Star Revenge 8: Scepter of Hope is a ROM hack made by BroDute and released in March 2016. It is the final installment of the Star Revenge series according to the timeline, and the first hack in which BroDute is reintroduced in his final form: an Inkling "in the flesh".[1]
This hack is the full immersion of the Touhou franchise, as it was previously shown in Star Revenge 4: The Kedama Takeover. Most of the elements and assets such as the Card Coins and Kedamas reappear in this game, as well as a lot of featured references to the Touhou Project, including characters, pixel art and almost all of the music. BroDute even claims that this hack is nicknamed Super Touhou 64.
As such, this hack shares many gimmicks from previous Star Revenge installments: an interconnected world system just like Star Revenge 3: Mario on An Saoire and Star Revenge 4: The Kedama Takeover as well as returning badges from Star Revenge 7: Park of Time, albeit only two this time, both of which only upgrade Mario's Ground Pound ability. The badges, caps and keys are guarded by six bosses. The way in which levels are navigated between differs greatly from the standard overworld-openworld style, so a map has been created to help players find their way between levels.
In 2024, the hack was later updated as v1.4 with a reworked soundtrack, new HUD cosmetics, a brand new level redesign (Course 11) and smaller extra QoL fixes.
A map showing how the areas are connected.
Gameplay[]
Collecting the Super Badge allows Mario to break the large grey blocks found in some of the levels, by groundpounding the top of them. Any Star that requires Mario to make use of the Super Badge will have -SB- in its name. Similarly, there is also an Ultra Badge. Stars that require the Ultra Badge to have been collected will include -UB- at the end of their name.
In addition to the Super and Ultra Badges, there are also Cap Switches, and a special Switch which activates certain warps.
Finally, this is the first hack in the series released with amendments to the coin Stars; a red coin Star now only requires six red coins, and the 100 coin Star now only needs 80 coins. BroDute eventually issued updates to prior hacks to reduce the coin counts for red coin Stars and 100 coin Stars to match.
Plot[]
After the events of Star Revenge 7.5: Kedowser's Return, a mysterious big Star--by the name of Scriosadh--took hold of the Scepter of Faith and turned Earth into a void. Because of this betrayal, BroDute and Timerock work together in reviving Mario back. They send him off to a parallel world known as Gensokyo to obtain enough Star power in order to face this greater evil,[2] retrieve the Scepter and ultimately recreate the Earth.
In exchange, at the end of the game, Mario must choose if BroDute or Timerock uses the power of the Scepter to recreate Earth... although, there is also a secret third ending.
Courses[]
Main Courses[]
| Area ID | Region | Name | Stars | Coins | Requirement | Acts | Connected Areas | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 | Gensokyo | Springpath Valley | 7 | 178 | None | Star Of The Roofs / Wood Over The Flowers / Mini Stars Of The Frozen Lake / Icy Cave In The Mountain -SB- / Dangerous Path Over The Lake / The 6 Reds Of The Valley |
★ Overworld ★ C2 |
This level contains a secret door leading to another side of the overworld, requiring Key 2 to unlock. |
| C2 | Sanzu River Fields | 7 | 219 | Ride On Komachi's Boat / Path Of The Waterfall / Quick! To The End Of The Tunnel / Flipswitch Panels In The Flowers / Platforms Of The Star-Fly Guys -SB- / The 6 Reds Of The River |
★ C1 ★ C3 ★ C5 |
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| C3 | Gensokyo | Abandoned Graveyard | 7 | 163 | None | Blue Switch's Path To The Top / Shell Surfing In The Green Goo / The Buried Flipswitch Panels / Climbing In The Building / Secret Of The Pillar Room -UB- / Collect The 6 Reds |
★ C2 ★ C4 |
|
| C4 | Magma Cavern of Iseki | 35 | The 6 Reds Of The Pillars / Star Of The Lowered Magma Lake / Deep Inside The Ruins / Red 'N' Blue Blocks And Mini Stars / Flood The Forgotten Cavern -SB- / Ride In The Blaarg Cave -UB- |
★ C3 ★ B1 |
Due to the lack of coins, this level contains a secret !-Box replacing the 100 coin Star. | |||
| C5 | Gensokyo | Forest of Magic | 7 | 216 | Path Of The Wood / Tall Island Of The Lake / Top Of The Waterfall / Get To Marisa's House / Mini Stars Of The Forest / Alice's Lost 6 Reds |
★ C2 ★ C6 ★ C7 |
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| C6 | Bamboo Forest | 190 | Super Badge | The Super Block Tower / Water Pillars' Panels / Red 'N' Blue Platforms Of The Lake / Reds Of The Bamboo Surfer / |
★ C5 ★ B1 |
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| C7 | Hakurei Bridges | 227 | Mini Stars In The Well / Switch Of The Factory / Reds On The Roof -SB- / Even More Wooden Platforms -SB- / Flying Over The Meadows / The Vanish Cap Run |
★ Overworld ★ C10 ★ WoF |
This level requires Key 1 to enter via a quick shortcut from the overworld. | |||
| C8 | Makai | Makai Fields | 7 | 197 | Key 1 | Bridges Of Makai / The !-Box Tower / Across The Big Wall / Inside The Mountain / Lava Valley Of The Reds / Secret Of The Trees |
★ C9 ★ WoF |
|
| C9 | Unnamed Dream World | 154 | To The Top Of The Mountain / Up High In The Sky / Conquer The Fortress / Path Of The Cannons / Shell Surfing Of Strange Lava -UB- / One Of Those Fall Off Somewhere Stars |
★ C8 ★ WC |
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| C10 | Gensokyo | Skyhigh Ruins | 7 | 214 | Wing Cap | The Easy Inked Path / Try Out The Slide! / Let's Findnut The Darknut, Because Whynut? / Sandy Vanish Cap Fun / Reds Of The Sky / Detour Of The Slide -UB- |
★ C7 ★ C11 |
Further referencing BroDute's new Inkling form, he'd apparently "inked over" an "easy" path to the first Star, ironically named "Easy Inked Path", making it slippery. |
| C11 | Shining Needle Castle | 134 | Flipping Over The Lava Lake / Climb The Tall Tower / Discount Metal Cap Box / Colored Blocks Of The Castle / Path Of The Reversed Tower Climb / Defeat Seija's Pet |
★ C10 ★ B2 |
This level is fully redesigned in the latest update. | |||
| C12 | Normal Dream World | Dreamy Space Tunnel | 7 | 164 | Key 2 | Find The Blue Switch / Walljumps To The Top / Cannon To The Floating Tiles / The 6 Reds Of Space / The Vanish Cap Pakour / Secret Path Of The Stars -UB- |
★ Overworld ★ B2 ★ C13 |
This level requires Key 2 to enter via a quick shortcut from the overworld. |
| C13 | Moon | Clownish Moon Surface | 7 | 196 | 60 Stars | Hole In The Mountainside / Lunar Quiz Tower / Reds In The Moon Valley / Mini Stars Of The Lava / Explore The Moon Cave / Troll Star Disco Party |
★ C12 ★ C14 ★ VC |
|
| C14 | Sea of Tranquility | 191 | Vanish Cap | High Tower Of The Sea / Into The Boat Cage / Another Vanish Cap Star / The Upper Gardens / Through The Magma Cave / Dungeon Of The Moon Sea -UB- |
★ C13 ★ SC3 |
|||
| C15 | Earth? | Scriosadh Battles | 5 | 75 Stars Ultra Badge |
Fight 1 / Fight 2 / Fight 3 / Fight 4 / Fight 5 - Final - / To The End! |
★ Earth ★ End |
This level is an interchanged boss gauntlet. While this leads to the 100% Ending, it doesn't contain Stars 6 and 7. | |
Side Courses[]
| Area ID | Region | Name | Stars | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SC1 | Gensokyo | The Great Mausoleum | 3 | 15 Stars | Boss 1 stage - clearing this course unlocks the Super Badge. |
| B1 | Eientei? | 1 | Super Badge | Boss 2 stage - clearing this course unlocks the door to Makai and Unnamed Dream World. | |
| WC | Unnamed Dream World | Bullgetsu's Arena | Key 1 | Boss 3 stage - defeating Bullgetsu unlocks the Wing Cap Switch. | |
| B2 | Gensokyo | Youkai Mountain | 2 | Wing Cap | Boss 4 stage - defeating King Aya and Fake Scriosadh unlocks the door to the Moon. |
| SC2 | Normal Dream World | SMB2 W1-1 | 1 | 50 Stars Key 1 |
A 2.5D recreation of the NES Super Mario Bros 2's World 1-1, but enhanced to the SNES version. In the previous versions, there are 100 red coins; then in the final update, they were changed to Flyguys, leaving it to a simple walk to the star. |
| VC | Moon | The Moon Trials 1 | 60 Stars | Boss 5 stage - defeating Clownwiggler unlocks the Vanish Cap Switch. | |
| SC3 | The Moon Trials 2 | 2 | Vanish Cap | Boss 6 stage - defeating Junko's Lunar Plants unlocks the Ultra Badge. | |
| WB | Earth? | 1 | 75 Stars Ultra Badge |
End Boss stage - clearing Scriosadh Battles marks the end of the game. | |
| SC4 | Gensokyo | Scarlet Devil Mansion | 3 | Warp Block | Extra Boss 1 stage (Scarlet Whomp) - located in Sanzu River Fields. |
| SC5 | Normal Dream World | Secret Space Tunnel | Extra Boss 2 stage (Hecrocktia) - located inside Junko's Lunar Lake Garden. | ||
| SC6 | Blue Realm | 1 | 110 Stars Key 2 |
Extra Boss 3 stage (BroDute) | |
Miscellaneous[]
| Name | Stars | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Overworld | 1 | |
| To... Earth? | This area contains the path to the End boss and the Warp Block Switch. To acquire the Switch, it requires the secret password from Star Revenge 6.9: Luigi Lost in Time[3]. | |
| World of Fantasies | From Course 7 is the alternate hub world serving as the path between Gensokyo and Makai. Requires the first key to unlock this area. | |
| Bamboo Forest of the Lost | From Course 6 is a subarea accessible via a warp pipe to find a secret star. Requires the Super Badge to enter this area. |
Music[]
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0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2 2.5 3 3.5 3.9 4 4.5 4.9 5 5.5 6 6.25 6.5 6.9 7 7.5 8 Star Revenge 8: Scepter of Hope X |
- ↑ Star Revenge 1.5: Star Takeover Redone, released two hacks prior to this one, featuring his Inkling form on a billboard, but he still physically appeared as a Koopa the Quick ripoff.
- ↑ https://romhacking.com/hack/star-revenge-8-scepter-of-hope
- ↑ Password: BFCEAB