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Mega Man 1 - Limbo Edition

Levels: Good

Graphics: Eh

Music: Eh (slowed down)

Enemies: Okay (less health)

Bosses: Good

Weapons: Okay

Castle: Good

Difficulty: EASY-MEDIUM (occasionally MEDIUM)

Comments: Of Timaeus' hacks, Limbo Edition is the least impressive—but it's still better than 90% of the Mega Man 1 dreck out there. Its defining feature is its pitch black foregrounds, emulating the moody atmosphere of Playdead's Limbo. The problem is that when you remove the foreground detail, the background becomes the dominant focus—and given that how the hack mostly uses MM1 assets, it's far from a looker. Besides a single outdoor area in Elec Man's stage, there's no real setting distinction between levels, let alone from one screen to the next. Thankfully Timaeus knows how to design fun stages that are rarely overbearing (expect a few tough jumps), and how to adjust bosses to require a new strategy. Neither are phenomenal—levels lack a unique gimmick and bosses are only slightly modified—but that doesn't stop Limbo Edition from being a solid experience from top to bottom.

This was a very strange hack, but that's truth in advertising for you. The colors are darker and there is no music, and while that doesn't seem like much, it's surprising how unsettling that gets after a while. Before you know it, you're in kind of a trance at the strange... not quite Hell that's rolling out before you. The weapons are different (one technically isn't even a weapon), and that just adds to the unfamiliarity. It sounds like this is an uncomfortable hack, and it is a little, but it's not bad; it's not like the world you know and love is burning so much as it's died a peaceful death. The design is good, too; there is one particular section - you'll know it when you see it - that feels like a broken dream version of a familiar reality, and the Yashichi is in a much smarter place than in the original game. If you have the house to yourself tonight, and you're looking for something weird, definitely give this one a go.

Versions 1.1 and 1.2 are almost a completely different game. Music now plays in the stages, but slowed down, and this alone makes it a lot less eerie. That said, with the levels and visuals redesigned, it's an entirely different experience, and not a bad one. Version 1.1's visuals are still pretty surreal, and it's not that Version 1.2 looks mundane - far from it! - but it's a bit more comprehensible, and 1.1 is an interesting phase between them. What really struck me, too, is that the final stage of Version 1.2 creates a scene that fits better into the original game than some parts of the original game does; I don't know how the hacker did it! I'd recommend playing all three versions back-to-back, because it almost seems to tell a story, intentional or not. Whichever you prefer, there's no denying that these updated versions have the better weapons; the ability to shift out of phase was moved from Guts Man's weapon to the Magnet Beam, and almost every weapon is super powerful. These are some of the most broken, overpowered weapons I've seen in a Mega Man hack, and that is absolutely not a complaint; they are a total blast to use! This hack is worth any Mega Man fan's time, even if you weren't into what Version 1.0 had to offer.

Version 1.0 - An interesting Level Design, but this... it really doesn't look like the names of the hack. It's called "LIMBO".

Let's start not with this, but with the abilities. They have become more interesting, some work longer, and some have different patterns of behavior. Everyone is a pleasure to use! Every useful one. G - ability especially. (I encounter the temporary invulnerability ability for the 4th time)

Now let's move on to the fact that I will describe in full the stages, as I met them before my eyes. I immediately say THE WHOLE LEVEL DESIGN IS GOOD. Its content is confusing

Bombman stage - is not at all similar in style to "Limbo", because there are bright, in some moments – juicy colors. In some locations, there are repeated elements of "Level Design", creating a DEJA VU effect. The boss is interesting, complicated because of the walls.

FireMan stage - is really sustained by the style of "Limbo", but also interspersed with the style of "Neon", because the enemies seem brighter than usual. The boss is ordinary.

Cutman stage - This purple color hurts my eyes. And in dark locations – enemies, as in the style of "Neon". The boss is more aggressive, but balanced.

ElecMan Stage – uhh... bloody sky, creepy. And because of this, the enemies have become scarier. In the dark part there are white decorations. Not bad, but it hurt for the eyes. The boss hasn't changed a bit.

Stage Gutsman - pleasant blue shades in the dark part of the location. It is already really "Limbo" at least in this part. And what do we have in the open part of the level? Black sky ... clear. But the palette is made perfectly, so it becomes my favorite level (the first favorite). What about the boss? Boring, not interesting

Ice Man - another beautiful location. At least the palette is in the open part of the level. What is in the "closed"? Ehh ... sad. Nothing interesting. (But this is the second level, which I liked) The boss is ordinary.

Wily 1 - The outer shell is painful to the eyes because of the bloody color, and inside the location is more or less pleasant. But it looks more like "neon" than "Limbo". Boss - merges with the black background. The red outline does not help. Playing against him is one pain. I'm sorry. Although the weakness is honest, but we must act with accurate shots.

Wily 2 - The outer shell is a pleasant palette, surprisingly. Inside, the location is beautiful. Although the colors are muted, but the colors are beautiful. What about the boss? It will not show anything new. There will only be a difference between the main character and the boss - the physics of abilities

Wily 3 - a location with harmonious colors. And the boss is more hardcore here, because there are no saving stones

Wily 4 - yellow color - stands out and slightly hurts the eyes. Otherwise, it is tolerable. The boss was not changed.

In the credits, the palette has deteriorated and some locations in the background look very inappropriate. This especially affected the three final characters.

The problem is in the hack - the character and some bosses (enemies) merge with the background, which is not fair. I hope this will be fixed.

BUT HERE IS A GOOD LEVEL Design, INTERESTING ABILITIES ARE MADE and the first attempt to make the game scary. If you want something new, I recommend it. (and also - fix the palette of the bosses. They look boring)

Version 1.1 - The version went ahead by a couple of heads!

It came out even better than version 1.0.

First, the graphic part: "Amazing. Now it's a Limbo Noir style." It looks very beautiful, unusual and in some way fascinating. Mystery and fear? Yes, it is present.

Second: Levels. They are built much better and more interesting. Really, I didn't notice any repeating rooms. And if there were, then it is correct that they are like "Checkpoints". Because this way the progress of creating the "Deja Vu" effect is better noticeable.

Third: Each boss has his own surprise. I even managed to notice that some of them are a kind of mixed behavior. (Noticeable in Ice man, Elec man, Cut man. From this hack, Cut man = Quick man + Cutman; From this hack, Ice man = Ice man + Quick man; from this hack, Elec man = Ice man + Elec man), however, I was surprised by the local bosses from Wily Castle: namely, the Yellow Devil. The new behavior of this boss, and a strange glitch with sprites (when he is stratified into strange spheres) - caused me a kind of fear from him. Damn, this is brilliant!

Fourth: Abilities. All are good, unique and interesting. Fire is a great shield and is good at damage. Ice is a great alternative to a Blaster. Bomb - yes, I'm a local Bomber man! Excellent damage and a large explosion radius. Electricity - Yes, this is a local weapon, similar to the game Contra. Cut - Excellent damage and instant return to the owner. Guts Stone - a reference to Megaman Power Up, excellent damage and a wide girth of enemies. Local: Magnet Beam - temporary invulnerability (sorry not from spikes).

The fifth and final: A remix of the music in the game. "High-quality and in some ways frightening and mysterious." The MIX pleased the ear so much, it also described the stages and the atmosphere in this place (in this hack). Bravo. P.S. In Wily Castle 1-2, Wily Castle 3-4 and "BOSS TIME in Wily Stages" came out so well that I thought it was another music from another game.

After passing the: The hack caused positive emotions, a little fear and surprise, which conveyed this mysterious atmosphere of "Limbo". Or rather, even "Limbo" and "Noir". It is played very well, it will be interesting for others. I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND IT

Version 1.2

The other day - I tried this version of the hack and can highlight the following points:

1. Invulnerability finally works to the fullest, as it should 2. Bosses are more interesting (except Elec man - he has a strange attack) 3. Simplification in the color manner and help the players. Although it has gone from the "Limbo" Style, but it also looks interesting. Or rather as: "Night" or "Neon" 4. Updating The Level Design. Slightly, but it seemed a little easier

As a person who has passed other versions, it also went to taste and therefore I also recommend this version

So I'll start off by saying that this is an interesting hack with the potential to be amazing. There are some design choices though that I feel if tweaked could make things a lot better.

What I liked

1. Stage layouts are fun and well designed with just the right amount of balance and uniqueness to them.

2. The atmosphere for the game is really good, gives it an ominous feel.

3. Boss rooms are fun, well laid out, and in some cases make certain bosses easier.

What I didn't like

1. The absence of music really hurts this one. I get what it's going for, but perhaps inserting different music, one that fits the tone of the game would be nice.

2. It's too dark. While the theme works great, there are points where it's almost too dark to see what's going on. This is especially true for bosses such as the Yellow Devil where it's really hard to see what pieces are flying towards you.

3. The retweaked power ups I could take or leave. It feels like Fireman and Cutman's weapons were nerfed and I have no clue about Gutsman's weapon what it even does.

I will note I did find a game crashing bug at the end. If you get hit after you beat Wily it glitches out the game.

Overall it's a fun enough hack, just with some odd design choices. If you're a fan of these, you might enjoy it.