Thirty years ago, it was common for a handful of people crammed into a small room to create truly playable wonders. One of them was Blaster Master, a title not very well known back in 1988, but which offered some very innovative keys. Now we get it back with a remake that also lives up to its magic.
Imitating is not easy. We have all done it with our voice at some time, but you will agree that it is not always with the best results… and it requires technique. Once I knew, however, someone capable not only of perfectly imitating a character, but of tracing the speech – to illustrate this moment – of Jesús Gil imitating José Luis Moreno, or Ronaldo imitating Messi. A crack.
Not only did such an act of vocal clarity generate surprise, but also novelty, because you had never heard such a fusion. Something similar has happened to me when playing Blaster Master Zero , which, far from being a crude copy, carries on its shoulders the honorable responsibility of imitating Metroid by imitating Megaman . Considering that they are two 8-bit classics (late eighties), it is as risky a task as it is great.
The most curious thing is that it is not an “indie” made today, but it is almost 30 years old . It appeared on the NES in 1988: a classic. It was quite groundbreaking in its time. Not much attention was paid to him, but the veteran gray hair has done him very well. In fact, they currently tell you that it is a tribute and you believe it, because also as a “remake” it is formidable. It rescues the essence of a video game that comes to both Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo Switch at a price that must be mentioned: just 10 euros.
Blaster Master Zero: Launch Trailer
Underground action and explorationThe Blaster Master Zero proposal is as absurd as many films of the time, with a testimonial script in which our protagonist, chasing his pet (a frog), falls into an unknown world underground . There he will not only become a warrior capable of shooting lightning in a futuristic suit, but he also acquires as a means of transport a kind of technologically advanced battleship, known as SOPHIA III.
The exploration part also allows us to get out of the vehicle to dive into the water. The game has many interesting details.
Leaving aside the … aha, okay … that comes from your soul as soon as you check this simple narrative pretext, everything else makes sense and is also very interesting. You meet critters of all types and sizes through an open level metroidvania-style layout . You can go and retrace your steps. In fact you should, because one of the great characteristics of the game is that you acquire skills as you progress.
Unbreakable walls, very high platforms, mechanisms impossible to activate … All this ceases to be an obstacle if you acquire a certain power, opening the doors to new regions. There are quite a few, and the best thing is not that the enemies change with them, but also the visual style and the music, which by the way are the most satisfying ingredients of the whole. For those who like pixelart and chiptunes , this is a delight for the senses.
Ideal if you have been in video games for a long time and nostalgia is one of your weaknessesIn fact, Blaster Master Zero is like moving to another era, but without really feeling like you are playing something out of date. It’s a timeless gem, and I think a good part of the blame is precisely on the fact that the original development team ( just five people ) not only strove to create “the best graphics on the NES back then,” but also “the best. action game “, as its director Yoshiaki Iwata assured.
The game, at the gameplay level, has two layers, which made it an extraordinarily complex game. The first is exploration , with a vehicle in which we travel through a labyrinthine environment with its complications, until we reach the dungeons. The second is more action , managing our protagonist from a zenith perspective while killing hordes of monsters, including the final bosses. From the correct interlacing of these mechanics, the identity of the video game arises, which is very powerful.
The bosses are not lacking, and they do not always mean a ride. As you progress, the game becomes more complex.
To increase the feeling of depth, we can improve our life bar and equipment, with new weapons or abilities in the Metroid or Megaman style. When you get them you can go further, crossing areas that you could not before, generating a playable flow that gives a feeling of freedom.
That’s ultimately the highlight, the feeling of being in an eight-bit world where you are free to explore. Therefore, one of the most important introductions of this “remake” is the ability to save game in certain areas, whose non-existence was something that was criticized in the NES classic. However, there are still aspects that could have been polished, and that are as basic as they are important. Aiming at enemies is not easy, and it is not a matter of difficulty, but of control.
There is some other imbalance in the degree of challenge of the game, more areas could have been integrated or a more ambitious “remake” work done, but for everything else it is a classic brought to the present with a magnificent quality. In Nintendo 3DS it looks great and in Nintendo Switch there is an interesting cooperative , in which the second user handles a firing grid to support the first player.
It is a highly recommended title, especially if you have been in video games for a long time and nostalgia is one of your weaknesses. Due to the limited success it had in its time, and being a little-known work, its capacity for surprise is high, especially considering that it was a video game designed in 1988 . But there is always time to do justice, especially if it is with revitalizations as worked as the one proposed by Blaster Master Zero .
“Very good”
Blaster Master Zero
Blaster Master Zero is an attack of nostalgia for lovers of retro, but also a faithful defense of a title little recognized 30 years ago when it appeared on the NES. The surprise is that he knows how to prove his extraordinary worth after so long. It does so thanks to a successful remake, which plays just enough to bring its ingenious playable concept to the present. Highly recommended both if you are an 8-bit lover, or if you are curious to know a somewhat unknown, but exciting portion of the history of video games.
- Interesting fusion between exploration and metroidvania-style action
- Despite its almost 30 years, the formula remains fresh and interesting
- An audiovisual delight for old-school lovers
- Improvable control, especially when aiming and shooting
- Some imbalances in difficulty
