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I'm sorry for yelling like that, but it's just amazing. At first, it will seem that the hack is made for a grin. But actually - after playing it, I can just say that it is on the level... !STOP! It is too early to compare, it is necessary to describe its pros and cons.

Let's start with the pros, because they clearly stand out strongly.

1. Graphics. We tried to make it look like Indonesia, right? I've never been there, but I'll say this: "Very Good graphics." I may be wrong, but I haven't even seen this in other games. Masterfully tried, well done. Pleasant backgrounds, "platforms" on which the main character goes and, colors. They go well together. Sometimes it seems that they squeezed all the strength out of the old NES. (I even compared this to 16-bit graphics for some reason)

2. Levels. Nice to play, each level is a kind of art. Not violent, pleasant, which slowly adds atmosphere and adding complexity.

3. Interesting features and enemies. On one of the levels - you can come across new enemies that fit well into this Game. And still - features from the author, such as ice icicles, quick lasers and others. (we don't forget to replenish the energy of weapons)

4. Bosses. To be honest, I haven't seen anyone redraw bosses for a long time. (the last thing that happened was in the Rockman CX hack). And not only redrawn... Oh, getting ahead of myself... Redrawn very well. Don't even touch them. As if CAPCOM itself had a hand in them... I'm talking about robomaster, if that. But I will not only affect them. EACH BOSS is UNIQUE in its own way. EVERYONE IS INTERESTING AND MEMORABLE. Some give a challenge, some change AI - in a more interesting direction. Example: one of the bosses of Wily castle. A big robot, with only its head left... But it's the darkness, scrolling, his attacks - I inadvertently remembered the boss from MM7. Oh, I forgot about the new mini boss... But it costs you to play, so you can see it

5. Music. Each track is combined with each level, and, as I said earlier - gives the atmosphere. But one track still left a bad aftertaste... MM8 Wily Castle introduction... Honestly, I didn't like the sound... It's as if the original track was lowered under the water and it became buggy...

6. Megaman's Abilities. Here we tried to change them so that they differ from their originals. Did it work? And Yes, because many have a different usage pattern. And no, because there are some abilities that are clearly 1 to 1 with the original... Which leaves a twofold feeling. IT doesn't disappoint, however.

And now, what conclusions can I bring?..

This hack is on par with such as: Rockman CX, Megaman Reloaded, MM4 Voyage, Rockman 6 Spirits of Hackers.. the best that was created by experienced people. Why on a par? Because these hacks have high quality, playability, and interestability. It is not knocked out of the category, as other as (I will tell about it later). And it gives something new, in the OLD, Refreshing and so to say, redesign in a special way. This without words is a new game. I can recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy it!

Status: NEW GAME!

Mega Man: Indonesian Artifact

Levels: Excellent

Graphics: Excellent

Music: Good

Enemies: Good (few new ones)

Bosses: Excellent

Weapons: Excellent

Castle: Excellent

Difficulty: MEDIUM

Comments: Indonesian Artifact is Anandastoon's crowning achievement. What you have here is an extremely strong overhaul of Mega Man 5 that's essentially transformed it into a new experience. Levels are thoughtfully put together and appropriately balanced (Puzzle Man's stage is brilliant), weapons are radically changed and very fun to use (the new Power Stone rules), and almost every single boss is phenomenally fun (Badik Man is a treasure). Plus to top this adventure off, you have some fairly varied and interesting castle levels that test your skills without going overboard and stressing you out. It's honestly hard to find things to dislike here; the new music is good but isn't quite that catchy... and some of the scrolling is broken if you play on real hardware... and that's about it for complaints? Indonesian Artifact is a joy from start to finish, joining the ranks of No Constancy, Voyage, and Minus Infinity at the apex of good hacks. Don't let the eccentric name fool you — this one is a must-play for Mega Man fans.

Anandastoon is clearly a master of his craft. This hack has all new robot masters, each with their own behaviors and weapons. Yes, they're loosely based upon the original weapons of Mage Man 5, but everything's been tweaked here. You can switch weapons on the fly with the Select button, and even though you don't even need it with that, there's a built-in Energy Balancer; this is a love letter to Mega Man fans everywhere. Power Stone goes from being one of the most useless weapons in Mega Man history to being one of the best in this hack. Some of them are fairly intricate, too, so be sure to experiment with them. Even Rush Jet has been altered to be more like it is in Mega Man 3, which is always a welcome change. That doesn't mean that the levels are going to be a cakewalk, though; your skills will be put to the test, and saves are recommended, but the levels aren't cheap, either. The elements from Mega Man 5 are utilized in a way that makes the original game seem like it's just a demo; the gravity flips in Puzzle Man's stage are some of the most brilliant aspects of level design I've ever seen in a hack. The disappearing blocks are now faster, so it's easier to plot a path through them; they're still challenging, but they don't make my heart sink every time I hear that noise. You'll see elements implemented from other Mega Man games, too, and they are equally well done. Some of the later bosses also shift both color and behavior (some change the entire room!) when they reach half health, and there are some enemies that seem like they're completely new, made from scratch.

Visually, this hack may not be as crazy colorful as some of Anandastoon's previous work, but there's plenty here to love. Some stages seem like they don't borrow tilesets from anywhere, which is impressive. Tune Woman has a section that's almost entirely darkness and pulsating rainbows, and that color cycling is later used in Frozen Man's stage for an aurora. Proto Stage 2 has a weird section with the enemies from what would've been the jetski section that's almost like a little parade. Wily Stage 2 has a one-screen section that has a storm, completely with lightning and thunder, just because. My favorite new level is probably Marine Man, which starts out in a peaceful lake with equally soothing music, but lets you go deeper into the dark depths of the water. The music seems all new, too, ranging from sunny and happy to dark and haunting; I didn't recognize a single song, so they could very well be original compositions... okay, that's not entirely true; I did recognize the Wily music, and as silly as it should be, it somehow works with Mega Man 5; I don't know how. If all that's somehow not enough for you, this even has a new story that's good for a Mega Man game. This hack impresses in all possible areas, and I'd highly recommend it to anyone who likes Mega Man and isn't afraid of a challenge.

I'll try to keep this short and sweet. This is probably the BEST Mega Man hack I've played in the last few years! No joke! The level design, music, and graphics are all really very well done and you actually feel like your playing a new Mega Man game on the NES rather than a ROM hack. The boss redesigns were really cool and creative, as well as the ASM changes in play. This hack seems a bit harder than the original Mega Man 5, but the challenge is welcomed, as I felt the original game lacked in challenge. Don't worry though, this isn't one of those "challenge hacks" that requires mass save states. Overall, the challenge of the game is on par with the rest of the original series.

Anandastoon's "Indonesian Series" of hacks were all really good hacks, but I'd have to say this is by far the best. If you haven't played any of these hacks, give them a try... especially if you're a huge Mega Man fan like myself. You wont be disappointed. Very well done!