reviews on this hack.
Happy exploring !

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THANKS

Special thanks to Jathys for making SMILE.
Thanks to Kejardon, JAM, Grime, Sadiztyk Fish, Black Falcon, squishy_ichigo, GF_Kennon for their incredibly useful documentations on Super Metroid.

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COPYRIGHT

Super Metroid is a registered trademark of its copyright holder.
This hack was made for pure entertainment and should not be sold by anyone. You may not rip out any content from it and use for your own work unless the author approved of it.

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KNOWN BUGS

- When entering from above in the drained torizo room (Tourian), strange graphic glitches may appear randomly.
Some emulators seem to handle this issue quite well, some others don't. Not game-breaking.
- When entering in the first Tourian room with snes9x1.43, level data is corrupted. Game-breaking.

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VERSION LOG

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- Version 1.0 : 30th November 2012

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- Version 1.1 : 2rd December 2012 
- Compatible with 1.0 saves

- an hidden missile pack in Crateria has a more obvious visual hint
- Torizo's room access is now visible on the Crateria map
- Spore Spawn's room access is now visible on the Brinstar map + a visual hint was added
- Chozo Ball Guardian's room is no more locked by a remote gate switch
- Chozo Ball Guardian's hp has been lowered by 2
- southest Brinstar bull enemies are not respawing anymore
- a spiked room in Green Brinstar has been edited
- Green Brinstar secondary elevator access has been made more obvious
- some desgeegas have been replaced by geemers (there're still few of them in Upper Norfair, be careful)
- the path to the Wave Beam has been made a little more obvious and easier
- less tricky jumps in some rooms in Norfair
- Wave Beam item no longer respawns (thanks Quietus)
- added map hint in raising acid room in Upper Norfair
- big sidehopper and mini-kraid now drops something on death
- some kagos were added before Crocomire
- a morph maze with violas has been made easier to navigate through
- a power bomb gate has been removed in the Wrecked Ship (possible permastuck)
- normal ki-hunter hp & damage has been lowered

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- Version 1.2 : 8th December 2012 
- Not compatible with previous saves

- a Crateria room has been edited to make escape sequence easier (no more pirates + less crumble blocks)
- lava in Crateria shaft rises faster during escape sequence
- noob bridge room in Green Brinstar has been edited (less spikes + hint added)
- wingless ki-hunter room in Pink Brinstar has been edited (secret path is more straightforward)
- removed some spikes in a Pink Brinstar room
- room leading to Spore Spawn has been edited
- removed out of place metallic stuff in a fireflea room in Green Brinstar
- removed out of place brownish tubes in a Pink Brinstar room
- hidden path leading to a power bomb pack in Brinstar has a more obvious visual hint
- hidden path leading to a missile pack in Brinstar has a more obvious visual hint
- removed a room which was originally leading to the remote green gate switch in southeast Brinstar
- added an hint in Kraid's lair to reach the boss room
- added an hint in the Spazer Beam room
- removed a misleading wierd-shaped wall in a Pink Brinstar room
- morph path to a missile pack in Green Brinstar has been edited sightly (bombing spot is not random anymore)
- a purple lettuce leaf trio has been replaced by less painful enemies in a Green Brinstar room
- bug refills added before Chozo Ball Guardian boss + blue gate replaced by doors
- room leading to Charge Beam has been edited
- hidden path leading to X-ray Visor has a little hint now (visible only if you don't destroy any fireflea)
- morph maze leading to an Energy Tank in Green Brinstar has been made easier
- removed slope permastuck in Norfair (thanks Aerezoloh)
- map hint added to find destructible wall which leads to the wave beam path
- flying platform in 4 gates room now moves off-screen
- big watery room with red pirates are been made easier (no more flying platform, must destroy all enemies to exit)
- respawning geemers near an Energy Tank in Norfair are slower now
- removed crumble block in a Norfair room which forces the player to take a bath into lava after collecting an item
- different map tiles revealed by Norfair map station
- Lower Norfair entrance has a slightly more obvious visual hint
- 2 game-freezing bugs has been removed in Lower Norfair :
   - using x-ray scope in dead marine room (thanks snibsnib)
   - hitting the lowest part of spiked crumble blocks (thanks Derakon)
- dead marine message says now "died and gone to heaven" instead of "gone and died to heaven"
- removed spikes on top of a Wrecked Ship room with small conveyer belt platforms
- removed mini-morph maze in a Wrecked Ship room
- room before Phantoon has been edited : it is now harder to take the "wrong" path and miss the elevator going to Gravity. Thanks to Crashtour99 for noticing this possible issue to me.
- more map tiles revealed by Wrecked Ship map station
- removed grapple permastuck in Maridia (thanks Prime Hunter)
- removed slope permastuck near the Speedbooster room (thanks Digital_Mantra)
- map hint added in East Maridia
- door-tube graphics partially fixed
- the path to Botwoon has some slightly more obvious visual hints
- removed possible permastuck in Tourian when the player runs out of power bombs/supers after saving in the first station. Thanks to Digital_Mantra for noticing this possible issue to me.
- little maze room leading to Tourian Generator has been simplified
- map hint added in Tourian
- a few enemies and boss now deal less damages and/or have less hp
- some more slight level design & enemy placement changes

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- Version 1.3 : 5th January 2013 
- Not compatible with previous saves

- Lots of minor level design adjustements, mainly removing things which look suspicious but aren't, misleading/wierd ornementations and making better hints.
- Main level design modifications are :
   - Grapple sections below Wrecked Ship
   - Crateria western elevator and surrounding rooms
   - Key spots leading to Crocomire, Wave Beam and Lower Norfair
- Possible permastuck fixed in Maridia (thanks Vorpal)
- Another possible permastuck fixed in Maridia (thanks Eppy)
- Fixed skippable one-way (with crystal flash) in Maridia which completely ruins the intended trip to the super secret room
- Now players shouldn't be able to use Slimes instead of Yards to dig through hardened sand near Spring Ball location
- Revealed map tiles changed for all areas, especially in Maridia, its map now shows the turbo pipe entrances