Blaster Master: Blasting Again
Encyclopedia
Blaster Master: Blasting Again (known as simply "Blaster Master" in Japan) is the fourth game in the Blaster Master series. It was released for the PlayStation on February 7, 2001. While the original game
had a different plot, the Japanese release of this game instead follows on from the plot of the North American/European release.
that puts the player at the controls of the high-tech, all-terrain combat vehicle SOPHIA J-7. The player navigates through several areas of caverns to uncover and ultimately stop the treacherous plans of a mysterious alien race of Lightning Beings. On some occasions the player's character must exit SOPHIA and go solo through alien complexes. As the game progresses, the player will earn upgrades for SOPHIA, and be able to salvage weapon upgrades for the pilot. The player views cut-scenes that convey the key elements in the story. The character will fight a boss at the end of each stage.
novelization of Blaster Master in the game's storyline. Particularly, the character of Eve, an original character from the novel who was not in the NES game, was introduced in Blasting Again as the wife of Jason and the mother Roddy and Elfie. The novel's author, Peter Lerangis, felt "honored" for the privilege.
But Jason's combat with the Lightning Beings was far from over. He
learns that Sophia is actually a combat vehicle developed by another alien race trying to stop the parasitic exploits of the Lightning Beings. Teaming up with Eve, an alien Sophia pilot, Jason sallies forth to mop up the remaining Lightning Beings. Successful in combat, with the prospect of lasting peace before them, Jason and Eve marry and settle on Earth, and have two children named Elfie and Roddy.
killed in a ferocious attack by Lightning Beings. With the planet
threatened by mysterious geologic phenomena and natural disasters,
Elfie and Roddy take up the legacy of their parents, and though young
and with little experience, pledge to protect humanity from the evil
machinations of the Lightning Beings. Sophia has been modified and
rebuilt through the years, by both Jason and Elfie, and now exists as
Sophia J-7. Elfie continues to develop new parts to upgrade Sophia's
abilities. The story begins with Elfie sending Roddy in on a standard
surveillance mission...
. The camera follows the SOPHIA's viewing angle when in the vehicle, but having dismounted, the camera must be controlled manually by the player. Targeting while running may therefore be seen by some as difficult because of the combination of having to adjust the camera pan angle manually. This difficulty can be exacerbated by the fact that when the player chooses to move laterally from the angle the character is facing, strafing is done literally by jumping. This means that once the player has committed to dodging in a certain direction, it cannot be changed. Unlike SOPHIA, the player cannot initiate a lateral dodge movement after leaving the ground. The graphics are typical of the 32-bit gaming era, and models are original and varied. The game has a load sequence between each room or when transferring Roddy back to SOPHIA when on foot. Load times can be shortened if playing on a PS2 by changing the disc speed on the PS driver from within the Playstation BIOS
. Sound effects tend to be recycled throughout the game, and each level has its own background theme music.
health gauges for their various limbs, components, or parts. Bosses
will be encountered both while driving Sophia and while exploring
outside the vehicle.
Blaster Master
Blaster Master is a platforming and run and gun video game released by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is a localized version of a Japanese Famicom game titled , which was released on . The game was released in North America in November 1988 and in Europe on...
had a different plot, the Japanese release of this game instead follows on from the plot of the North American/European release.
Introduction
Blaster Master: Blasting Again is a third-person 3D platformerAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
that puts the player at the controls of the high-tech, all-terrain combat vehicle SOPHIA J-7. The player navigates through several areas of caverns to uncover and ultimately stop the treacherous plans of a mysterious alien race of Lightning Beings. On some occasions the player's character must exit SOPHIA and go solo through alien complexes. As the game progresses, the player will earn upgrades for SOPHIA, and be able to salvage weapon upgrades for the pilot. The player views cut-scenes that convey the key elements in the story. The character will fight a boss at the end of each stage.
Production
Although the game is a sequel to the original Blaster Master for the NES, the writers of Blasting Again used elements from the Worlds of PowerWorlds of Power
The Worlds of Power books are a series of novelizations of video games for the Nintendo Entertainment System released in the early 1990s. The series was created by Seth Godin and is characterized by the fact that they are mostly "male-oriented titles," that take creative liberties with their source...
novelization of Blaster Master in the game's storyline. Particularly, the character of Eve, an original character from the novel who was not in the NES game, was introduced in Blasting Again as the wife of Jason and the mother Roddy and Elfie. The novel's author, Peter Lerangis, felt "honored" for the privilege.
Story
There once was a boy named Jason, who had a pet frog. One day the frog, bored with his microenvironment, decided to explore the world. Hopping outside, he fell into a mysterious hole in the backyard. The tiny frog landed on a pile of boxes containing radioactive materials. The exposure to the materials led to an immediate mutation, and the frog swelled to ten times his original size. Unfazed, the big frog hopped off down the mysterious tunnel he found himself in, to see what he could see. Jason, meanwhile, upset at his pet's disappearance, began searching frantically. He too found the mysterious hole, but when he reached the bottom, there was a strange vehicle waiting for him - Sophia III. And, since nobody else was around, Jason thought he'd drive Sophia around to look for his frog. Donning a battle suit he finds with the vehicle, Jason embarks on a journey that will forever change his life.History
Jason encounters an alien race, known as the Lightning Beings, living in caverns beneath the Earth's crust. These aliens have begun preparations for a hostile takeover of the planet. Luckily for humanity, Jason really wants his frog back. Eventually Jason squares off with the mighty Plutonium Boss, leader of the Lightning Beings, and defeats him. The aliens, leaderless, scatter, and from afar, Jason watches as their world collapses upon them...watches with Sophia, and his frog.But Jason's combat with the Lightning Beings was far from over. He
learns that Sophia is actually a combat vehicle developed by another alien race trying to stop the parasitic exploits of the Lightning Beings. Teaming up with Eve, an alien Sophia pilot, Jason sallies forth to mop up the remaining Lightning Beings. Successful in combat, with the prospect of lasting peace before them, Jason and Eve marry and settle on Earth, and have two children named Elfie and Roddy.
Prelude
Five years ago, Eve died. A couple of years later, Jason iskilled in a ferocious attack by Lightning Beings. With the planet
threatened by mysterious geologic phenomena and natural disasters,
Elfie and Roddy take up the legacy of their parents, and though young
and with little experience, pledge to protect humanity from the evil
machinations of the Lightning Beings. Sophia has been modified and
rebuilt through the years, by both Jason and Elfie, and now exists as
Sophia J-7. Elfie continues to develop new parts to upgrade Sophia's
abilities. The story begins with Elfie sending Roddy in on a standard
surveillance mission...
Gameplay
The player's character is Roddy, a sixteen year old boy at the helm of an all-terrain combat vehicle, SOPHIA. The player pilots SOPHIA through a labyrinth of 3D rooms in search of clues to the enemy's movements. Occasionally the player will encounter enemy installations or limiting topography that will force Roddy to leave Sophia, and advance on foot. As the game progresses, new equipment will be made available for SOPHIA, allowing access to new areas.Overview
The gameplay is based primarily on using jumps and maneuvering to traverse obstacles while simultaneously battling foes. Since the player is punished implicitly for missing jumps over bottomless pits this game can be considered within the genre of 3D platformersPlatform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
. The camera follows the SOPHIA's viewing angle when in the vehicle, but having dismounted, the camera must be controlled manually by the player. Targeting while running may therefore be seen by some as difficult because of the combination of having to adjust the camera pan angle manually. This difficulty can be exacerbated by the fact that when the player chooses to move laterally from the angle the character is facing, strafing is done literally by jumping. This means that once the player has committed to dodging in a certain direction, it cannot be changed. Unlike SOPHIA, the player cannot initiate a lateral dodge movement after leaving the ground. The graphics are typical of the 32-bit gaming era, and models are original and varied. The game has a load sequence between each room or when transferring Roddy back to SOPHIA when on foot. Load times can be shortened if playing on a PS2 by changing the disc speed on the PS driver from within the Playstation BIOS
BIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
. Sound effects tend to be recycled throughout the game, and each level has its own background theme music.
Enemies
Bosses are large creatures with separatehealth gauges for their various limbs, components, or parts. Bosses
will be encountered both while driving Sophia and while exploring
outside the vehicle.
External links
- Blaster Master Underground (BMUG) - a complete record of all games in the series, including external media and background development history on each game.