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Last year's list of best NES ROM hacks received a lot of positive feedback. That's why I return this year with an updated list for 2022! To make things even better, this year the list is expanded to 20 entries!
Romhacking.net was used as the source for this list, with the following criteria:
- Only extensive ROM hacks.
- At least 1.000 downloads.
- Reviews are overwhelmingly positive.
I thought it would be fun to create a list that would mainly focus on newer or recently updated ROM hacks, with one ROM hack per game. This way there is something new to play for everyone, regardless of your genre preferences! The list is in alphabetical order.
Love to hear your recommendations in the comments!
The best way to help these awesome creators is leaving a review on the game page on Romhacking.net . So, feel free to share the love for these games in a review if you enjoyed playing one of these hacks!
Bob-Omb Mario (Super Mario Bros.)
Creator: NesDraug
Review quote: "This was a joy to play through. Not only is a new power-up introduced here, but the level design is based around it making it really feel part of the game."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/6577/
Castlevania: The Holy Relics (Castlevania)
Creator: Optomon
Review quote: "This hack is simply incredible; I have no idea how the team behind it was able to do some of things in here, but it makes for an amazing experience. There is a ton of very professional sprite work and passion that went into keeping a classic but updated Castlevania feel to the levels, and in particular, the bosses shine in that regard."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3759/
Deadpool (Ninja Gaiden)
Creator: Techmoon
Review quote: "Overall, I love everything about this, and I highly recommend it. It isnât just a hack; itâs a whole different game, and itâs a stellar job from a team that put a lot of time and effort into this project, and pushed through to the very end."
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4723/
Guardian Legend Secret Edition (The Guardian Legend)
Creator: Optomon
Review quote: "This is genius. Guardian Legend Secret is a wholly new mind-blowing experience with absolutely no hacking done to the graphics or sound; proof that you donât need a custom tileset to create a masterpiece."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/629/
Jackal 2 (Jackal)
Creator: RayofJay
Review quote: "Amazing hack with improvements for all types of players!"
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4877/
Junkoid (Metroid)
Creator: P. Yoshi
Review quote: "Fantastic take on the original Metroid taking advantage of the strong points of the original game while creating its own original independent thing. The level design is clean and well-thought. Different sections have different themes and overall structure to distinguish from each other, and each room is unique to help with the navigation and keep the sense of discovery and exploration alive. Thereâs no copypaste here and no dead ends, every place has a purpose."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/6618/
Kirby's Halloween Adventure (Kirby's Adventure)
Creator: Kirb-Star
Review quote: "The difficulty and the level-design in Kirbyâs Halloween Adventure are both on-par with the original Kirbyâs Adventure, and the game is a joy to play. The stages are well thought out, and although it doesnât seem like any changes have been made to the bossesâ AI, they naturally behave in ways different to the original game because theyâve been placed in new environments, which makes things fresh. The graphics work, both edited and original, is similarly excellent, with everything looking authentic to what you might see in official entries in the Kirby series. Overall, this is an excellent hack that I would highly recommend to platformer fans and especially to fans of the Kirby series. I hope that the author will create more content like this in the future!"
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4454/
Little Nemo - The Dream Master - A Wonderful Wand Edition (Little Nemo: The Dream Master)
Creator: 8-bit fan
Review quote: "This hack takes everything you know about Little Nemo and turns it on its side. Itâs much more than just being able to use the wand from the beginning. This changes the strategies as well as the levels and makes for an almost all-new game. Iâve loved the NES Little Nemo game since I was a kid and still do, and this hack really was fun and challenging."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3677/
Manall's FF1 (Final Fantasy)
Creator: Manall Lockhart
Review quote: "Let me get this out of the way: PLAY THE ROMHACK. It is absolutely beautiful. This is a gamerâs hack. It is play tested, challenging, and extremely interesting. The new weapons, revamped overworld, new enemies, new classes, and extra dungeons are an absolute joy to play. Manall has changed the combat system so that each characterâs turn queues individually, and action is taken immediately by that character. It makes the combat incredibly deep and tactical and you are NOT relying on turn RNG hoping that your heal happens before someone gets killed. And⌠you never EVER see âineffectiveâ because you killed an enemy before another character attacks it. I donât know how Iâm supposed to play other hacks now that Iâve experienced this. "
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5221/
Mother 25th anniversary edition (Mother)
Creator: DragonDePlatino
Review quote: "The creator of the hack did what he intended on doing and did it beautifully. This hack reeks of effort, and it definitely shows. This took the original game and improved upon it, and it makes it the definitive version of Mother to play. If you can get your hands on a ROM of the Earth Bound Prototype, I highly recommend giving this hack a go. You wonât be disappointed in the slightest!"
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2211/
Quest for Sarah (Castlevania II)
Creator: Original Gamer 8A8A
Review quote: "This was a really good hack of a game that doesnât get a whole lot of attention these days. This hack redesigned most if not all of the enemies and items while still feeling familiar to anyone that has played the original. The place this game truly shines is the story. The story progresses throughout the game in both the history of Quest for Sarah and the current events driving the protagonist. "
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5793/
Rockman 2: StalkerMaestro vs The Rockmen (Rockman 2)
Creator: StalkerMaestro
Review quote: "This is a really good fast paced hack of Megaman 2." "I liked all the stages in the game - both from the side of the Level Design and from the graphic part. Really well thought out and interesting. "
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/7126/
Rockman 4: Minus Infinity (Rockman 4)
Creator: Puresabe
Review quote: "This hack essentially takes the guts of Mega Man/Rockman 4, mixes in a LOT of elements from other Mega Man games, and pushes the NES past previously known limits. Itâs the NES equivalent of a Mega Man X game and honestly, I think it plays better. The level design is brilliant, the presentation is perfect, the effects used are impressive, and there are surprises to encounter on nearly every map. Itâs a complete masterpiece from start to finish."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/910/
Super Mario Bros. 3Mix (Super Mario Bros. 3)
Creator: Southbird
Review quote: "This game is my favorite romhack of all time. Thereâs so much to cover here: new levels, new music, new graphics, new mechanics, new EVERYTHING! This game is one of the best tributes to any series ever. Worlds based on Mario 1, 2 (USA), World, Land, Land 2, Sunshine, and more, all beautifully crafted and well thought out to provide one of the best game experiences ever. Extra content is everywhere as well, with new collectables and post-game additions that add so much more playability and replayabilty to round out an almost perfect experience. I canât gush enough about this hack in words, only give it the highest recommendation I have ever given any hack. PLAY THIS GAME."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/2068/
The Beatles Adventures in Pepperland (Super Mario Bros. 2)
Creator: NesDraug
Review quote: "Itâs hard to describe just how much love and appreciation was put in this hack, as it oozes out of every pore and crevasse of this game. From the character and enemy designs, to the level aesthetics, to the music, and so much more, this hack is the perfect tribute to the Beatles and their legacy. And on top of all that, this game is just fun to play. The new level design is both unique and challenging, but it never felt unfair or poorly lain out. The 8-bit Beatlesâ song renditions are a treat to listen to while playing as well, with my favorite song being the 8-bit version of Hey Bulldog. At the end of my playthrough, I knew (without a doubt) that I could recommend this hack to everyone, both Beatles fans and casual gamers alike."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/6311/
The Legend of Zelda: A New Light (Legend of Zelda)
Creator: gzip
Review quote: "This hack was exactly what I wanted. Basically, it scratches the nostalgia itch and also makes the player think a little to figure out the game. The visual upgrade is a welcome change; itâs obvious the creator put some work into this hack. The other tweaks are a welcome change, too. The select button changes your B item, and Likelikes eat rupees instead of shields. Give this hack a shot; itâs a great way to enjoy a classic in a fresh way."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5028/
The Quest of Lala (Adventures of Lolo)
Creator: Zynk Oxhyde
Review quote: "Love this hack so far! I always wanted to play as Lala in this game! The sprites look good! The new Stages are really fun and have that feel as if this game was originally designed by the actual game designers!"
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/3625/
Ultima: Exodus Remastered (Ultima: Exodus)
Creator: Fox Cunning
Review quote: "This hack really lives up to its name. Ultima Exodus Remastered truly feels like the definitive edition of the game. If the original programmers wouldâve had some more time to polish the game, they couldâve come up with this version. Finally you can just level up without messing your game up. Not wasting turns in battle by canceling a menu action, also makes a huge difference. That was such a frustrating issue of the original game. The Cleric role is way more useful in this version, since she can use ranged weapons now.
The graphical improvements are really well done. The game gets a new style from it, and itâs consistently implemented in every area of the game. I love the new faces when talking to NPCs, it gives so much more character to the game!
Overall this hack is highly recommended if you have nostalgic memories of Ultima Exodus. Itâs the best way to experience this game. Because of the gameplay improvements, and definitely for the new graphics!"
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/4949/
Yuan Shao's Revenge 3.0 (Destiny of an Emperor)
Creator: MiDKnighT
Review quote: "This is a fine mod of one of my favorite games Destiny of an emperor as now you rule Yuan Shao! This mod does have new generals like Yan Liang or Wen Chou for example and is quite a difference than the original. The boss fights are the highlight here as they are more difficult but not extreme and requires tactics. Every general gains a level with more soldiers to use, tactics are translated, new portraits, and a nice new story."
https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/965/
Zelda II - Amida's Curse (Zelda II)
Creator: Ok Impala!
Review quote: "Amidaâs Curse absolutely blew me away. The dungeons are designed incredibly well, making much better use of features that were somewhat ignored in the base game. Enemy encounters on the overworld are gone, but instead there are far more side-scrolling sections and there are secrets to be found everywhere. Difficulty-wise it starts out a lot smoother than the original, making this hack far more accessible than the original to newer players.
All towns and NPC dialogue are completely new, and if you listen youâll nearly always be able to figure out what to do next. No obscure hints or cryptic advice anymore!
If youâre still doubting about giving this a try, stop doing so right now and hit that download button. I donât think Iâm exaggerating when I say I enjoyed this brand-new adventure more than the base game: the hack author really outdid himself this time!"
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