More Thoughts From Me #67: Master of the Blaster

I never played the original Blaster Master. I had heard of the game, but I didn’t know anything about it. Skip ahead to years later and I hear the franchise is coming back in a new game, Blaster Master Zero, for the 3DS and Nintendo Switch eshops! I do not have a Switch yet, however I play my 3DS a lot and so that was the version I was interested in. I’ve played Blaster Master Zero for a bit now and I’m ready let you know what I think of it!

Are you a Metroid fan and/or a fan of Castlevania? Then, you will probably like Blaster Master Zero.

Blaster Master Zero is a 2D Metroidvania for the 3DS. But its a bit more than just that! In this game, you control a tank that you use to transverse different areas. You can get out of your tank and walk around and you’ll need to do that from time to time. There are also areas that your character can walk into that are a bit more 3D dimensional. Between the tank, character, and 3Dish environments, Blaster Master Zero has a good amount of variety and fun to it. That isn’t to say that the game is easy though.

Blaster Master Zero has some tough boss battles but perhaps its biggest difficulty is finding your way around the different areas. There is a map for the 2D Metroidvania environments, but its hidden in a menu that you’ll have open up, which disrupts gameplay. The 3DS’s second screen is blank most of the time and its a real shame that the map wasn’t put on it.

I’m not sure why the game’s map wasn’t put on the second screen but this was definitly a bad design decision. The map in this game is handy and should’ve been on the bottom screen at all times. Believe me, thats not going to stop the game from being tricky or tough at times. I guess we’re all a little spoiled by games that do put the map on the touch screen. I think laster Master needed it badly. That said, the game is still a lot of fun!

Blaster Master Zero has great graphics, excellent gameplay, and an interesting story. While I wish it had a map on the second screen, that doesn’t stop it from being a cool game for the 3DS.

I have no idea how it is on the Switch, but I have no problem recommending it on for the 3DS! Its not a perfect game, but its rare to find a perfect game for any system. Blaster Master Zero is a retro throwback and a solid action-platformer.

Have you played Blaster Master Zero? What do you think of it?

Next week: The Gaming Historian videos are absolutely essential youtube viewing for developers and gamers a like. Never heard of them? I’ll tell you about them next week and talk about my favorite of the videos.

More Thoughts From Me is an opinion column. The thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone. I am not the master of the blaster. 🙁