Blaster Master
Webpages concerning "Blaster Master"
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Wikipedia-Article "Blaster Master"
| Blaster Master | |
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| Developer(s) | Sunsoft |
| Publisher(s) | Sunsoft |
| Designer(s) | Fanky |
| Engine | |
| Latest version | {{{version}}} |
| Release date(s) |  June 17, 1988
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| Genre | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | n/a |
| Platform(s) | Famicom/NES |
| Media | Cartridge |
| System requirements | |
| Input | |
Blaster Master is a video game released by Sunsoft in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the localized version of a Japanese Famicom game titled Chô Wakusei Senki Metafight (超惑星戦記メタファイト, which loosely translates to Super Planetary War Records: Metafight). Though both versions of the game share identical graphics and gameplay, the plot was completely changed for the American release.
Blaster Master is often cited as one of the most original games for the NES, owing to a successful combination of the genres of side-scrolling action and overhead exploration. Like The Legend of Zelda, Blaster Master featured the gameplay mechanic of allowing players to revisit previous areas at will; in fact, this is necessary to complete the game. Another notable aspect of the game, the player's ability to gain powers from defeated bosses, seems to be inspired by the game Mega Man.
Blaster Master is one of the most successful original franchises of Sunsoft, a company known for producing games based on popular licenses. It is the first in a series of five games; Blaster Master Boy, a localization of Bomber King 2, was released in 1991, and the first direct sequel, Blaster Master 2, was released in 1993.
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Game overview
Story
The plot of Metafight is centered around Kane Gardner, pilot of the battle tank "Metal Attacker", who lands on the planet Sophia the 3rd to lead the attack against the invading emperor Goez. Blaster Master, however, follows the adventure of Jason, a boy who falls through the Earth's crust by a hole dug by his escaped frog Freddy, who has become enlarged due to radiation exposure. In an underground cavern, he discovers the combat tank SOPHIA the 3rd, and uncovers a plot by the Plutonium Boss to invade the surface world with an army of mutants.
In Blaster Master (the localized version of Metafight), the player controls Jason Frudnick, a teenage boy who fell into a humongous underground cavern after chasing his pet frog Freddy, who has become enlarged due to exposure to radiation. There, he discovers an all-terrain battle tank. This vehicle is designated SOPHIA (sometimes also referred to as Sofia), which stands for "Subatomic Omni-directional Probative Hyper-responsive Indomitable Abdicator (3rd Design) Nora MA-01". As he explores the underground world, he must find the underboss of each of the eight levels and destroy them. After he destroys each underboss, he is given an upgrade with which to enhance SOPHIA the 3rd. When he reaches the end, he discovers that the underbosses were controlled by the Plutonium Boss, a creature which was planning to invade the world above.
Story (comments)
It should be known that the story of Blaster Master is sometimes mocked for being confusing and incomplete. For example, Freddy's mutation is brought about after he hops onto a radioactive chest, inexplicably placed in Jason's backyard, and no explanation is given for either the radioactive chest, nor SOPHIA's convenient location. The plot of the Blaster Master Worlds of Power book, which is slightly different than that of the manual, goes into more detail and explains many of these quirks. However the Worlds of Power book was originally not canon to the storyline of Blaster Master. See the Novel section below for more information.
Gameplay
Jason begins the game in his tank, Sophia the 3rd, with a limited selection of abilities. It can move horizontally, jump, fire shots from its cannon, or use special attacks after finding ammunition for them. As the game progresses, however, Jason acquires new abilities for the tank by defeating the bosses of each level. Each upgrade affords a different style of gameplay. For example, it is possible to receive an upgrade for water movement ("Dive") which allows the vehicle to move freely through water environments; with the "Hover" upgrade module, Sophia the 3rd has the capability to fly through the air to reach higher targets and gain entry to remote platforms, and so on.
In addition, Jason may leave the tank at any time to explore surrounding regions. His armor and attacks are weaker outside the tank, and falling long distances deals damage to the unfortified Jason. Nevertheless, exiting Sophia is the only way to climb ladders and enter various passageways throughout the level.
When Jason enters one of these passageways, the game mode changes to an overhead shooter. Here, Jason can use either of two weapons: his gun, or grenades. Although the grenades deal more damage and are required to defeat some bosses, they are difficult to aim properly, as throwing a grenade a long distance requires a moving start. Jason's gun is fairly weak at first, but by picking up certain items, its shots become stronger and gain a greater range. Though some of these passages contain useful power-ups, only one per level leads to the boss's room.
Legacy
Port
In Japan, Meta Fight was rereleased for the Playstation in Volume 4 of Sunsoft's Memorial Series.
Sequels
There are officially four sequels to Blaster Master, all for different systems. One of the sequels was localized (under a different title) for the U.S./European markets. In chronological order, they are:
- Blaster Master Boy (originally Bomber King 2, a Bomberman game) for the Game Boy
- Blaster Master 2 for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
- Meta Fight EX (released in the Asia-Pacific region only) for the Game Boy Color
- Blaster Master: Enemy Below (localized version of Meta Fight EX for the U.S./European markets) for the Game Boy Color
- Blaster Master: Blasting Again for the Sony PlayStation
Novel
Scholastic published a novelization of Blaster Master (written by F. X. Nine) as part of their Worlds of Power series, which were loose novelizations of NES games. Although the storyline of the book takes several liberties from the original game's plot, it has been adopted as canon (in constrast to other World of Power books) by the developers of Blaster Master: Blasting Again, since the character of Eve was originally a creation of the book.
Other appearances
In the Homestar Runner short "japanese cartoon", it is possible to see part of the ending of Blaster Master. By clicking the words "Japanese cartoons" twice at the end of the movie, then clicking on a VHS tape labeled "NES Endings", viewers can scroll through a series of 11 pictures of NES game endings, the 7th of which is Blaster Master. In this particular picture, there is an arrow pointing to Jason's hair, with the words "Blue hair" written. This is a reference to a statement by Strongbad earlier in the cartoon, as well as the fact that Jason's hair is, for some reason, blue in the game's ending.
External links
- Blaster Master at MobyGames
- Blaster Master: The Legacy - explains the storyline of the Blaster Master series, with several canon and non-canon additions
- Blaster Master Underground (BMUG) - a complete record of all games in the series, including external media and background development history on each game
- Unofficial arrangements (ReMixes) of Blaster Master's soundtrack at OverClocked ReMix