The New York sewers were never like this!

You’ve fallen down a hidden manhole into a world of creatures so terrifying they’d scare the rats away, You can panic and perish, or blast your way through an endless maze of tunnels, searching for the secret passages to your escape.

And that’s the easy part. Because the Masters of the Caverns lay waiting – prehistoric creatures so powerful, so gigantic, they literally fill your screen! So load your arsenal and get ready for BlasterMaster.

The post Blaster Master appeared first on Retro Ages.

Blaster Master is one of those games.

Released by Sunsoft in 1988, Blaster Master combines side-scrolling platforming, vehicle combat and top-down exploration into a surprisingly ambitious adventure. At a time when most NES games focused on doing one thing well, Blaster Master attempted several different gameplay styles at once.

Remarkably, it succeeds more often than it fails.

The story begins with Jason chasing his pet frog Fred after the amphibian falls into a radioactive hole and mutates into a giant creature. It’s a wonderfully bizarre setup that perfectly captures the imagination of late-80s video game storytelling. Before long, Jason finds himself piloting the powerful SOPHIA tank through a vast underground world filled with mutants and deadly creatures.

More Than Just Another Action Game

What makes Blaster Master stand out is its variety.

Much of the adventure takes place inside the SOPHIA tank, which can jump, climb walls and blast enemies with impressive firepower. The controls feel responsive, and navigating the sprawling levels is consistently enjoyable.

As players progress, new upgrades gradually expand the tank’s capabilities. Areas that were previously inaccessible slowly become reachable, creating a surprisingly modern sense of exploration. Looking back, it’s easy to see elements that would later become staples of the Metroidvania genre.

The game also regularly switches perspective. Certain areas require Jason to leave the tank and explore on foot in top-down sections. These segments feature more methodical combat and culminate in boss encounters that test both skill and patience.

While the variety is welcome, these sections aren’t quite as enjoyable as the tank-based gameplay. Jason feels more vulnerable, and some enemy patterns can become frustrating, particularly during the later stages of the game.

Difficulty is another area where Blaster Master firmly shows its age. Like many NES titles, it can be brutally unforgiving. Limited continues and lengthy stages mean mistakes can carry a significant penalty.

Sunsoft at Its Best

Technically, Blaster Master is one of the most impressive games on the NES.

The visuals are detailed and colourful, with large sprites and surprisingly atmospheric environments. Each area feels distinct, helping the adventure maintain a strong sense of momentum throughout.

The soundtrack is equally impressive. Sunsoft built a reputation for extracting incredible audio from Nintendo’s 8-bit hardware, and Blaster Master is one of the company’s finest achievements. Several tracks remain memorable decades later and perfectly complement the game’s adventurous tone.

Perhaps most importantly, the game constantly encourages curiosity. Every new upgrade opens fresh possibilities, and exploring the underground world rarely feels like a chore. Even when the difficulty spikes become frustrating, there’s usually another secret or upgrade waiting just around the corner.

The post Blaster Master Review – A Hidden Gem Beneath the Surface appeared first on Retro Ages.

During the 8-Bit and 16-Bit eras especially, Sunsoft built a reputation for colourful graphics, fantastic music and games that often felt a little different from everything else on the shelf. Now, Evercade is giving players a chance to revisit part of that history with its first Sunsoft Collection. A cartridge bringing together six titles from across the company’s catalogue.

The collection spans multiple systems and genres, offering a nice snapshot of how varied Sunsoft’s output could be during the late 80s and early 90s. From action platformers to maze-based adventures, the cartridge feels less like a “greatest hits” release, and more like a celebration of the developer. The varied line up includes the following titles:

Arabian

One of the oldest titles included is Arabian, an arcade-style platform game that shows Sunsoft in its early years. It has that unmistakable classic arcade feel, with players climbing ladders, collecting items and avoiding enemies across colourful stages. While it’s definitely a product of an earlier era of gaming, there’s still charm in seeing where the company’s roots began before moving into more ambitious projects.

Blaster Master

The best-known game on the cartridge is almost certainly Blaster Master. Originally released on the NES, the game became famous for combining side-scrolling action with top-down exploration sections. Players pilot the powerful SOPHIA tank through dangerous environments while also leaving the vehicle to explore interior areas on foot. Even decades later, the game still stands out thanks to its memorable soundtrack and surprisingly ambitious design for an 8-bit title.

Blaster Master Boy

Arguably, its handheld counterpart Blaster Master Boy, is my favourite of the two 8-Bit release in the series. Despite its terrible name.

Released for the Game Boy, it focuses more heavily on maze-like stages and puzzle-solving while still keeping the vehicle-based gameplay intact. It’s a very different experience from the original but works well as a portable companion piece and remains one of the more overlooked games in the Blaster Master series.

Journey to Silius

Journey to Silius is another major highlight. Originally planned as a Terminator game before licensing issues changed the project, the final release became one of the NES’s most impressive action titles. Fast-paced gameplay, detailed visuals and an especially well-regarded soundtrack helped the game build a cult following over the years. With many retro fans still consider it one of Sunsoft’s finest releases.

Mr. Gimmick

Then there’s Mr. Gimmick!, a welcome re-release. This game has almost become almost legendary among collectors due to the high price of original cartridges. Beneath its cute presentation is a surprisingly technical platformer built around physics-based gameplay and extremely precise controls. It’s also one of the most visually advanced games released on the NES, showing just how much developers were able to push the hardware late in its lifespan.

Aero the Acro-Bat

Rounding out the collection is Aero the Acro-Bat, Sunsoft’s attempt at creating a mascot platform hero during the early 90s mascot boom. Released for the Mega Drive and SNES, the game mixes fast platforming with circus-themed levels and exaggerated cartoon personality. While it never reached the same level of fame as Sonic or Mario, it still represents a memorable part of that era when nearly every publisher wanted its own anthropomorphic mascot character.

What makes Sunsoft Collection 1 particularly interesting is how varied the lineup feels. Rather than focusing purely on the company’s biggest names, Evercade has included a mixture of well-known classics and more obscure titles that help tell the story of Sunsoft as a developer. For retro fans, it’s a chance to revisit some genuinely influential games, while newer players can experience a side of gaming history that’s sometimes overshadowed by bigger publishers.

As Evercade continues building its library of retro collections, releases like this help highlight just how many important developers existed outside the mainstream spotlight. Sunsoft may not always get the same attention as some of its contemporaries, but collections like this are a reminder of just how much personality and creativity the company brought to the 8-bit and 16-bit eras. What’s more, by not putting only the most popular Sunsoft titles on this collection they’re simultaneously showcasing some hidden gems as well as leaving scope for a volume two down the road.

The Sunsoft Collection 1 will release September 2023 and is available for pre-order from 21st July 2023. For more information about the cartridge and included titles, check the official Evercade page: Evercade Sunsoft Collection 1.

The post Evercade Celebrates Sunsoft’s Retro Legacy With Collection 1 appeared first on Retro Ages.

• Mr. Gimmick
• Blaster Master
• Blaster Master Boy
• Aero the Acro-Bat
• Journey to Silius
• Arabian

The post Sunsoft Collection 1 appeared first on Retro Ages.