NES

Blaster Master

After numerous cancelled dates, Blaster Master is finally about to hit the shops - and about time too! It's an absolutely brilliant platform/adventure game which I've been playing on and off since we first got it in over a year ago. It's packed full of excellent features, has superb gameplay and lots of neat touches - the way the tank moves and works is great! What kept me playing was the sheer size of the game - there's loads in there to discover, from secret screens to alternative routes around the map, and every time you play you seem to find something new. Blaster Master is definitely the best platform exploration game seen for months and should be put at the top of your shopping list.

Blaster Master’s cult following managed to spawn two sequels, Blaster Master 2 on the Genesis and BM: Blasting Again on the original Playstation, as well as two handheld spin-offs being Blaster Master Boy and Blaster Master: Enemy Below. Despite all of this, nothing can really beat the charm of the first game. Though it may not have sold well and was hell to beat, it’s still fondly remembered by those who have played it. If you’re a fan of the NES, do yourself a favor and give Blaster Master a try. You won’t be disappointed.

In the end, Blaster Master is just good ol' fun. It has the action of Mega Man and the exploration of Metroid, which actually leaves it to be a very fun and different game. Once you memorize the levels and where the boss door is at, it gets a bit old, but is still fun to hop into and play.

So, the point is, Blaster Master somehow manages to be an excellent game, despite apparently being about a boy chasing after his radioactively enhanced frog, which seems to be entirely forgotten after the introduction ends, unless you listen to some players who suggest that the end boss is somehow intended to be aforementioned frog. I never quite believed that story, personally. I also never really understood why the main character’s hair color changes at the end of the game. I guess it must be a really bad case of helmet hair. Either that, or the localization crew missed a spot.

The stage layouts are maze-like and confusing, and you're expected to do a good bit of backtracking. Certain enemies can't be shot because they crawl too close to the ground, and slowdown often rears its ugly head. There's no score, but you do get unlimited continues, so you can pretty much play Blaster Master until you're sick of it. It's not one of my favorites, but Blaster Master deserves some credit for innovation and depth.