Hack Showcases and RPG Hack Showcases are a series where I show off various game and rpg hacks. I try to stick with hacks that improve gameplay or add quality of life features, completely or partially change the plot and characters, along with additional content, dialogue, graphical and sound improvements. Non-rpgs I try to give a full run to, or at least enough for a solid review. Rpgs I will stick with titles that have enough changes in the beginning to show off, and when I can, show parts later in the games where more differences appear. There may be spoilers in the reviews and videos. Some of these I may stream fully in the future or play on my own. Reviews are open to later revisions due to bug and content updates or me playing them and finding anything new I wish to bring up.
FF2: Threat From Within part 1 is a hack that has been in the making for a long time by Chillyfeez of FF4 Ultima fame. The first part of a 4 part(?) series, this one takes place 40 years after the events of FF2/4, and 20 years after the events of The After Years, in a time where the crystals lost their power after Zeromus was defeated and the second moon left Earth’s orbit. In the years since, King Edge has been rebuilding Eblan and established the Royal Eblana Mercenary Army (REMA), a ninja force for hire, to help with problems around the world. Edge’s son Furio is about to set off on his first mission, which will set off a chain of events that will endanger the entire world, yet again.
More information from romhacking.net: The gameplay will be familiar but the story is brand new and there are many new gameplay mechanics, including:
Limit Breaks!!
Hirable Mercenary Characters!!
Chocobo “Hunting”!!
Epic Choices – Decisions the player can make to alter how the events of the game play out!!
With most romhacks, strongly suggested to check out the readme files for advice on the changes to hacks and any gameplay tips, especially with rpgs. Readme files for rpg hacks can contain additional gameplay advice, etc, and it’s worth subscribing to hacks you like on RHDN to keep up with updates for bug fixes, additional content, etc.
Hack Showcases and RPG Hack Showcases are a series where I show off various game and rpg hacks. I try to stick with hacks that improve gameplay or add quality of life features, completely or partially change the plot and characters, along with additional content, dialogue, graphical and sound improvements. Non-rpgs I try to give a full run to, or at least enough for a solid review. Rpgs I will stick with titles that have enough changes in the beginning to show off, and when I can, show parts later in the games where more differences appear. There may be spoilers in the reviews and videos. Some of these I may stream fully in the future or play on my own. Reviews are open to later revisions due to bug and content updates or me playing them and finding anything new I wish to bring up.
Darkness Within is a FF4 hack by Rynzer completed in 2019. This hack starts out very dark where Palom and Parom are killed by baron soldiers and Cecil is killed during the assault on Mysidia for the crystal there. You end up in the underworld doing tasks for the King of the Underworld to restore your soul. From there the plot proceeds partly like it would in the vanilla game, but in a different order, just like you did the underworld missions when you started. Party members you know and love will join at different times and sometimes have a new ability than the original title with a number of other twists.
With a revised plot comes new dialogue and other changes to the gameplay and other mechanics. Some spells that you could target on all enemies can now only target one enemy, different consumables replace some from the original, and now you only have to buy 1 arrow and you’ll not run out! Enemies were rebalanced or nerfed depending on where you are in the story, and this hack can be hard! Especially in the beginning!
With most romhacks, strongly suggested to check out the readme files for advice on the changes to hacks and any gameplay tips, especially with rpgs. Readme files for rpg hacks can contain additional gameplay advice, etc, and it’s worth subscribing to hacks you like on RHDN to keep up with updates for bug fixes, additional content, etc.
TMNT Rescue-Palooza is a fangame released in 2019 using the OpenBOR engine by Merso X. Sporting over 60 playable characters as you unlock them and over 17 stages this game is a love letter to anyone who grew up watching any of the TMNT cartoons, and/or played any of the brawler arcade, NES or SNES games. You can play this as a single player or up to 4 players! The latest version of this game was released in July 2019 and the latest version 1.15.
Stats: – 60 playable characters – 17 stages – 4 Bonus stages – 4-player local coop – Improved graphics – Voice clips from the TV show – Rideable vehicles – Countless references to the original TMNT cartoon and toyline!
Monster Party came out in North America in 1989. An obscure platformer game with a cult following, this game tells the heartwarming story of a winged monster named Bert enlisting a young boy named mark to help rid his world of evil monsters with just his baseball bat. This game parodies horror movies with the look of enemies and various bosses. This game can be downright weird at times. A canceled prototype of this game was discovered in 2011, and a dump of the unreleased Japanese Famicom edition was released in 2014. A hack made converting the NES edition to the unreleased prototype can be found here.
Shadowgate was ported to the NES in 1989, The Uninvited in 1991 and are 2 games as part of the Macventure series, the other 2 games being Deju Vu I and II. Originally on Macs and PCs, these games are point and click adventure titles which involve solving clues, picking up items, and overcoming obstacles. Death is something you’ll get used to a lot in these games as they involve a lot of trial and error. You’re shown the room you are in, and you can see your inventory along with any magic spells you may discover. At the bottom of the screen you have a list of simple commands you use to manipulate objects in the rooms you encounter, along with using items on yourself. Shadowgate has a time limit, shown with how lit your torches are as you travel the castle. A time limit comes into play upon picking up a certain item in Uninvited. Seeing how the games in the Macventure series are all pretty much the same, except for settings, this review will be for both Shadowgate and The Uninvited.
Circle of the Moon is the first of the GBA Castlevania games which follow the Metroidvania formula established and popularized in SOTN. Taking place in 1830, Morris Baldwin leads his son Hugh and student Nathan Graves to Castlevania to stop Camilla from reviving Dracula earlier than expected. Morris is captured and Hugh and Nathan are forced to find their way through the castle to fight Dracula. You take the role of Nathan, who carries a whip that can also be spun around and used as a shield against projectiles and kill weaker enemies. Dracula’s castle holds many secrets in its various areas and you need to use all the skills you have to find your way. The DSS cards you find from enemy drops give you different offensive and defensive abilities when used together. Each of the action cards is based on someone from Roman mythology, while the attribute cards take from Greek and Roman names. This castle holds different areas than what other Castlevanias have, including a Battle Arena. This game was eventually taken out of the main Castlevania continuity.
Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti is the 2nd game in the Splatterhouse series, only released on the Famicom system in Japan. Unlike the other games in the series, the game is in the super deformed style, and parodies various horror and sci-fi movies from Evil Dead, Friday the 13th, The Fly, and more. Locations and enemies are all parodies from movies too. There’s even a vampire that does Micheal Jackson’s Thriller dance! The game has an experience point system, where defeating an enemy adds an xp point to your list. Getting it at max will add a point of life to your life bar. The game has a password system and limited continues, and 2 hidden areas to find Crystal Orbs which will give you additional scenes in the ending, which the password will reflect when you find the 1st one. The plot goes Jennifer crying over Rick’s grave when lightning strikes it and revives Rick. Lightning also revives the Pumpkin King who kidnaps Jennifer. Rick must fight his way through various horror parodies and locations during the course of 7 stages to save Jennifer. An English translation patch for the rom can be found here.
Retrorevisited is a stream series where I revisit a game or a game series I haven’t played in over 10 or 20+ years. I’ll go through to try see what I remember until a game over or I run out of continues. In some cases muscle memory may slowly return, in others probably not. This is a chance for me to revisit games of my youth that I still have or had at one point, playing them with and without nostalgia goggles, and do with mini-reviews of them too. If I decide to play any fully later and do a full review, parts of the mini-review would be incorporated into it. Depending on the playstyle or system, games reviewed will either be mini-reviews or one about all games in this session.
So I’ve always enjoyed the early and recent Castlevania titles from the first one to SOTN, the gba titles and Dracula X Chronicles. Even with the high difficulty of some games and the metroidvania aspect to the titles post SOTN they were always ones i came back to. Castlevania 1 was one my first NES games which I think i still have. I could always at least get up to the area before Death and i learned on my own as a kid and teen how the holy water can lockdown bosses. CV3 i rented a lot as a kid too and loved the improved graphics and music and the aspect of having one of 3 partners. So much in my password notebooks I had passwords for wherever I left off in cv3 with Trevor and Grant, Alucard or Sypha! No idea where the farthest i got was, but maybe around the beginnings of penetrating Castlevania itself. Castlevania 4 I loved and still do to this day as a 1st gen SENS title showcasing the SNES’ abilities. The music is incredible and being able to swing Simon’s whip in any direction was great! The boss fights and levels were incredible to my young eyes and I had a number of passwords for this one written down too!
(Reviews will be of cv1 and 3 together, and cv4 in a separate paragraph due to different system as the other 2.)
GRAPHICS AND SOUND: The graphics in cv1 and cv3 are beautiful and really fit the mood of the game. There’s some areas that are brightly colored, and others that are darker and forbidding. The color schemes really fit the mood, underground areas and forests are what you would imagine them as you penetrate the grounds of Castlevania to fight Dracula himself. All the bosses are big and colorful and look as they should. There is some graphical flicker in cv1, not as much in cv3 though. The music in these games is legendary! Cv1 you hear the classic Vampire Killer and Bloody Tears for the first time and will be pumped up to fight! Music in other areas fit the mood, like the underground you fall into after fighting the Mummies in cv1. Music is even more incredible in cv3 with more instruments to the classic Castlevania tracks, and you’ll like the music in the Clock tower area too! Killing enemies with your whip makes them explode, your hero “oofs” when hit, and the sub-weapons sound as they would in real life such as the sound when you throw the boomerang or break bottles of holy water all over the floors.
Castlevania 4 was one of the first SNES titles and a showcase of what the new 16bit machine could do with better and more enhanced colors and palettes, along with showcasing the mode 7 abilities during some boss fights. Like the NES titles, the graphics and colors fit the mood of the area of the castle grounds you’re in and check out the backgrounds too! First time you hear the 16bit music you’ll love it and want to hear more, from the 16bit renditions of the classic Castlevania tracks to Theme of Simon in the first stage when you enter the castle grounds! Sound effects are cleaner than that of their NES counterparts, though again Simon yelling “oof” when he gets hit will get annoying. The creeking sound when you swing on rings really sounds good!
PLAY CONTROL: In cv1 Simon controls like a brick. He feels quite heavy when it comes to jumping and falling off platforms. You got a whip and jump button, and using the special items involve holding up and your attack button. Cv1 and 3 will require pixel-perfect jumps at times, though it can be for nothing with the pushback if you get hit by an enemy. Trevor in cv3 controls a lot looser and lighter. Jumping feels lighter and he doesn’t seem to feel wet cardboard. Of course both games you can lose control fast if you get juggled badly.
When it comes to your partner sin Castlevania 3, all have strengths and weaknesses. Grant is good for crawling on walls for shortcuts, but he has low range and he’s slippery trying to control him on walls. Slypha’s a glass cannon, but her magic can destroy everything! Alucard has range with his fireballs and can turn into a bat to fly over obstacles.
In cv4 Simon controls a lot better. You can also swing your whip in 8 directions to be able to attack enemies before you jump, along with holding it in front of you like a shield. Jumping is easier and there’s spots in the game where you have to swing your whip on a ring and swing over to farther platforms.
CHALLENGE: The challenge in all 3 Castlevania games is about the same: hard. Memorization is the key – memorizing where enemies spawn from and how they move, including bosses. Another key is the aforementioned pixel-perfect platforming at times, and the knockback when you take damage, which can leave you in trouble fast. Whip and explore everywhere to find hidden hearts, treasures, and wall meat! Knowing how and where to use the sub-weapons is another key. In cv1 you can use the holy water to lock some bosses in place, and just pelt them with holy water and attacks from your whip to achieve victory with little damage. Bosses range from mummies, cyclops, dragons, and even Death himself before fighting the big man Dracula. Thankfully all 3 games have unlimited continues, and cv3 and 4 having a password to return to where you left off. Cv3 also has three partners you can take with you: Grant, Sypha, and Alucard. Each has their own abilities and skill set. Grant can climb walls, Sypha with her destructive magic skills, and Alucard can turn into a bat and fly around and over obstacles. Castlevania 3 also has multiple paths on your journey to and into Castlevania itself, with different enemies, landscapes and bosses to fight, and partners to find.
I GIVE CASTLEVANIA 1 AND 3 (NES) 4 OUT OF 5 HOLY WATERS! I GIVE SUPER CASTLEVANIA IV (SNES) 4.5 OUT OF 5 HOLY WATERS!
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Released by Tecnos Japan in the US in 1990, River City Ransom is an open-world beat em up title with many rpg elements. It’s part of the Kunio-Kun series, which also include Renegade, Super Dodge ball, and the Crash n The Boys series. The plot involves Alex and Ryan as they fight their way through mobs of gangs to break into the River City High School to beat down the leader of the gangs named Slick and save Ryan’s girlfriend. You’ll encounter a number of mobs all wearing different shirts and some stronger than others with names like “The Frat Guys” and “The Generic Dudes”and get money from them upon defeating them and the gang leaders on your way to the high school. One funny aspect is your enemies yelling “BARF!!” upon defeat. Collected money can be used to increase all your stats along with your endurance and max health bar. Items to buy include special books to make your attacks faster, items to wear to increase your stats, other goodies, and various foods. The game doesn’t tell you what these items you can buy in the malls do, so it’s a lot of trial and error or looking up a walkthrough, or having the map from Nintendo Power. There is one path to getting to the high school and you have to fight a series of gang leaders on the way, and sometime backtrack to fight others. Fighting style is punches and kicks, using weapons, and jumping like the Double Dragon games.
So I have a long history with the Mega Man games growing up. I came up with the Mega Man Derusting series to do such a task. The goal is to play and finish the Mega Man classic series along with most of the X series and some other Mega Man titles. I still have some of my Mega Man and X carts and discs and hadn’t really played them in years but I wanted to share my adventures on stream of relearning my way through the classic titles, and in some cases finish the later games to completion!
THE REVIEW: Mega Man 3 is my favorite of the classic series and the one I have the most experience with. I still love it to this day even with its faults. The story goes Dr. Wily and Dr. Light are working together to build a peace keeping robot(?) named Gamma. They needed extra material so they sent Mega Man out to acquire them and he has to fight 8 new Robot Masters. There’s also the fights with the mysterious Break Man who shows up in some levels to test you. This is also the first of the Mega Man games where after the 8 Robot Masters you don’t go straight to Wily. You have to fight the might 8 Doc Robots in 4 of the previous stages. The Doc Robots have the powers of the Robot Masters from Mega Man 2! Wily was behind everything all along! In Dr. Wily’s newest castle, you’re gonna find yourself fighting a rebuilt Yellow Devil too! Dr. Light also built Rush, a robotic dog to assist Mega Man instead of using utility items. Rush can fly, bounce you higher, and act as a submarine. This is the first MM title with Rush, who becomes a recurring helper in the later games, and the second MM title (and last) where the password system also carries your up to 9 Energy tanks too. Learning a lot about this title recently I’ve discovered there was quite a bit about MM3 that was unfinished or unpolished, leading to lots of glitches to exploit (like getting the Rush Jet early!)
Hack Showcases and RPG Hack Showcases are a series where I show off various game and rpg hacks. I try to stick with hacks that improve gameplay or add quality of life features, completely or partially change the plot and characters, along with additional content, dialogue, graphical and sound improvements. Non-rpgs I try to give a full run to, or at least enough for a solid review. Rpgs I will stick with titles that have enough changes in the beginning to show off, and when I can, show parts later in the games where more differences appear. There may be spoilers in the reviews and videos. Some of these I may stream fully in the future or play on my own. Reviews are open to later revisions due to bug and content updates or me playing them and finding anything new I wish to bring up.
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