I really wanted to recommend this hack but after about 10 hours of gameplay I had to give up. It is really difficult, to the point that it’s near impossible without save points or rewinding in an emulator. I could have dealt with just using save points but the game becomes a chore due to unnecessary backtracking.

Pros:

• New overworld that is fun to explore
• Some new items to use and be found

Cons:

• Requires a lot of backtracking that’s not explained. There are at least 3, maybe 4 keys in the first palace that you can’t get until later in the game that are required in the 2nd palace. The 2nd palace is really far away (without the hammer) and is a chore to travel back and forth.
• Some odd choices where sometimes lava acts like swamp where you can walk through it. I missed several items initially because I thought it was lava. IN the same room there is a pit with red lava that will kill you then right afterwards lava that you can walk through like a swamp.
• In order to get some key items you have to find things that are near impossible without randomly stumbling upon it or watching someone find it on a youtube playthrough. For example the missing cat that you somehow have to know is invisible and on the roof.
• Difficulty. Yikes, a lot of later game enemies from the original show up at the beginning of this game. Sometimes you also have to battle the boss multiple times in a palace.
• Unlike the original game, beating a palace boss does not give you XP up until your next goal. You just get a static 500xp. This ends up requiring unnecessary grinding to upgrade.