Hudson Soft and AIM's 1993 Inspector Gadget game for the SNES has just received a new ROM Hack, bringing with it a bunch of cool tweaks and quality-of-life improvements to the cartoon sidescroller.
The original game, in case you're unfamiliar, saw players take control of the cybernetically enhanced police detective, as he must track down his niece Penny, who has been kidnapped by his nemesis Dr. Claw.
In total, there were six stages to travel across, with most of these being designed after different locations previously seen in the TV show of the same name, such as a haunted castle, a South American jungle, and an Egyptian tomb. It is also notable for being one of the rare instances where Claw's face is revealed, outside of the live-action films, with the animated shows typically obscuring or hiding his face from the audience.
Back when the game was initially released to journalists back in the early '90s, it ended up receiving somewhat average reviews, with EGM's review crew praising it for its graphics that were "very reminiscent of the cartoon series" and the diversity of the game's items, but giving it an average score of 6.6 from a panel of five. Because of this, that probably makes it a good candidate to receive a new ROM hack, with the audience who grew up with the game now being old enough to introduce some of the changes they have long been dreaming of.
Developed by BillyTime! Games, the brand new hack, which is being called Inspector Gadget - The Gadgeteer, makes a few notable changes to the animated tie-in, implementing the ability to skip Chief Quimby's level intros, altering the game's camera while in mid-air, and expanding the functionality of some of the game's gadgets.
For instance, now players can use the Blue propellor hat ability to multi-jump, as opposed to only being able to utilize it to glide down diagonally. This will hopefully make it easier for players to navigate some of the game's longer jumps, and give them a greater level of control in the air.
In addition to this, the Brain cap limit in the game — a feature that extends the range of Inspector Gadget's attacks — has also been expanded from 4 to 7. This means you will now be able to use the hand attack to snipe agents from across the screen, giving you an added layer of security.
Want to give these changes a try for yourself? You can download the hack now from the ROM Hack Plaza. As always, you'll also need a copy of the game's original ROM.
Here's a video of the hack in action: