Blaster Master: Enemy Below

"A good game lacking in some areas."

This game may not seem interesting at first if you haven't played the original. The intro is like this. You are Jason, pilot of the tank S.O.P.H.I.A. III. In a lab, a creature was created from a tissue sample of the monster you defeated in the first Blaster Master. This creature has run amok and destroyed the lab. Afterwards, it burrowed underground and made its domain again, which is very much alike the first game. A person from the lab comes to you to defeat it. You get your suit and tank and get moving. Simple, eh? Its pretty fun game. Great graphics, nice sound, and nice challenge. It also has something the original didn't. A way to save your progress. It is password, so you don't have to worry about anybody erasing you game. I just wish it weren't so much like the original. Let's get to the break down.

Graphics=(9/10) These graphics are great for this system. They recreate the NES kind of graphics well. The catacombs and the bosses look good as well.

Sound=(8/10) It is a nice effort to recreate the original Blaster Master's music, but the system doesn't seem to have the hardware to run all the instrumentals. It still sounds pretty good.

Control=((9/10)Tank(5/10)Jason) The controls of the tank is easy to get the hang of. They are responsive and fluid. Jason, in catacombs, is another story. The guy can only move in 4 directions. The people who made this game should have game him the ability to move diagonally. This would help against the bosses, since they shoot things at you from left to right.

Gameplay/Challenge=(8/10) This game has a lot of blasting and exploring. Its fun to explore and find upgrades for the tank and Jason. Also, going back to past levels to get to newer ones is fun. I like how there were upgrades you didn't have to beat a boss to get, you just had to find them. Some parts of the game require some thinking. You will see what I mean later on in the game. The bosses give good challenge. They make you earn your upgrades.

Final Score=(8/10) I would have given it a higher score if it had some levels or music the original didn't have. Still, its a blast to play and I recommend at least giving it a try.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 09/10/00, Updated 09/10/00