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This rom is pretty polished and has no glitches that I noticed. It contains good level design, low to medium level of difficulty, basically the same graphics as the original with slight sprite changes here and there that stay true to the original game design. Surprisingly, the game itself wasn't an endless confusing labyrinth like some of the other Metroid 1 hacks I've played, which was a delight for me as it made navigating through it seem more fun and made for a quick and fairly smooth and easy play thru. I've played at least a half dozen other Metroid 1 level hacks and out of all of them Metroid X is definitely my favorite. Highly recommended!

Metroid X wasn't the first ROM hack I'd ever tried, but back in 2003, it was the first one I'd ever played from beginning to end. Right away, that says something about the quality of this effort: it was worth seeing through, and kept me engaged enough to want to experience the whole thing. It may sound strange, but it was almost a little bit emotional or at least uncanny - like getting to play Metroid for the first time all over again.

Now that it's been over two decades since the release of this patch, no doubt plenty of Metroid hacks have done wilder and more ambitious things. Still, when I replayed Metroid X the other day, I was reminded of just how solid it is - and how refreshingly free of kaizo nonsense or excessively-clever secret item placement. (I'm not interested in spending hours bombing every single block in the landscape to find a mandatory item; that isn't a good use of anyone's time.)

Metroid X feels like a Satellaview version of Metroid, if that makes sense. It's discernibly a bit shorter and simpler than the original, and by withholding certain early upgrades for quite a while, it forces you to focus on elements like the Wave Beam that you might otherwise spurn. Think of it as a remix, rather than a radical reimagining of the game, albeit with one or two elements restored like fake Ridley. Nothing about it screams "unofficial" or "fan-made", and nothing is self-indulgent or inappropriately goofy.

Are there downsides? Well, all the technical issues the authors mention are present, but none had any meaningful impact on the gameplay. I played through from start to finish on real hardware with no crashes or significant glitches.

A bigger issue is that the latter stages of the game are now quite linear, especially in Kraid and Ridley's lairs. While that can come as a relief if you're tired of navigating and mapmaking, it also makes the gameplay feel a bit cut-and-dried, since you're just pressing relentlessly forward with no real choices or surprises.

However the graphic overhauls in these areas are attractive. I appreciate the honeycomb pattern used to warn that a boss fight is imminent; that's a nice touch that makes it clear the patch authors were thinking about the player's experience. And if you make it all the way to Tourian, there are a couple of small surprises waiting for you.

All in all, this patch is a classy piece of work that's long overdue for a positive review. If you're looking for a new spin on Metroid - and you want something that feels less like a showcase for the author's wild ideas, and more like a remix of the original - then definitely check Metroid X out!