PixlBit

My earliest years in gaming was a magical time. Every new game I discovered pioneered a fresh mechanic I hadn’t seen before. I'll never forget the moment when my brother's best friend came over with his NES games to show off Blaster Master. I marveled as the story elements unfolded while melancholic music played in the attract mode. Pressing the start button then transitioned me to the opening shot of an armored vehicle speeding off while the triumphant music swelled to a crescendo as I journeyed into the unknown. Never had I witnessed anything like that at the time. While everything I just described is nothing spectacular these days, Blaster Master still has a few gameplay elements that still hold up quite nicely.

This is a story about Jason and his pet frog Fred. One day, Fred escapes into the forest and hops onto a radioactive chest. Jason watched as the frog grew to an enormous size and became so heavy that it fell deep into the underground. After falling into a hole while attempting to catch the frog, Jason discovers a vehicle called “Sophia the 3rd”- a multi-purpose battle tank capable of navigating a variety of environments. He jumps into the tank on a mission to find his amphibian friend.

When one generally thinks of a tank in video games, perhaps the mind conjures an image of a plodding lummox ill-equipped for a 2D platforming adventure. But the Sophia vehicle was a nice break from the normal. It has the ability to jump and navigate the terrain with relative ease. You’ll be blazing around underground caverns in a nimble, quick-firing armored vehicle worthy of the “authentic arcade edition” statement on the game packaging.

Blaster Master borrows a few pages from the Metroid playbook. You explore a sprawling subterranean world, systematically gaining upgrades that allow you to access previously unreachable areas. This also means that you can easily get lost trying to find your way to the next boss or new area until you get your bearings. When you first start exploring the first few sections of any area, you’ll do so in the tank.

Eventually, Jason will have to step out of the tank to access the sub-levels and other areas too small for the tank to fit through. While he can explore the regular overworld, he can't survive high falls and is especially vulnerable to enemy fire. However, he can replenish his energy by jumping into his tank again- a feature I wish was present in more games like this.

When you enter the sub-levels, the perspective changes to an overhead viewpoint. There is no platforming involved in these sections, but there are plenty of enemies to destroy in the general vicinity. The sub-levels are necessary to explore in order to find the boss for each area and gain the upgrade needed for the tank. Upgrades include a more powerful cannon, the ability to hover, and eventually climb walls and ceilings.

Jason can also find upgrades for his pea shooter gun that will make it much more proficient at quickly disposing of the enemies that stand in your way. In addition to Jason's gun, he also has an infinite supply of grenades that are best useful against stronger enemies and area bosses. When you're done fighting a boss, you are taken back to the entrance of the sub-level so you easily make your way out. Sunsoft did a good job of making the two main aspects of the game seem equally as important as its counterpart, instead of just a tacked-on gimmick.

The game is relatively easy-going when exploring in the tank in the early areas. But any perceived ease is quickly shaken the minute you leave the protection of the armored vehicle and send Jason into deeper sections that only he can explore. With the quick appearance of enemies (especially when moving to the next room), you can quickly get clipped by untended contact or a stray bullet.

In addition to taking health damage, Jason’s gun loses power with each hit. This makes for a very frustrating experience when trying to survive the lengthy sections in later parts of the game. And the end-level bosses? Forget about it. In its purest form (no save states or rewind feature), these parts of Blaster Master in particular are more like battles of attrition with the scales tipped in the enemy’s favor.

Unfortunately, the tank- as well as Jason- has zero recovery time when taking damage from enemies. This makes accidental contact a nightmare in most sections since your health bar quickly drains when taking repeated hits. Especially annoying are the smaller ground enemies that can quickly catch up to you and keep pace with your tank in the side-scrolling sections. Another problem is that most enemies pop up suddenly in view from the edge of the screen. It can be particularly problematic when jumping up vertical spaces since it gives enemies on ceilings a cheap advantage over you since you often get surprised by their attacks.

The game also has the annoying habit of turning your powers into a liability once you acquire the final upgrades that allow your vehicle to climb walls and stick to platforms. It’s especially troublesome during the final area where everything is surrounded by spikes. Worse yet, enemies are positioned in such a way that you are all but guaranteed to take a cheap hit thanks to the clumsiness of the tank sticking to surfaces instead of gently rolling off the platform like you could do previous to your final upgrade.

Besides its easy to learn but hard to master gameplay elements, Blaster Master is well-regarded for its musical score. Every area's background music is fitting for that location. Whether it’s the exploratory and courageous tune of the initial caverns or the breezy sounds of the aquatic area, the music never gets generic. My personal favorites are the music for areas 1, 2, 3, and 5. You will find yourself less concerned with the length of the game, and more in tune with the audio presentation- a hallmark of any good platformer.

Overall, Blaster Master has the earmarks of a true NES classic. The platforming gameplay elements are spot on, the controls are tight, and the music seals the deal. It shouldn't be too hard to find nowadays and it's really worth spending some time with. It’s also available as part of the NES lineup on the Nintendo Switch Online service. However you choose to play it, Blaster Master is a game you’ll enjoy if you’re a fan of old school action platformers.