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Blaster Master Zero (Switch)
Dec. 4th, 2017 10:36 amHaven't gotten into doing another Game Night since Utawarerumono, but I have been (re)playing through Blaster Master Zero. I'd play this in 30 minute spurts for the most part so can't really call it a Game Night.
Anyway I started replaying it when I realized there was more to the game after the bad ending I received. To get to that ending you had to collect all the powerups, weapons, and map pieces before defeating the mutant master at the end of area 8. That opens up the way to area 9.
The game's a lot like the original NES game in ways that count but it has changes made here and there. For instance:
1. The layout of the world and levels aren't 100% the same. To be expected, but there's certainly enough of the original here.
2. While all the original bosses are more or less here, they've got changes to them. Additionally there are "bosses" that are more accurately called monster lairs or attack rooms.
3. The amount of weapons you have available has been increased, with alterations made here and there. For instance while your max powered weapon is still the wave beam that cuts through everything, the weaker version of it has been changed into a flame thrower.
4. You don't have infinite grenades. On the plus side, grenades do more damage than they did in the original! Additionally there are placed mines, flash bombs, a gun turret, and a remote cannon strike. O.o That last one is basically you making the Sophia III attack the boss from god knows where! Only used it once.
5. For the vehicle/Sophia III's weapons and abilities, those are also increased. You no longer have to collect powerups to use, but instead they all use the hover bar. The hover bar also recharges slowly over time. In addition to the triple-missile, homing missile, and lighting subweapons (all of which you have to beat bosses to obtain) there's a laser cannon, max-beam cannon, massive explosive missile type attack, and an ultimate beam attack. Yeah, lots of ways to waste your hover power! If the hover function isn't that useful to you there's also an alternate hover function that acts as an air jump. A quick burst is sent out of the tires to toss you upwards. I'm still more partial to the hover's precision.
6. They added a sidekick, Eve, that you meet part way through the game. I guess they figured they couldn't add a lot of story with pure monologues the entire game. Not really sure how I felt about this, but it didn't distract from the game at any rate.
Ultimately, I had a blast. It was fun to play from start to finish with only a couple parts that left me thinking "wtf do I do now..." I guess the best advice for those instances would be "if you can't reach it from below, can you reach it from above?". Certainly several do-or-die obstacles where you have to jump around outside of Sophia III.
Getting the good ending unlocked two more modes. You could probably consider them "easy" and "hard".
In one you start off in the alternate vehicle you get in Area 9. (Sophia Zero) which is basically a powered up version of Sophia III. All the weapons are stronger/faster/etc. Also all weapons/powerups/etc are already unlocked. So it's just a matter of going to each of the area bosses and progressing through the story. They officially call it "Unlimited Mode".
In the other mode, "Destroyer Mode", there's a long list of differences including stronger enemies, all enemies/bosses being beatable by specific weapons, max-life ups don't work, etc etc. Definitely "Hard mode".
I don't feel like I was missing anything with the base game but I ended up buying one of the additional character DLCs anyway despite myself. Having to go through the game as Shantae felt necessary~
I only played the Shantae mode a little so far, but I'm going to try to go through it next. Her weapons are obviously different - based on her magic types, and she has a different colored Sophia. I dunno if she meets Eve or not since I didn't get to that point. Either way the game play overall was certainly different, at least when in the top-down areas.
Anyway I started replaying it when I realized there was more to the game after the bad ending I received. To get to that ending you had to collect all the powerups, weapons, and map pieces before defeating the mutant master at the end of area 8. That opens up the way to area 9.
The game's a lot like the original NES game in ways that count but it has changes made here and there. For instance:
1. The layout of the world and levels aren't 100% the same. To be expected, but there's certainly enough of the original here.
2. While all the original bosses are more or less here, they've got changes to them. Additionally there are "bosses" that are more accurately called monster lairs or attack rooms.
3. The amount of weapons you have available has been increased, with alterations made here and there. For instance while your max powered weapon is still the wave beam that cuts through everything, the weaker version of it has been changed into a flame thrower.
4. You don't have infinite grenades. On the plus side, grenades do more damage than they did in the original! Additionally there are placed mines, flash bombs, a gun turret, and a remote cannon strike. O.o That last one is basically you making the Sophia III attack the boss from god knows where! Only used it once.
5. For the vehicle/Sophia III's weapons and abilities, those are also increased. You no longer have to collect powerups to use, but instead they all use the hover bar. The hover bar also recharges slowly over time. In addition to the triple-missile, homing missile, and lighting subweapons (all of which you have to beat bosses to obtain) there's a laser cannon, max-beam cannon, massive explosive missile type attack, and an ultimate beam attack. Yeah, lots of ways to waste your hover power! If the hover function isn't that useful to you there's also an alternate hover function that acts as an air jump. A quick burst is sent out of the tires to toss you upwards. I'm still more partial to the hover's precision.
6. They added a sidekick, Eve, that you meet part way through the game. I guess they figured they couldn't add a lot of story with pure monologues the entire game. Not really sure how I felt about this, but it didn't distract from the game at any rate.
Ultimately, I had a blast. It was fun to play from start to finish with only a couple parts that left me thinking "wtf do I do now..." I guess the best advice for those instances would be "if you can't reach it from below, can you reach it from above?". Certainly several do-or-die obstacles where you have to jump around outside of Sophia III.
Getting the good ending unlocked two more modes. You could probably consider them "easy" and "hard".
In one you start off in the alternate vehicle you get in Area 9. (Sophia Zero) which is basically a powered up version of Sophia III. All the weapons are stronger/faster/etc. Also all weapons/powerups/etc are already unlocked. So it's just a matter of going to each of the area bosses and progressing through the story. They officially call it "Unlimited Mode".
In the other mode, "Destroyer Mode", there's a long list of differences including stronger enemies, all enemies/bosses being beatable by specific weapons, max-life ups don't work, etc etc. Definitely "Hard mode".
I don't feel like I was missing anything with the base game but I ended up buying one of the additional character DLCs anyway despite myself. Having to go through the game as Shantae felt necessary~
I only played the Shantae mode a little so far, but I'm going to try to go through it next. Her weapons are obviously different - based on her magic types, and she has a different colored Sophia. I dunno if she meets Eve or not since I didn't get to that point. Either way the game play overall was certainly different, at least when in the top-down areas.
