Topic: Blaster Master Virtual Console: Save the Frog, Save the World

[Kairon]

How well do the cult classic's re-releases hold up on the Wii and 3DS Virtual Consoles?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/recommendations/28806

"Sophia."

It was years after I had played Blaster Master when I first heard that name and realized I had no idea how it related to the NES game at all. At that moment, Blaster Master took on a bit of a Citizen Kane-"Rosebud" mystery for me, especially since, once I discovered the name's meaning, I realized it had relatively little bearing on the game itself.

That's because the Blaster Master series isn't really known for its backstory, but instead for gameplay that fused vehicular exploration with on-foot combat as well as combined side-scrolling platforming with top-down run-and-gun action. None of this had anything to do with the game's American-market backstory of one boy's quest to save his 20-foot pet frog. (Ahhh, the eighties. I miss them so.)

The nostalgia and good will for the franchise lead to a revamped take on the gameplay with Blaster Master: Overdrive for WiiWare more than two decades later. That sort of longevity is good reason for gamers new and old to get curious about the roots of this cult classic game series as well as, not that it really matters, who "Sophia" really is.

Spoiler: S.O.P.H.I.A. is the tank.

[Chocobo_Rider]

Excellent write-up.

I have not played Enemy Below but the NES game was awesome back in the day and Overdrive is one of the best WiiWare games I've played.  Now that I have a 3DS maybe I'll give EB a look.

There was a (terrible) Blaster Master sequel on Genesis and another one on PS1 that I heard was also not worth playing.

Also, the American backstory might be "cute" and funny for the era but.... yea... pretty silly =P
The Japanese one is (as usual) better.

[Sundoulos]

I loved the original NES game, but I've never tried Enemy Below.  I hear that it has a password system, so it might be a little more accessible to those who get frustrated with the original's lack of the same.

[Kairon]

The "pause-while-a-grenade-is-blowing-up-on-the-first-boss-trick" in the first Blaster Master is one of my most cherished childhood gaming memories.