What isn't "fangame" about a ROM hack? It's just a fangame using a preexisting engine in from one of the series' games.

I don't see how there's any difficulty in comparing the ROM hacks to other games, the end product is the same, it's still a fangame that should be judged on-par with everything else. The only difference is in the method behind the games. It's kind of a silly assertion, and doesn't really answer my question in a satisfactory way. Judging on an equal basis, I'm curious how an incomplete web app was chosen over the two ROM hacks submitted.