GuestLog in

There's definitely some cool ideas in this game. I don't really see a reason to add blood into the game, but that's just a preference of mine really. Also, the changed physics and speed of some attacks makes the game feel very different and while I don't prefer it, it's nice to mix it up after however many years the game has been around.

I think this author ought to consider a new hack that takes the good stuff from this one, especially if he has any familiarity with Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers for SEGA.

I'd like to see the larger health bars become a feature of Street Fighter hacks. I regularly still play Super Street Fighter II on Genesis with friends and would love for the throws to do less damage and the matches to last longer. So in that way, this rom hack succeeds greatly, although I think the title of it suggests it's a graphics hack. Honestly, I think the changed aesthetic for the health bars and other stuff takes away from what is otherwise an interesting/fun hack, even if it's a bit gimmicky as far as the speed / spammy special moves.

This hack not only adds blood sprays, but changes quite a bit of the mechanics of the game. Though you might not love all of the changes, everything is done well with no detectable glitches. This hack is also compatible with the audio PCM driver fix.

The blood looks pretty good. The only issues I noticed is that the blood appears even if the opponent blocks the attack. Also, the bonus stage car bleeds as well. Overall the blood sprays were very well implemented.

I'm not a big fan of the new life meters, as they start off red and gradually deplete with a sort of spray-painted look lingering. It's neat to see Super SF2 style health meters in SF2 SCE, however.

The biggest change in this hack, however, is not the blood or health bars. It's the jab and fierce attack speed changes. Jab fireballs crawl across the screen unbelievably slowly, while fierce fireballs seemingly travel at light speed. Also, all fierce and roundhouse attacks create enormous pushback, roughly 3/4 of the screen's worth. This slow/fast jab/fierce change extends to Honda's headbutt, Blankas' ball, Bison's Psycho Crusher and others as well. These changes drastically change the way the game plays and certainly makes it quite imbalanced, as characters such as Zangief remain nearly unchanged. Finally, the reduced damage and slow timer means that rounds last 4 times as long as usual.

I'm actually really excited to see such a hack, as most hacks I've seen in the past have been cosmetic only without changing any of the gameplay mechanics. Personally, I'd love to see a version of this hack released with only the blood change, and perhaps optional patches that include the other features.

Finally, I think more subtle mechanics-based balance hacks would be awesome for fighting games in general, as I think it could breathe new life into games such as SF2, MK, and even titles like Eternal Champions. Overall, I enjoyed playing this quite a lot and sincerely hope the author continues to experiment with fighting game hacks in the future, especially on a gameplay level.