Metroid Other ZM - A Metroid Zero Mission Hack

[jaysee87]

You wouldn't happen to have a video solution for one of your spark puzzles would you?
[spoiler]I've stumbled across something in Brinstar and can't seem to figure out the last piece. It seems as if I need a really high ball spark to pull this off, after a giant spark chain. I feel that if you make it that far in the puzzle, this room shouldn't have the instant reappearing speedbooster blocks by the crumbles[/spoiler]

[Luce Seyfarth]

Found that one already? Damn...
Well, I can make one, because I plan to make some videos of gameplay anyway.

EDIT: I have a demonstration now, I'll put it under the spoiler tag. I would like to wait before putting it on youtube, though.

[spoiler]
You mean that room with the three unknown item blocks? You haven't seen what's on the other side yet ;)
Though I think you won't see that for a while anyway with your current item setup, even if you make it past that puzzle:

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86886568/Metroid%20Other%20ZM/Other%20ZM%20Brinstar%20Puzzle.zip

[/spoiler]

[jaysee87]

Oh, that's not a bomb chain? Interesting, a pb didn't destroy them all, much like a pb messes up a lot of other bomb chains. Guess I'll wait til the next major release. I'll find early pb's then speedrun this, maybe.

[Luce Seyfarth]

No, because then you would be able to go right over the last two unknown blocks.
Power Bombs work this way on them because thes ARE bomb chains - just vertical ones consisting of one block each. The reason for this is that normal bomb blocks can also be destoyed by speed booster and screw attack and regrow after a while (or are of the type which stays destroyed forever).

Glad that you like this enough to consider a speedrun :)
Chozodia is keeping me busy right now, there are just so many rooms (some of which actually exist twice and are loaded before/ after getting the fully powered suit), doors, types of doors, the music change event for space pirates for which I actually had to write a new ASM function so that it doesn't overlap all other soundtracks in the game...

[Luce Seyfarth]

--MAJOR UPDATE--

Time for this has been short the last couple weeks with my job, studies and private stuff. Editing Chozodia was also slow and steady work at times with all those rooms, Space Pirate behaviour and the need for some new ASM scripts.
Today I can finally release this new version :)

So yeah, Chozodia is redesigned, you will need to go there before Tourian and you will definitely not be able to get the Fully Powered Suit in there early. If one of you tries and gets Screw Attack early though, I would be glad if you tell me - because that one's definitely not intended and I'm not entirely sure the blockade I created works 100%.

I,ve uploaded the new version to Romhacking.net, the Link is still the same as before.
You can also download it via this URL, in case Romhacking.net still has the old version (new one is 3.1):

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/86886568/Metroid%20Other%20ZM/Metroid%20Other%20ZM.zip

[frozenLake]

I seem to have managed to get stuck in Ridley.

From the save room, two spaces diagonally up and to the right of the boss room, I can't seem to get out of Ridley with my stock of the Long Beam, Bombs, Normal Missiles, Morph Ball, and Power Grip.

If there is a secret passage in the room three to the left, I can't find it, along with potential passages in the room directly to my right, and down right, since that area seems to be one way.

And I didn't even /try/ to skip items, I just had no idea what to do, so if I need Speed Booster or Ice Beam, I'm pretty much doomed.

EDIT: After examining the map in Double Helix, I found a way out that... is not obvious at all. Yeah.
EDIT 2: Stuck again, this time in Kraid: After getting the speed booster, I am incapable of leaving the area, as I have missile blocks in my path that I cannot seem to reach... that if I had broken earlier, probably would have let me through. Yeah.
EDIT 3: Ended up managing to get an early Gravity Suit upgrade, without screw attack or any bosses defeated. So uh, Yay? Method to get it though was... rather glitchy and confusing. I had do do a partly invisible bomb jump so... yeah.
EDIT 4: Nevermind, after getting the Space Jump it seems intentional.

[Luce Seyfarth]

@frozenLake
The secret passage in Ridley is a difficult one, yeah. I'm glad you went there first, a bit different from most approaches.

Did you get Space Jump early, too? Without using Double Helix? Thats a good one if you did :)



One question though: Are you using the most recent version from romhacking.net? I'm really interested in comments about the new Chozodia; That one took a while to redesign...

[frozenLake]

Lets see: I managed to get stuck in Chozodia early on, when I entered it from the launcher below the main ruins.
The sheer amount of secret passages in here, required to progress makes it so that I actually needed to use Double Helix just to view everything. Ironically, I ended up getting all of the final upgrades before the screw attack, even though that it probably would have made things easier. There is also a large stock of map tiles that seem to be misaligned, and item totals after beating Mecha Ridley don't match up to reality. So, I have no idea as to where to go to complete it 100%.

The point I had to go through a Metroid infested room without the ice beam was... interesting, though. (had to do it twice because I needed to get the rails activated in the corner of chozodia, so... yeah.)

And yes, I did use the most recent version, I believe. That is the one... three posts ago, now, right?
But yeah, going through, this was a fun hack, and I really wish there were more hacks for Zero Mission.

(Is there some way to cancel a shinespark, midspark? I've been looking around and it seems like that would be the only way to access certain rooms, so...)

[jaysee87]

I haven't forgotten to go try your latest update Luce, just been fairly busy with a move and a new job as of late. Excited to scratch my head in Chozodia for a bit.

and Frozen, hopefully once Biospark is able to complete and release his editor, more people may get into ZM and Fusion hacking

[Hawntah]

and Frozen, hopefully once Biospark is able to complete and release his editor, more people may get into ZM and Fusion hacking

I'm sure they said the same thing about interdpth's editor :^_^:

[jaysee87]

Right you are.

[Luce Seyfarth]

and Frozen, hopefully once Biospark is able to complete and release his editor, more people may get into ZM and Fusion hacking

I'm sure they said the same thing about interdpth's editor :^_^:

True that. Though I don't think any editor would be enough for the really cool stuff... I have some pretty neat ideas that would require quite a bit of assembly hacking. I just need time for that. But I'm with jaysee here, finishing up my studies including a project at my university while still having to do my normal job... So yeah, no problem and thanks for the support :)
Still, working with a Zero Mission/Fusion editor where I won't have to open up a hex editor just for editing sprite set 2 or scroll data of a room manually would be nice ;)

@frozenLake
"misaligned map tiles" doesn't sound good :/
Last time I made a test run, I was able to get exactly 100% and the map was correct. Can you send me screenshots of your maps? If you only saved using an emulator and save states, then applying a later version of the patch can also make the map behave strangely - reloading a saved game normally will fix this, as long as I didn't relocate some minor expansions (which I didn't do since Version 3.1).

(No, you can't cancel a Shinespark midway through, I'm afraid you have to find another way :P
Out of curiosity, which rooms do you refer to?)



Right now I'm fixing some bugs left and right. Last one was a game-ending one: Space Pirates in Chozodia didn't drop any Missiles :/
If you see a new version number on romhacking.net, I fixed more bugs. Current Version is 3.3:
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2565/
While I'm at it, theres also a new video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyMCFfLntdg&feature=iv&src_vid=ds_Y1xN6gl0&annotation_id=annotation_2972562055

I will probably check the map tiles of Chozodia next.



Also, I love that Metroid room, just there to troll :P
Though if you can find early Power Bombs, you can bomb them into oblivion if you wish...

[Luce Seyfarth]

I fixed the two instances where I noticed wrong map positions (both in Chozodia), as well as unintended early Super Missiles in Chozodia.

I also checked Item placement with DH and the in-game Item counter and found no errors...

[FelixWright]

Nice trailer.

Question: How did you change samus' intro spawn?

[greenspectre]

Okay, so I picked this game up, and first I want to say that this hack has been a roller coaster, but it's so nice to play a Metroid hack that isn't SM for once! I much enjoy the color palette of Fusion/ZM, and the difference in physics is a nice mix-up. I enjoy the challenge that you have presented, but there is one area that I'm completely stuck in.

I am at Chozodia and stuck in a rather frustrating loop. From what I'm reading, I am due to activate the zipline next, and I even used double helix to figure out where I need to go, but I am blocked off from the area by two puzzles.

One seems to be one of those "Bomb block over fall block" puzzles you have put in, where I can slowly progress if I jump through the fall blocks as they are reappearing and execute perfectly timed top-of-the-jump-arc bombs, but the edge is a non-power-grip block, and I'm fairly sure it's physically impossible to tuck into morph ball at the top of that jump to proceed. This is the only version of this puzzle where there are only 2 layers of fall blocks instead of 3, for reference, in the grey-tiled area with 2 space pirates at the beginning of the hall.

The other puzzle is in the room featured in your trailer, where there is a missile block on either side of the passage, and in the trailer you enter from the right and hit the block, however I never did that, and am now stuck on the left side unable to get over to the right. Is there another way I am missing? I pored over DH trying to find any alternate path and cannot find one.

The only other potential entrance into the area I need to be is at the bottom of the shaft near the space pirate mother ship, but there's an upwards-only missile block keeping me from there.

Of course, if I had power bombs, none of these would be problems :)

So essentially, I'm stuck looping between chozodia and the mother ship, needing either power bombs or an active zipline to get out, and all I came for was the dang Ice beam!

Current equip- Morph Ball, Bombs, Long Beam, Power Grip, High Jump, Varia, Speed Boosters, Missiles, Supers, Gravity Suit, Wave Beam

[makazuwr32]

hello there!
i have one extremly little question: where can i find a power grip?!

[greenspectre]

Power grip is in the same place it is on original Zero Mission, but you come at it with Morph Ball and bombs and from a different area. If you hit fall blocks, don't give up! Keep trying!

[Cpt.Glitch]

Hmm, this looks interesting. I'm gonna give this a go later tonight.

[Dark-SA-X]

Does your hack work with mzm japanese rom, I prefer using japanese roms lately, also if I do beat this will a hard mode version be included  in your hack ?

Longer game play leaves for good replay value in the future.

[biospark]

Does your hack work with mzm japanese rom

No, different versions always require different patches (which means the same amount of work is required for each version).

[makazuwr32]

thanks for Power grip hint... now i need another: where can i get super missles first? both brinstar SM and Ridley's Giant Wasp SM are blocked for me by now.
i have:
morph ball;
bombs;
13 missle tanks;
2 additional energy tanks;
long beam;
ice beam;
speed booster;
Hi jump;
gravity suit unknown item.

[Luce Seyfarth]

Hey, thanks for trying my hack as well :)

Now for your questions:

@FelixWright

Nice trailer.

Question: How did you change samus' intro spawn?

Hey thanks :)

By ASM hacking her starting area, room and door, which was quite simple to find (actually, the destination of the "door transition" from the ship landing sequence). How to find and switch on the (undocumented) flag to enable map/hp status as well as making it so Samus wouldn't be frozen in place after saving for the first time was an entirely different story, though -.-

@greenspectre

I am at Chozodia and stuck in a rather frustrating loop. From what I'm reading, I am due to activate the zipline next, and I even used double helix to figure out where I need to go, but I am blocked off from the area by two puzzles.

One seems to be one of those "Bomb block over fall block" puzzles you have put in, where I can slowly progress if I jump through the fall blocks as they are reappearing and execute perfectly timed top-of-the-jump-arc bombs, but the edge is a non-power-grip block, and I'm fairly sure it's physically impossible to tuck into morph ball at the top of that jump to proceed. This is the only version of this puzzle where there are only 2 layers of fall blocks instead of 3, for reference, in the grey-tiled area with 2 space pirates at the beginning of the hall.

Good, because it should be physically impossible to clear those gaps. If you did clear one of them in the past I'd like to know (can you post or pm me a picture?), because that is one of the instances where I was not exactly sure if it would be impossible. Those gaps are supposed to only be cleared by Zero Suit Samus.

The other puzzle is in the room featured in your trailer, where there is a missile block on either side of the passage, and in the trailer you enter from the right and hit the block, however I never did that, and am now stuck on the left side unable to get over to the right. Is there another way I am missing? I pored over DH trying to find any alternate path and cannot find one.

That is indeed a shortcut to switch between these two paths in Chozodia. Don't worry though, as there is another place where you can switch paths - it's in the secret passage that Zero Suit Samus can use in the original Zero Mission to fall directly to the tube of glass. There are two ways to enter Chozodia (one requires Super Missiles, the other Speed Booster) - the Speed Booster leads directly to this loop you're in.

@makazuwr32

thanks for Power grip hint... now i need another: where can i get super missles first? both brinstar SM and Ridley's Giant Wasp SM are blocked for me by now.
i have:
morph ball;
bombs;
13 missle tanks;
2 additional energy tanks;
long beam;
ice beam;
speed booster;
Hi jump;
gravity suit unknown item.

You only need Bombs to go to Ridleys area, where Super Missiles are located.

@Dark-SA-X

Does your hack work with mzm japanese rom, I prefer using japanese roms lately, also if I do beat this will a hard mode version be included  in your hack ?

Longer game play leaves for good replay value in the future.

As biospark already mentioned, you can't use a japanese rom.
Hard Mode is just the same as in the original Zero Mission with some rooms having other enemies and expansions being weaker. I haven't thougth about making hard mode more unique, probably because normal mode's hard enough as it is.






By the way, has any of you found early Power Bombs or even early Full Suit yet?

I released a minor update to Version 3.5 which fixes a collision bug in Ridley and enables more flexibility with when to battle Kraid and Ridley.

[makazuwr32]

Hey, thanks for trying my hack as well :)

@makazuwr32

thanks for Power grip hint... now i need another: where can i get super missles first? both brinstar SM and Ridley's Giant Wasp SM are blocked for me by now.
i have:
morph ball;
bombs;
13 missle tanks;
2 additional energy tanks;
long beam;
ice beam;
speed booster;
Hi jump;
gravity suit unknown item.

You only need Bombs to go to Ridleys area, where Super Missiles are located.

is it in Giant wasp's  nest or somewhere else, that i need to search?

[Luce Seyfarth]

No, it's found deeper into Ridleys lair.

[makazuwr32]

could you give another hint where i'll get Super missles?
if it is a missle that in a room 2x2 with also an energy tank before the real ridley's lair i coudn't.
if it is in the ridley's lair, where is Gravity unknown in original MZM then i couldn't get there because i can't destroy lower missle block. i simply don't know how can i get there. everywhere supermissle blocks/Screw attack blocks.
Also i found several normal missle blocks in the room where in original was e-tank and a fake floor. it is on top, to the left of wasp's nest. i destroyed every missle block but still it leads to nowhere.
is there anything that i'm missing?