[game 116]
Blaster Master
Platform
NES
Sunsoft (1988)
If you like this page, you can support the site for as little as $1.
Hey, when your frog friend accidentally escapes, is irradiated, and jumps down a super deep hole in your back yard, you are definitely going to jump down, put on the uniform lying there, get in the cool tank-thing also just sitting there and eventually... save the world? Hell yeah, you are.
Blaster Master is definitely tinged by nostalgia for me but that nostalgia is very strong and, frankly, not inaccurate. An absolutely sick soundtrack underlies one of the best NES games, in my opinion. A super unique combination of Metroid style 2D side view platforming and sort-of isometric Zelda-like 3D dungeons. You platform in a badass little tank that jumps and shoots, and, eventually, crawls up walls and kinda flies to unlock more of the world. Yet you can also get out of the tank and do some regular platforming to find the dungeons. In the isometric 3D-ish dungeons your little character gets an extra grenade weapon and navigates mazes with weird enemies and all kinds of traps to find gun upgrades, tank upgrades, and tough level bosses from time to time. Oh, I forgot, there's swimming in the 2D world both in the tank and out... this game is truly a treasure of multiple old-school gaming modes.
The graphics are solid for the era and the sound design, while limited by the NES, is spot on. There can be a bit of NES slowdown at times but that just goes to show how ambitious they were with this game. It is a challenge to beat some of the bosses but even if you never get through the whole game, you're here for the attitude and the atmosphere and Blaster Master has those in spades.
It is a joy to play and reminisce about and if you haven't taken a spin in the fancy tank, it is well worth the effort of jumping down that hole.
Blaster Master is definitely tinged by nostalgia for me but that nostalgia is very strong and, frankly, not inaccurate. An absolutely sick soundtrack underlies one of the best NES games, in my opinion. A super unique combination of Metroid style 2D side view platforming and sort-of isometric Zelda-like 3D dungeons. You platform in a badass little tank that jumps and shoots, and, eventually, crawls up walls and kinda flies to unlock more of the world. Yet you can also get out of the tank and do some regular platforming to find the dungeons. In the isometric 3D-ish dungeons your little character gets an extra grenade weapon and navigates mazes with weird enemies and all kinds of traps to find gun upgrades, tank upgrades, and tough level bosses from time to time. Oh, I forgot, there's swimming in the 2D world both in the tank and out... this game is truly a treasure of multiple old-school gaming modes.
The graphics are solid for the era and the sound design, while limited by the NES, is spot on. There can be a bit of NES slowdown at times but that just goes to show how ambitious they were with this game. It is a challenge to beat some of the bosses but even if you never get through the whole game, you're here for the attitude and the atmosphere and Blaster Master has those in spades.
It is a joy to play and reminisce about and if you haven't taken a spin in the fancy tank, it is well worth the effort of jumping down that hole.