To be honest I’m largely unfamiliar with developer Sunsoft. They were mostly prevalent during the eight bit era, and couldn’t quite keep up with the times and thus were shut down in the mid 90s. Despite this their release list on the Nintendo Entertainment System is held in high esteem by most retro gamers despite the fact that they weren’t a very popular publisher even back then. One of the titles I’ve heard a lot about is Blaster Master. It’s often cited as one of the big hidden gems for the platform, and so I picked up the cartridge for cheap a few years back. Upon booting it up everything seemed so familiar to me. When gameplay started I instantly recognized this as a title that I played on occasion at a friends house. Back then we just referred to it as ‘the tank game’ but I remember it instilled a sense of wonder in me that made me realize that the sky was the limit when it came to interactive media. I wasn’t quite sure why it made me feel this way moreso than pretty much any other video game, and I didn’t know whether or not I could recapture the magic now. Fortunately I was able to. Now I champion Blaster Master as one of the very best games released for the platform. Continue reading to find out why you need this title in your life.
Blaster Master made me laugh right from the start. The story begins as a pet frog escapes from a young boy named Jason. This amphibian (referred to as Fred) heads straight for a vat of radioactive fluid which mutates him into a super large frog. From here he digs a hole in the ground, and Jason chases after him. It is here that our protagonist finds a futuristic tank named SOPHIA. Jason jumps in, and sets off to find his pet and bring him home safe and sound. The scenario is absolutely absurd but in the best kind of way. You can’t help but chuckle at let your cynicism melt away. Blaster Master is a side scrolling action platformer. I would liken it to the original Metroid, but this title has a lot of unique elements that prevent any direct comparisons.
Basic gameplay features the traditional side view as you can move left and right as well as jump. Your primary method of attack is with the cannon which can be aimed straight forward in the direction you’re facing or even up if you hold the corresponding d-pad button. The game requires a fair amount of platforming but shooting enemies is often at the gameplay forefront. I really like that you can gain special attacks which include missiles (both normal and homing) as well as a downward electrical strike that’s most useful when you’re jumping. The weaponry adds a lot of diversity and though switching between these special items requires you to go to the start menu it never feels like that much of a chore.
What makes this game particularly interesting is that, while you’ll spend most of your time in the tank, pressing select causes Jason to emerge from it. His shot is weak compared to that of SOPHIA, and he can’t jump nearly as high. So why not stay in the tank through the whole game, you might ask? Well, only he can climb ladders, and initially SOPHIA just sinks to the bottom in watery environments while Jason can swim.
The big reason you’ll need to vacate the tank however is because each level contains sub-levels within it that can only be accessed on foot due to their small size. Upon entering one of these the gameplay completely changes. You view the action from top down ala Zelda, and must navigate Jason through labyrinthine environments armed only with his gun and bombs. Your laser has a limited charge and at its weakest is a single shot, but at max it’s a flurry of rotating blasts. Here you move from room to room battling enemies and collecting power-ups. Most of these areas are optional and just contain items. In each level you need to progress through a top-down section in order to reach the boss and must face off against them on foot. It’s a fantastic dynamic and keeps the game fresh from start to finish which is no small feat.
There’s only one problem I have with Blaster Master, and that’s related to the comparison I made earlier to it and Metroid. While you’re forced to complete the levels in a linear fashion you’re often forced to backtrack to reach new areas. Upon defeating each boss you’re given a new item that enhances SOPHIA’s abilities allowing the tank to reach new areas. These include a more powerful shot that allows you to defeat a monster blocking your way, another that lets you destroy specific blocks, while other boss items allow you to climb walls, hover, and even float through the water. Unfortunately this means you need to remember specific obstacles you could not previously bypass, and then travel back through the stages in order to reach them. This requires a lot of patience and experimentation; this is one of the few games I actually enjoyed that I recommend looking at a FAQ in order to figure out where you’re supposed to go. What makes this worse is that many of the stages are set up as mazes with multiple paths to follow. This isn’t a gameplay aspect that I’ve enjoyed in the past, and Blaster Master doesn’t make it any less painful. To make matters worse this is a tough game. I found myself regularly dying even while returning to previous areas.
Blaster Master features some of the best graphics of its era. The developers took a lot of care when it came to animating SOPHIA the tank. This weapon has more animations than most other NES titles with both wheels moving independently and a lot of other subtle touches. You can see stress put on the suspension as you jump and land which is amazing. Jason is a significantly smaller sprite during normal gameplay and the scale is very impressive even though he isn’t as animated. The top down areas are a little awkward because the camera is zoomed in and your character sprite is huge. The boss characters are huge, and even the regular enemies regardless of gameplay mode are really distinct and nice looking. Unfortunately this title suffers from your typical NES slowdown when several enemies are on-screen at once, but it’s actually helpful at times in this case. Overall the graphics are great and any issues I have can easily be swept aside. Sunsoft has long been referenced as releasing games with amazing soundtracks, and despite my limited experience with their titles I can’t disagree. The first stage has an incredible and iconic theme that was stuck in my head days after completing it. The other level themes are great as well. This is one of the few cases where it comes to chiptune music where I might actually have to seek out the soundtrack.
It’s far too easy to become jaded when it comes to retro games. Most recommendations I’ve had are obviously fueled by nostalgia, and I haven’t found myself surprised too often. Though Blaster Master did bring back some long lost child hood memories I found myself absolutely enamored with it. The gameplay is phenomenal as are the graphics and soundtrack. Even though I hate backtracking in side scrolling platformers I could look past this huge flaw in this case because the rest of the package is so darn incredible. No NES collection is complete without this title, and I don’t say that lightly.
