Super Junkoid [SNES] Review and Longplay [2023] ROM Hack

Super Junkoid: A Hauntingly Beautiful Metroid Masterpiece. Watch the video above or read the review below.  But first, we had a brief interview with the ROM hack creator, P. Yoshi, where she was kind enough to answer some questions for us!

Q: (Retro Replay) Can you tell us how you first discovered ROM hacking and what inspired you to start creating hacks of your own?
A: (P. Yoshi) I like Metroid so I made a Metroid romhack.

Q: (Retro Replay) What drew you specifically to Super Metroid as the foundation for Super Junkoid?
A: (P. Yoshi) Because Super Metroid is a sequel to Metroid.

Q: (Retro Replay) How long did the development of Super Junkoid take from the first idea to the initial release?
A: (P. Yoshi) A year and a few months.

Q: (Retro Replay) Where did the idea of Junko as the protagonist come from, and what themes did you want her journey to represent?
A: (P. Yoshi) She’s from a previous game.

Q: (Retro Replay) The dreamlike and unsettling atmosphere is one of the game’s strongest qualities. What influenced that visual and narrative style?
A: (P. Yoshi) Yume Nikki is a good game.

Q: (Retro Replay) Music and sound design play a huge role in Super Junkoid. How did you approach choosing or creating the audio to match the eerie visuals?
A: (P. Yoshi) I didn’t make any of the music. I only made the “Item Get” tune.

Q: (Retro Replay) What’s your favorite area in Super Junkoid and why?
A: (P. Yoshi) Blood Bethel because I like the music.

Q: (Retro Replay) What tools, programs, or resources were essential for you in creating this hack?
A: (P. Yoshi) SMART, YY-CHR, Lunar Address, XKAS, SpriteSomething, Photoshop Elements.

Q: (Retro Replay) What advice would you give to someone who wants to start their own big hack project?
A: (P. Yoshi) I don’t recommend making romhacks. Make a real game in a real engine.

Released in August 2023, Super Junkoid is a mesmerizing and unsettling Metroidvania that has taken the ROM hacking community by storm. Developed by the talented P. Yoshi, this project reimagines Super Metroid with a surreal and dreamlike twist. What begins as a familiar journey through corridors and alien landscapes quickly becomes something darker, stranger, and unforgettable. Every moment feels deliberate, as though the game is guiding you into a waking nightmare that lingers long after the credits roll.

Super Junkoid’s strength lies not just in technical precision but also in its ability to unsettle the player emotionally. While many hacks aim to expand or refine existing mechanics, this one dives headfirst into creating atmosphere, mood, and symbolism. The result is more than a hack; it is an art piece that stands as one of the most unique experiences in the Super Metroid scene.

Huge thanks to P. Yoshi for taking the time to answer our questions. If you haven’t yet, you can grab Super Junkoid on Metroid Construction or Romhacking.net and experience one of the most striking ROM hacks of recent years.

A Visual Feast

Super Junkoid’s most striking feature is its breathtaking visual overhaul. Every pixel has been carefully redesigned, creating a world that feels at once familiar and utterly alien. The vibrant colors, dreamlike palettes, and strange character designs blur the line between reality and hallucination. From the first steps into its warped corridors, it is clear this hack is designed to both awe and unnerve.

Each area builds on that feeling. The Outskirts shimmer with unnatural energy, while the Idol Area is a maze of strange architecture that feels like it belongs in a fever dream. Every environment feels distinct, layered with meaning and visual symbolism. Tilesets, enemy sprites, and bosses have all been given original designs, showing the incredible talent and dedication of the modding community.

It is rare to see a hack embrace its own identity so fully, but Super Junkoid does so with confidence. This is not just Super Metroid re-skinned; this is a game rebuilt into a work of haunting visual storytelling. P. Yoshi has proven that the Super Metroid engine can be stretched in ways that feel entirely new, without ever losing the game’s underlying structure.

Haunting Melodies That Linger

The soundtrack of Super Junkoid deserves just as much praise as its art direction. Instead of relying solely on Super Metroid’s original compositions, the music has been remixed and reshaped into something far more unsettling. Each track amplifies the tension, echoing like whispers in a dream you cannot escape. The melodies are haunting, slow, and unnerving, making every room feel like it has a presence of its own.

What truly elevates the sound design is its use of silence and noise. At times, you will hear nothing but the echo of your own footsteps, which builds suspense in ways that bombastic music never could. Then, suddenly, guttural screams or distorted tones will pierce the quiet, startling the player and forcing them to keep moving forward. These audio choices are not just atmospheric but psychological, playing directly with the player’s emotions.

This careful balance between music, silence, and ambient soundscapes is rare in ROM hacks. It reflects the same level of artistry that drives the visuals, creating a unified experience where sight and sound work together to fully immerse you in Junko’s nightmare.

A Story of Dreams and Darkness

Super Junkoid takes bold steps in storytelling, choosing to step away from the traditional Metroid formula and dive into more abstract, psychological territory. Instead of Samus Aran, players take control of Junko, a young woman trapped in a dreamlike prison. Within this world, she is revered as a goddess by a monstrous serpent, and her journey is not simply about survival but about confronting the horrors of her own subconscious.

The story is told primarily through environmental clues and cryptic fragments of dialogue. This method invites players to piece together meaning for themselves, which adds layers of mystery and personal interpretation. There are no easy answers, and much of the narrative feels symbolic, drawing on themes of trauma, identity, and the weight of self-discovery.

Few hacks manage to weave gameplay and narrative together so seamlessly, but Super Junkoid excels here. Exploring each area feels like stepping deeper into Junko’s psyche, where the monsters she faces might just be reflections of the demons she carries within. It is a story that stays with you long after you finish, leaving you to ponder its meaning and what it says about human fears and desires.

Innovative Gameplay Mechanics

At its core, Super Junkoid remains true to Super Metroid’s exploration-based gameplay, but it introduces several new mechanics that set it apart. Chief among them are the Rat Dasher and Rat Cloak, which allow Junko to transform into a rat for stealth and navigation. These mechanics are not gimmicks; they redefine how players approach puzzles, traversal, and even combat.

The hack also leans heavily into non-linear design, encouraging players to revisit areas and experiment with their new abilities. Much like Super Metroid itself, progression is never a straight line, and hidden paths and secrets are scattered everywhere. Each discovery feels earned, rewarding players who take risks and pay close attention to their surroundings.

Together, these mechanics breathe fresh life into the familiar foundation of Super Metroid. Rather than rehashing old formulas, P. Yoshi uses the base game as a platform for innovation, offering players something that feels new, challenging, and rewarding.

A Masterpiece of a Metroid Foundation

Super Junkoid has rightly earned its reputation as one of the finest Super Metroid hacks ever made. It succeeds on every front: visuals, sound, story, and gameplay. Each element works together to create a complete experience, one that is both unsettling and beautiful.

Critics and fans alike have praised it as a true masterpiece of ROM hacking, pushing the Super Metroid engine in ways that once seemed impossible. More than just a technical achievement, it is a deeply atmospheric and artistic game that resonates with players on an emotional level.

If you are a fan of Metroidvanias, horror aesthetics, or simply great game design, Super Junkoid is essential. It is not just a hack you play and forget; it is an experience that stays with you. Prepare yourself for a journey that is as captivating as it is disturbing, a dream you may never want to wake up from.