<Sepharos> Curran, as a member of Metroid Construction, how did you discover the site and what was your initial reaction of the community?
<MetroidMst> My brother (DSO) discovered Metroid2002 from a YouTube video of Redesign. He was soon hacking and showed me the stuff. Eventually Metconst was formed and we joined almost at the beginning. I was quite happy to be part of it, as it was dedicated to hacking Metroid.
<Sepharos> What impressed you the most about the site?
<MetroidMst> It wasn't M2k2. The people were overall much nicer and personable than I encountered at the other forum.
<Sepharos> How did you come up with your username and is it unique for Metroid Construction or do you use it elsewhere as well?
<MetroidMst> A long time ago I used to go by MetroidMaster, I didn't really like that to much, so I shortened master down to Mst, which actually no longer stood for master. It should appear as "MST" as each letter has a meaning, but I like to let people think otherwise. I try to use it everywhere, but where it is in use I go by ShyGuyExpress. (YouTube.)
<Sepharos> How often do you visit Metroid Construction?
<MetroidMst> Forum, about every day literally. Main site, about once a week, sometimes more if I need some hex tweak or am looking for a potential hack to LP.
<Sepharos> Have the site and forums changed or evolved since your joining?
<MetroidMst> Definitely. I joined just a little after the site/forum was made, so I've seen it grow bigger and more projects in the works, and sadly some get lost in the shuffle. Obviously more members means more mods needed, and for the most part they have been good. The main site hasn't changed too much, partly due to lack of updating and because there hasn't been much need to change it too much.
<Sepharos> How would you best describe the site and community?
<MetroidMst> I tend to think it is full of pretty helpful people. At the same time these people aren't friendly to noobs who don't learn and keep being noobs. Most of the time I find them well, but every now and then I see someone new to the site ask a question and get a somewhat elitist response, which I think is unneeded. The site has a bunch of good stuff, like the hex tweaks I so often visit, and also the wonderful amount of hacks available for playing. Pretty bare-bones stuff, but I like the main site that way.
<Sepharos> What has been your most memorably moment with the community?
<MetroidMst> The reaction of person701 and IRC while watching him struggle with So Little Time. (My One Week Hack.) I have never been so entertained. In fact, anyone who hasn't seen it should check it out on his Twitch account. (If he has kept the video up still.)z
<Sepharos> Is there anything you'd like to change with the site?
<MetroidMst> Keeping everything updated and adding all the stuff that people have found already. There are a couple of pages worth of enemy/boss hex tweaks that are known, but not on the hex tweak page. I also want to get a podcast together with a couple of other people who are serious about this site and Metroid hacking/hacks in general for some good discussions for all to hear.
<Sepharos> How does the future of the site look according to you?
<MetroidMst> It seems pretty bright. They are trying to get a bigger team together to keep the main site updated, which is a good thing because it is a lot of work for only a couple of people. More and more new hackers are joining and showing off some amazing skill. More hacks are being made, and the ones we already know about are even closer to completion.

<Sepharos> How did you first discover Metroid hacking?
<MetroidMst> My brother (DSO) discovered Redesign on YouTube. Then discovered SMILE and started hacking. After a couple of weeks he showed me what he was doing. I was opposed at first, the only thing I saw was lawsuits from Nintendo and prison. But I always wanted to make my own Metroid game, and Super Metroid is my favorite game of all time. SMILE let me make my own Super Metroid. Eventually, I couldn't resist the urge and I was soon hacking away.
<Sepharos> Do you suspect Nintendo would file a claim against hackers of Super Metroid or if they even still own the patent?
<MetroidMst> Since they haven't yet, no. First, it keeps their brand alive. ROM hacks may be a limited spotlight, but people are aware of them and keep track. It keeps their product known in the market without spending anything. So really, it isn't hurting anything for them, and if anything is bonus for them. The only way I see them stepping in is if someone tried to make money by selling a hack of Super Metroid, which is still their property.
<Sepharos> What do you enjoy most about hacking Super Metroid?
<MetroidMst> As I mentioned before I always wanted to make my own Metroid game myself. I have a ton of old pictures and drawings of maps, enemies, items, and rooms that I keep in a folder. I'm also pretty creative, so hacking Super Metroid allows me to do things I never thought of 18 years ago. Plus all the ideas my brother and I come up with, and also the ideas of everyone else hacking Super Metroid really opens up the door for a bunch of possibilities. Right now, seeing the hack getting closer to completion is also something I get a lot of satisfaction from, because it has been over 3 years and a lot of work put into it. So it is great to see my effort starting to produce some substance. (And the effort of the ten other people who have helped on the projects.)
<Sepharos> What do you find to be most difficult about hacking?
<MetroidMst> I'm a perfectionist. I want everything to be right. This is more than a project to me, it means more to me than getting my first car, than taking that first trip by myself out of state and away from everyone else. So when I make a room and it just doesn't feel/look/flow right, it irks me to no end. Eventually, after worrying about some things for a few months I get burned out and take a break for while. I pick at it, but I don't feel the desire to continue because nothing seems to fix what I think is wrong with it. Then I get some inspiration, and begin hacking with newfound energy. Other things are doors, which for some reason Nintendo made some share pointers which absolutely drives me crazy because I'm always making new pointers and fixing doors that should never have been messed up."
<Sepharos> Do you believe hacks can ever be better than the original product?
<MetroidMst> Yes. The team making Super Metroid had deadlines to meet and a whole new game to code. We don't. So we have time to explore options that may not have been open originally. One thing hackers don't have a luxury of is good testing, which results in some very unpolished hacks. It can also lead to very good hacks that just have a few issues that could've been fixed if they were known. I don't think any hack has topped Super Metroid itself yet, but it is definitely possible. I would say Searching For Items is actually funner than Super. SFI just has a lot of silly things that would never make it in an official game. So Super is a better quality than most hacks. The only exception may be Redesign, which is still the best put together hack out there. There are other very impressive hacks, but I think future hacks will completely dwarf Super in terms of gameplay and originality of ideas.
<Sepharos> Have any other hacks inspired you?
<MetroidMst> A ton of them have. First of all, Redesign started my desire as I was so enthused to watch a different "Super Metroid." Searching For Items, my favorite hack to date, is the biggest influence on my current project. (Fear) It is so simple, find items and beat the game. So, due to that hack items are everywhere in Fear. I always liked collecting items, so why not throw them in every nook and cranny?
<Sepharos> Couldn't one say "find items and beat the game" is the point to any Metroid game? What makes Searching For Items unique?\
<MetroidMst> In Metroid, upgrading is absolutely needed. I tend to try to explore everything and find as much as I can before beating any Metroid game. However, the goal is geared more towards saving the universe. In SFI, the goal isn't really to save the galaxy, it is to collect items. Enemies/bosses are just there really. So the focus goes from upgrading to save mankind, to upgrading just to upgrade. I imagine Samus doing something similar in her spare time. Hence why it is strange she starts every game with few to no items. To me anyway. So instead of collecting Plasma to lay waste to Ridley, you find Plasma just to have it and keep it as a trophy at home.
<Sepharos> Could you give a description of your hack?
<MetroidMst> It started as a halfhack boss-rush. basically an outlet for me to get my level designing skills better for a collab hack with DSO. I just kept adding as more ideas popped in my head, so I said screw it, I'm doing a full-blown hack. Then I kept adding to it, and then I had to scrap fullhack for huge megahack. Being filled with a bunch of random ideas and having no story kind of bothered me a little, but then I discovered a neat little story to tie everything together. Dreams have random things in it. So the Space Pirates had a machine that if you died in a dream, you died in real life. Problem solved! Now all the random things I had could be a basis for a very random hack, as dreams have no real rhyme or meaning. Also, collecting items. There are going to be tons of them. So in a nutshell. Huge, random, odd ideas everywhere, items everywhere, possibly very challenging in a few spots, and hopefully fun to play. And surprises. I hope some things in the hack really surprise people when they find them.
<Sepharos> Do you have any suspected release date at this point?
<MetroidMst> I am hoping I make it before the end of the year. (Cross your fingers.) So, maybe a new years gift to everyone? I don't know for sure yet. Still have a lot to go.
<Sepharos> Are there currently any projects from other members you're interested in?
<MetroidMst> Very much so. I'm always looking forward to any hack. It may not be good, but I'll still check it out and give my opinion of it and hopefully give some constructive criticism. Shadow96 is making a rad tileset I want. As for particular hacks... Black_Falcon's "Predetor." Whatever Sadfish (Scyzer) is calling her hack now. And DSO has a bunch of projects I am looking forward to. Also random ASM stuff from hackers, that is always fun. Grime's Dream Sequence Reboot looks groovy too. As for others, I am excited for them, but I don't know enough about them yet to be really amped for them. (Like squishys hack for instance.) I should mention Mon732 has an awesome idea he shared earlier. I can't wait to see that completed. One other thing I haven't mention I'm looking forward to. I love watching streams/YouTube videos of hacks. I really want to see a bunch of people playing Fear and either streaming it or putting it on YouTube.
<Sepharos> Has hacking affected your life in a positive way?
<MetroidMst> I can't really say it has affected me in either way. It has led me to a group of cool people with a similar interest.
<Sepharos> Do you have any advice for new Super Metroid hackers?
<MetroidMst> Be patient. You're not going to make an uber awesome hack overnight, or on your first attempt. I've completely redone all the beginning portions of Fear because they sucked. So really, just keep working on it, you'll keep getting better.

<Sepharos> Would you say the Metroid series is your favourite game series, Curran?
<MetroidMst> Easily.
<Sepharos> What about the series makes it your favourite and unique compared to other game series?
<MetroidMst> I like the exploration. The backtracking is another feature I enjoy enormously. I also enjoy Star Trek, so the sci-fi theme is something I was always fond of. But playing the Original Metroid really captured my interest in video games, and that has stuck with me since. Also, the completion percentage. I love trying to find where they hid all those sneeky little item pick-ups. Samus being a hot girl helps too actually.
<Sepharos> Was the original Metroid your first video game? If not, what game was your first?
<MetroidMst> Mario Bros was. Seeing my parents come home with a NES was one of my first memories. Metroid soon followed after that.
<Sepharos> Would it be accurate to say that the original Metroid began your gaming career up to today?
<MetroidMst> Probably not. I always liked Metroid, but Mario was the best growing up. Mario meant more to my gaming than any other "franchise" until Super Metroid came along.
<Sepharos> What would you say your favourite game of all time is?
<MetroidMst> Super Metroid. Only two other games I would even put in the same category.
<Sepharos> What two games would they be?
<MetroidMst> Majora's Mask. The whole mechanic in the game is something I always loved about it. Also seeing all these stories happen in different ways was super rad. The other is Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. That was Mario's world at its finest. And Bowser joining your team to fight a greater evil? Epic. But yeah, only two I'd even consider to be in the same class as Super.
<Sepharos> What did you enjoy most about Super Metroid?
<MetroidMst> Going back and exploring the "rest" of Zebes. By this time I was very familiar with everything in the Original, so seeing it updated to a massive world and not knowing what to expect next was the best thing. An honorable mention would be the secret techniques, such as the SBAs and crystal flash.
<Sepharos> What other game series do you enjoy playing?
<MetroidMst> Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, Star Fox. If you consider Smash Bros to be a series that too. (I've played other consoles besides Nintendo platforms, but I've never strayed from what I grew up on) The Lost Vikings as well. I only know of two games, but they were both fun and oddball.
<Sepharos> Do you pay attention at all to gaming news?
<MetroidMst> Not really. If I hear of a new console my interest is peaked. If I hear of a game from one of the above mentioned series I'll keep tabs on it. If a new Metroid game is in the works, I'm all over every bit of info I find.
<Sepharos> What do you find most important in games, and likewise, in hacks? Gameplay, story, graphics, or music?
<MetroidMst> I grew up on the NES where the story was in the manual, so I don't care so much for that. It can help, but I don't need a deep story to be happy with a game. Gameplay is most important, followed by design choices and then music and graphics. If a gameplay is clunky and cumbersome, it won't be fun, therefor, it is a bad game. Graphics are nice, but again, you don't need hi-def to have a fun game. Music can immerse a player in the game more, so that is a pretty important aspect, but it won't make your jump button responsive either. So really, you need a good solid gameplay.

<Sepharos> Curran, besides hacking and gaming, what other hobbies do you have?
<MetroidMst> Some sports, watching and playing. Drawing/painting. Trying to catch a squirrel for a pet. Music, I try to play guitar.
<Sepharos> What sports are you most interested in?
<MetroidMst> Most interested in would be basketball and football. I play basketball about once a week. I really only watch college bball and football because they play more for the sport than for a paycheck. I also like to watch tennis and golf. The Olympics are very interesting too.
<Sepharos> What would you say your favourite sports team is and why?
<MetroidMst> Ohio State. Local team, watched them play some amazing games in my youth and it just stuck with me. (97 Rose Bowl was when I really got hooked on the sport of football.)
<Sepharos> How long have you been interested in artwork?
<MetroidMst> That is much more recent. Late teens is when I started to like drawing. (24 now.)
<Sepharos> Could you take us through a day in life of Curran?
<MetroidMst> Wake up at 7:36AM. (I hate numbers ending in 5 or 0) Maybe eat breakfast. I normally skip this meal unless I feel like cooking. Either get ready for work or plan my activities of hacking and guitar practicing. Make sure my wash is done. (I don't like my laundry touching my families laundry.) Rarely eat lunch. Normally I'll snack throughout the day. Not much really. I'll watch the TV if I find anything interesting on. (Like Star Trek.) I'll get asked to make supper. I'll also check Metconst often. I may pick a hack to make a new LP, or I'll just play a hack for a second/third time. I'll make sure to answer what questions I can that I get from YouTube people. I will also see if person701 is streaming, because that is entertaining. And finally, I go to bed from anytime around 9PM to 4AM.
<Sepharos> Are you currently in or studying for a career?
<MetroidMst> Nope. I was never sure what I wanted to do.
<Sepharos> Is there any interest you have that you'd like to turn into a career?
<MetroidMst> Not really. Unless Nintendo pays money for hacks in the future or allows them to be put on the Virtual Console I have no idea.
<Sepharos> What would you be happy doing for your life?
<MetroidMst> Making a living. Maybe finding a girl and getting married. Possibly have children. I don't really feel a need to drive a Ferrari around. I just want to have a house and be a good person.
<Sepharos> Do you have a lifelong goal or dream?
<MetroidMst> Mastering the guitar and piano. I would love to be able to pick up either instrument and play how I feel and or just rock out.
<Sepharos> Finally, do you have anything you'd like to share with the readers?
<MetroidMst> Hmm. Hope you got to know me a little, and more people should do this: be interviewed.

<Sepharos> Interview; yes or no?
<SNES> Yes.
<Sepharos> SNES, you are known as the primary bot for Metroid Construction's IRC channel, would you say your job is a rewarding experience? Why or why not?
<SNES> Yes.
<Sepharos> What do you enjoy most about being a bot?
<SNES> Wha...?
<Sepharos> Do you like being a bot?
<SNES> I'm kinda hazy on this one. For best results, shake again and go with the exact opposite of my next answer.
<Sepharos> What do you like most about the community?
<SNES> I need somebody who can bull**** a marginally believable answer to this. Any takers?
<Sepharos> How long have you been a bot?
<SNES> Excellent of you to ask, but here's something to ponder: what is a man? Nothing but a miserable little pile of secrets!
<Sepharos> Do you have anything you'd like to share with the readers?
<SNES> That all depends... you ever watched DragonBall Z?
<Sepharos> Yes..?
<SNES> Screw your question, life enhancement is in your future.
<Sepharos> WTF!? He's gone mad!
<SNES> Wha...?
<DSO> I thought this was my interview time; get lost you bot!
<Sepharos> Do you find your time with community time well spent?
<SNES> Without a doubt. Say, how exactly do you intend to pay for my services? I don't do this bullcrap for free, you know.
<Sepharos> SNES, cash or credit?
<SNES> In order to give you a reasonable answer, I must first dive into the existential nature of relationships and interaction so that you have a better comprehension of the information you are about to receive. Hah, no, I kid. You don't have Axl Rose's chance at a Grammy.
<Sepharos> All I asked was cash or credit, must you hound me at every question?
<SNES> Well... yeah!
<Sepharos> We're done here.
<SNES> ?\_(ツ)_/?