VaultGames

Blaster Master

超惑星戦記 メタファイト

Year
1988
Developer
Sunsoft
Publisher
Sunsoft
Platform
FC / NES
Hardware
Family Computer (8-bit)
Genre
Action-Adventure / Run and gun
Players
1 player
Controls
D-pad + A (jump) / B (fire)
Series
Blaster Master series
Blaster Master cover
⬇ Coming soon

Gameplay Screenshots

Blaster Master gameplay
Blaster Master gameplay

About This Game

Blaster Master begins with a frog. Jason's pet escapes through a hole in the garden and finds a radioactive crate; inside is a battle tank called SOPHIA the 3rd, and chasing the frog leads Jason into a vast underground world.

The game is two games in one. Above ground and in the corridors you drive SOPHIA - a tank with a jump, a hover, a dive and a wall-climb, upgraded by finding the right modules - while the boss rooms and some sections put Jason on foot with a gun and grenades. It is one of the earliest NES games to build a genuinely connected world with backtracking, and its Sunsoft soundtrack is regularly listed among the console's best. A famous regional quirk: the Japanese version is easier and the story framing was rewritten for the West.

  • Two interleaved play styles: SOPHIA the tank and Jason on foot
  • Ability-gated exploration with four major upgades - Hover, Dive, Wall and Hover Module
  • Large interconnected underworld with backtracking
  • Widely praised Sunsoft soundtrack

Version History

  • Famicom Japanese version1988-06-17

    Original release as Chou Wakusei Senki Metafight.

  • NES US version1988-11

    The version on this page, with a rewritten story and higher difficulty.

  • Blaster Master Zero2017

    Modern remake by Inti Creates with expanded content.

Tips & Strategy

Find the Hover Module first

Most early areas are gated behind SOPHIA's hover. Explore the first few screens thoroughly before pushing into anywhere that looks like a wall.

Use the tank to farm

Enemies respawn at screen transitions. Farming a safe corridor with SOPHIA tops up its energy far faster than the on-foot sections allow.

On-foot bosses want distance

Jason's gun outranges every boss rush attack. Keep backing away while firing instead of trying to circle them.

Wall-climb opens shortcuts

Once SOPHIA can climb, several earlier dead ends lead upward into new regions. Revisit the first area after every major upgrade.

Download Resources

Resource packs for this game are provided through the button below.

⬇ Coming soon