First of all, I’d just like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the good parts of this hack, which are the majority of the hack. HOWEVER, there are several GLARING issues that keep it from being one of the best. Some of these are Flashman’s stage, several areas in Wily stages where you can get stuck and have to reset, and Quickman’s buggy weapon. I really wanted to love this hack, but those issues mentioned are more or less game breaking, which is a shame.

Gameplay - 8/10

Aside from the 3 issues I mentioned, the gameplay is great and is a fine hack. Most levels are well designed with good and fun challenges. Weapons are revamped and so are the enemy/boss AIs.

Difficulty - 7/10 (not including Flashman’s stage)

The difficulty is perfect except for the excruciatingly difficult laser section in Flashman’s stage which I’ll get into. Aside from that, the challenge is just a bit easier than Gray Zone, and much easier than No Constancy and Exile. The bosses are all in the moderate difficulty range, making this hack actually very fun to play leisurely. HOWEVER, let’s get back to the nightmarish laser section in Flashman’s stage. The difficulty spike goes from 0 to 100 in this section in comparison to the rest of the hack, making it stick out like a sore thumb. And may I ask why?? Why even do that to a perfectly fine hack???? The section is only 4 screens long but on the last one you are required to do a pixel perfectly timed jump in order to survive. Just merely moving in the right direction won’t cut it. You need to know your MM2 physics and to apply it perfectly, all the while trying to make a clear path on a flickering light. And if you don’t, have fun starting from the beginning of the set. I must have tried more than 50 times and I finally gave up having to start over each time I lose all 3 lives. To this day, I am unable to beat this part without savestates. My suggestion: for a much more enjoyable experience with this hack, I suggest entering a password with Flashman’s stage already beaten and go from there.

Music - 9/10

The music is phenomenal in this hack. It’s right up there as one of my favorites along with Exile, No Constancy, and Gray Zone.

Graphics - 8/10

The graphics are great for the most part. Though there are areas that are more bland and could use more work. Overall very pleasant to look at.

Hacking Effort - 7.5/10

There are glitches to be found here and there. In the boss fight with Metal Man, you are actually able to leave the screen! Though Metal Man follows you on each screen so you’re essentially still fight him…this could actually make a cool hacking idea. Quickman’s weapon is buggy, though I’m not sure that’s intended. Other issues are areas in Wily’s stages where you can get stuck if you don’t have enough special items. There are no enemies either in those areas so you can be trapped in a pit and will need to reset the game.

Overall - 8/10

Overall, this is a fun hack and could have been a great hack if not for those glaring issues. The stages for the most part are well designed and fun to play. The OST is great which makes the playing experience very enjoyable. I do recommend this hack, but do yourself a favor and skip Flashman’s stage!