Topic: RFN RetroActive (Jr.) #33: Blaster Master

[broodwars]

If there's anyone still having trouble finding their way through the game or beating the bosses, I highly recommend LordKat's Until We Win video walkthrough for this game.

[ClexYoshi]

THREAD NECROMANCY!!!


I wanted to come back to this one because I had mostly forgotten the experiences I had with Blaster Master  and that I even participated in this particular retroactive. I'm tempted to listen to the associated episode, but I... really don't feel like going through the emotional baggage at the end, what with this essentially being tied to the Johnathan Metts retirement.

I've been playing Blaster Master Zero. Greg had said this game was essentially an enhanced retread, and I feel it handles a lot of things FAR better, like giving Jason a much better spread of guns, the ability to diagonal aim, and overall making the enemies behave in more predictable manners that are easier to deal with. Level design is a little different and the graphical fidelity has been cranked up, but I feel that Blaster Master Zero is... well, to be frank, the Metroid Zero Mission of a game that probably holds up at least a little better than OG metroid, so that should count for something.

Strangely, it took the announcement of My Waifu Shantae and Shovel Knight DLC to finally get me to move on this game, and I have no regrets. I'm having WAY more fun with Blaster Master Zero then what it sounds like I had playing Blaster Master for this thread. For those who seek to find the archived thread for this game, I cannot stress this enough.

Unless you have nostalgia for the original Blaster Master, do yourself a favor. Buy the Switch Version of Blaster Master Zero. Buy yourself one of 8bitdo's Bluetooth NES30 Pro controllers. Much like how Zero Mission renders original Metroid obsolete, Blaster Master Zero is a game I can see myself returning to, unlike the original.

If the quirks of Jason's fall damage and the lack of gun power ups are still an annoying feature? play as some of the EX characters. Hopping out of SOPHIA and going around as Shantae actually feels amazing, even if you have to get up in the grill of enemies. platforming around as Monkey Shantae feels great, and in the end she doesn't take fall damage, nor does she get downgraded in the top-down sections if you end up being a little clumsy.

I imagine that GV probably feels even better as well, given he has a pretty good moveset for taking out enemies at odd angles in platforming segments.