Review: Blaster Master: Enemy Below (3DS Virtual Console)

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3 mins read

Blaster Master: Enemy Below is a perfect example of what happens when something becomes popular, so something else shamelessly copies it. It has little of the appeal or quality of the game it so faithfully reproduces; Metroid, and is a generic romp that is only going to appeal to the diehards.

The problem is this; though Blaster Master does everything that early Metroid games did, with largely non-linear environments, plenty of jumping across perilously small and enemy infested platforms, and epic boss battles, it fails on every level to better any of the Metroid games.

Where Metroid games had a distinct sci-fi horror atmosphere, Blaster Master has a bland man-vs-robots set up. Where Samus is a character that quickly built a dedicated fanbase (girls in bikinis, even pixelated, will do that), the generic little tank and his equally generic helmeted pilot are difficult to care about. Where Metroid’s namesake enemies were chilling and compelling foes, there’s not a single enemy in Blaster Master that we haven’t seen a million times before or since. This is a game utterly devoid of creativity, and it quickly becomes dull.

That said, it is a game that works on a technical basis. The little tank jumps around the place with nary a glitch, and the gunplay works. The lack of a duck button does become a genuine pain, but nevertheless you’ll be flying around the levels blasting enemies with relative ease quickly enough. The level design is largely adequate, and tracking down the upgrades to reach new parts of the level (much like Metroid), is a well-trodden structure for a reason.

That said, exploring is an experience that the game does its best to discourage. Enemy placement is often random – leave one screen or area, and come back to it later, and you may or may not find yourself crashing into enemies (or enemy bullets) and taking unavoidable damage. Since the tank itself is nowhere near as robust as a tank should be, this is a problem, and a good validation for why Nintendo didn’t go down this path with Metroid themselves.

The boss battles are the highlight that you would expect them to be, but getting to them is such a slog through boredom that it’s hard to get excited about them.

Throw in a complete lack of story, visuals that are functional, but bland, and a completely forgettable soundtrack, and you should have an idea of where this game fits: if you happen to be a massive fan of Metroid-style games, you’ll get something out of this. If not, you probably don’t want to bother. While Metroid’s quality is enough that even non-fans can appreciate it, Blaster Master most definitely is not good enough.

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  • How does this compare to the original BlasterMaster on NES?  From the screenshots it looks very similar and while I remember having some great times with BM with friends; it was pretty difficult.  (and nostalgia could be getting the best of me)

  • How does this compare to the original BlasterMaster on NES?  From the screenshots it looks very similar and while I remember having some great times with BM with friends; it was pretty difficult.  (and nostalgia could be getting the best of me)

  • This is actually the first time I've played the game in any form, so I can't help with comparisons. The emulation on the 3DS is good, so I'm guessing that if you enjoyed it back then you'll still enjoy it now 🙂

  • This is actually the first time I've played the game in any form, so I can't help with comparisons. The emulation on the 3DS is good, so I'm guessing that if you enjoyed it back then you'll still enjoy it now 🙂

  • I was wondering the same thing as Robert.  I remember the original Master Blaster for the NES fairly fondly.  It never quite held up to Metroid, Kid Icarus or Castlevania for me with the semi-platforming/semi-adventuring genre, but I thought it was pretty solid waaaay back then. 

  • I was wondering the same thing as Robert.  I remember the original Master Blaster for the NES fairly fondly.  It never quite held up to Metroid, Kid Icarus or Castlevania for me with the semi-platforming/semi-adventuring genre, but I thought it was pretty solid waaaay back then. 

  • That's a good point about it not being a Metroid/KI/Castlevania.  Another issue the original had was no save or password method.  Though the 3DS' VC restore point feature should help in that regard.

    I'll have to see if I can find what the differences are since this is a GBC game and we're fondly remembering the original NES version.  I recall the music being good too.

  • That's a good point about it not being a Metroid/KI/Castlevania.  Another issue the original had was no save or password method.  Though the 3DS' VC restore point feature should help in that regard.

    I'll have to see if I can find what the differences are since this is a GBC game and we're fondly remembering the original NES version.  I recall the music being good too.

  • I disagree with pretty much everything you said about this game. There doesn't need to be a story, the visuals are anything but bland, this is not a Metroid-style game, the rest of the game is incredibly fun…really I don't know what to take from this.

    For those wondering, this game is pretty much the sequel that Blaster Master deserved.

  • Different strokes. This had nothing in it that I look for in an entertaining game. I like some kind of plot to give a game context (with obvious exceptions such as puzzle games and the like). Even Super Mario Brothers' single line "save the Princess from Bowser" provides context. Blaster Master gave me some really weird pictures at the start that made no sense whatsoever. 

    The game very much felt like a Metroid-style game to me. Yes, there were those isometric bits when the dude left the tank, but the sense of exploration, the level design and the enemy behaviours felt very much like Nintendo's series to me. 

    Anyway. Good to hear that you like the game; I know there's a community out there that are big fans of it! 🙂

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