The Reconciliation of Ascension

This was a quirky, happily weird and well designed hack with most levels being very fun and challenging. Some of the later ones were more confusing and had some minorly frustrating elements but were still unique and interesting. And BRAVO on the puzzle, just as good as the one from GPW2. Fun times are to be had by all

Also there's a funny bug in the last level of 100% where in the first room, if you get in between the first horizonal Thwomp and the one way, the graphics mess up and the game softlocks lol. Pretty sure it's hard to replicate and I just got lucky but it was quite amusing.

I always liked vertical autoscroller sections in other hacks so it's really cool to see one almost fully dedicated to that style, with enough variation in gameplay to keep it fun and fresh. my first hack that I've checked out from this duo but it was a lot of fun so looking forward to checking out the Halo 14 hacks now.

LightAligns and Saela are going to have multiple hacks up for hack of the year in 2022, it’s just gonna happen. I played Ascension after Halo 14 - Side A, and will be playing Halo 14 - Side B next, and I already know I’ll be in for a treat for Side B as well.

As it is my routine to brush my teeth and shower everyday, it is also now my routine to play any hack released by this duo of fantastic creators. Their level design is very creative and unique, the levels flow flawlessly every time, and their selection of music is always top notch and matches the levels perfectly.

As for Ascension, I am a huge fan of one cycling through levels as much as I can. There are some hacks like Riff 2 where it’s set up to be one cycled, but can still be cleared if you miss the one cycle. For the most part in Ascension, you either hit the one cycle or you die, it’s that simple, and I loved that about this game!

The intense rush you get to feel in most of the scrolling levels, and the pure Kaizo God joy you feel when beating them is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before in Kaizo. There were some levels where the gimmicks were frustrating at first, but once you got comfortable with them, it was just another banger of a level.

The puzzle itself was very fun to figure out, and the levels that came after the puzzle were among the best in the game, making the puzzle even more rewarding to solve.

Overall this is another must play hack from LightAligns and Saela. There was definitely a difficulty spike with some levels, but I enjoyed the ride the whole way through. I’ve included my All Clears video incase anyone wants to see the game in action before playing it yourselves. I also definitely recommend taking on the optional challenge at the end. You won’t be disappointed with what you get as an Easter egg.

Overall Rating = 5/5, A Must Play!

Is the OST in the readme file?

Thanks so much OffByWon! Glad you liked it!
Just a heads up for everyone who is interested in checking this out, we have included a puzzle-spoiler text file, so you can skip the puzzle if you don't feel like doing it!

I know this is fairly new, but this deserves so many more downloads than it is getting. I don't leave a ton of reviews, but no one else has yet, so I feel obligated since this hack needs to be played by more people! All the big Mario streamers should be playing this, since they will enjoy it and get the word out.

If you love vertical levels, then look no further! If you enjoy a challenge and a hack that feels fresh, jump right in! If cryptic puzzles excite you, play this immediately! This hack is amazing, and a masterclass in vertical creativity. You can tell a ton of love and effort was put into polishing this. Saela and LightAligns did a fantastic job and appear to have worked together seamlessly!

Now the puzzle in this hack deserves its own review, since almost as much work must have gone into it as the core game, and it was a joy to experience. If you enjoy an overarching cryptic puzzle in your Mario somewhat along the lines of what was in Grand Poo World 2, then this is right down your alley as well. I don't want to spoil any of it, so I'll just say it's the puzzle that keeps on giving and adds so much to an already outstanding game. ((A bit of advice to save you some time: Twin Peaks references have nothing to do with the puzzle. I spent more time then I care to admit focusing on those references. I don't think they were meant to be a red herring and confuse people down the wrong path, so I think players would get less frustrated and truly enjoy the puzzle much more if they know this ahead of time.))

Anyway, thanks for all of the hard work that went into this amazing creation. I hope both of you work together again on another masterpiece in the future.

Hi everyone! Thanks for the interest in Ascension! Just for awareness - we have submitted a new version with some updates that is currently available in the waiting section. It has the following changes:

- Replaced opening chuck tower with a new section
- Removed kaizo blocks from first part of Greenvale
- Faster movement in Speed With Teeth ending
- New intro to Water and the Well. No more rotated controls.
- Water Reznor boss in Dealt a Killer Hand no longer shoots fire
- Expanded tutorial section for Cashmere Cannonball
- Slight adjustments to Fyre Walk With Me
- Removed screen dimming on the final boss leadup room
- A few indicators throughout to clarify some intended strats
- A few message changes throughout
- Changes for secret exits to make them easier to see
- Some spikes and sprite killers were removed

Thanks again!

Damn good romhack! ...and hot!