Blaster Master Zero

Blaster Master Zero is fun while it lasts. With a bizarre story and fun gameplay, this is one Metroidvania-style game that can be played by both fans of the series and newcomers alike. The only complaints about this remaster are that it is short and rather easy, but the seven or so hours it will take you to get to the end are certainly entertaining while they last.

Where the game does really shine is in its presentation. At no point did I feel like I was playing anything other than a classic 8-bit game. The look, the sounds, and even the crazy storyline about a boy and his frog, the game is steeped in nostalgia, and remains faithful to the games of that era, but I cannot comment on how this stacks up as a remake of the original, having never played it. But that is where one of my problems I had with the game surfaced. Due to it being so retro in its style, the game story and dialogue just felt daft. At no point was I invested in the story of Jason and Fred, and had no interest in reading all of the text that was presented to me. Some people may actually take that as being true to the original, but for me it felt like a disconnect. But at the end of the day, as long as the gameplay is enjoyable, that is all that matters.

Blaster Master Zero tries to recapture the joy of the NES classic, but the out-of-vehicle segments are just as frustrating as they were nearly thirty years ago.

While it’s a shame that its dungeon dwelling enemies are far too easily exploited, Blaster Master Zero is ultimately an enjoyable reimagining of a largely overlooked 8-bit classic thanks to the rewarding exploration-focussed structure of its side-scrolling overworld. There are enough secret rooms and power-ups to seek out (including an additional ending), that I was compelled to scour every last inch over the course of my eight-hour completion time. It’s a good reboot; just not a Masterful one.

Blaster Master Zero is a brief and faithful successor to Blaster Master. This may not be as hard as the NES game; it has modern conveniences like checkpoints and save files as it slavishly pays lip service to the classic. It does Sunsoft justice and perfectly captures that distinctive Sunsoft sound that they were known for in the NES generation. It is just too bad Inti Creates played it too safe and did not try to truly push Blaster Master Zero to the heights it could have reached. For $9.99, it is a decent throwback retro title.