Blaster Master Zero III

Genre: Metroidvania / Top-Down Action

Players: 1

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Review:

Blaster Master Zero III, released on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2021, is the third and reputedly final chapter in the Blaster Master Zero series that began in 2017 with Blaster Master Zero, itself a reboot of the classic Nintendo Entertainment System game Blaster Master from 1988. Over the course of three installments, this series has morphed from something that started as a faithful remake of a beloved classic to a great series in its own right that used that classic as a springboard into games that are great in their own right.

Much as with the prior games in the series, Blaster Master Zero III is primarily a Metroidvania, albeit one broken up by occasional Top-Down Action sections that add some variety to the gameplay. However, while the first game separated each of the game’s areas into mostly walled-off and separate areas, and the second game had players hopping between separate planets, Blaster Master Zero III has players largely exploring the large, interconnected planet of Sophia, making this game feel more like an actual full-fledged Metroidvania than prior installments in the series.

However, this isn’t to say that this is the only major change the final installment in the trilogy brings to the table. This game brings a number of small improvements that improve the experience overall. For those unfamiliar with the series, the Metroidvania sections of the game generally have you traversing the game in a wheeled tank, but players must occasionally exit the tank to explore narrow paths that can only be accessed on foot, and during these times your puny character is particularly vulnerable, with even a decent-size fall potentially proving fatal. Players have been given a bit more leeway in these sections this time with a jetpack that allows players to make more difficult jumps without fearing these deadly falls. In addition, various save points littered throughout the world now act as teleport stations allowing players to easily revisit areas they’ve been to previously.

There’s also the new dimension-hopping “VRV System” which allows players to jump into portals to an alternate dimension, both making for new traversal opportunities as well as ways to circumvent particularly tricky sections you’d rather avoid. In fact, one of the things I noticed a lot more this time is a healthy amount of choice – players can opt to head into that tricky Top-Down section to collect its upgrade now, or choose to come back later after exploring the area and perhaps getting more upgrades elsewhere. There generally feels like a good amount of freedom to explore here, as well as a healthy amount of progression right from the start.

These improvements join elements from the earlier games that still work great here, including Blaster Master Zero 2’s ability to recharge your tank’s weapons by dropping it down from a great height, and the Top-Down Action sections’ counter system.

As with the prior entities in the series, Blaster Master Zero III also touts a phenomenal presentation, with some really excellent, colorful 16 bit-style pixel art visuals with a lot of detail and little animations going on in the backgrounds. This is paired with a fantastic chiptune soundtrack that does an amazing job of capturing the essence of what made classic games of the 8-bit and 16-bit era sound so compelling and memorable, with great themes like Title Theme, Sophia Dungeon, Sophia Metropolis, and True End Final Boss Theme.

While Blaster Master Zero III gets a lot of stuff right, there are definitely a few areas where it still has problems. Like the prior game, this game does a poor job explaining to the player elements of its gameplay systems, like the aforementioned counter system. The difficulty here feels like it jumps all over the place, with some areas feeling far too easy, and sudden spikes seeming surprisingly tough. Also, the great gameplay here is too often broken up by the game’s story, which is poorly-localized and simply not very compelling.

However, while it still has major flaws, I would say that Blaster Master Zero III is the pinnacle of the series, and if this truly is the series’ final entry, then the Blaster Master Zero franchise is going out on a high note. The improvements here do a great job of keeping what worked before and improving on it with changes big and small that overall make this a truly great mix of Metroidvania and Top-Down Action, along with a fantastic presentation that evokes nostalgia for the great 8- and 16-bit games of old. If you’re a fan of games that truly embody the spirit of classic retro-style games, Blaster Master Zero III should absolutely be on your wanted list.

tl;dr – Blaster Master Zero III is the third and purportedly final entry in this trilogy of reboot Metroidvania/Top-Down Action games inspired by the 1988 classic, and I would argue that it is the best in the series, taking everything that was great about Blaster Master Zero 2 and improving on it with more cohesive Metroidvania elements, subtle quality-of-life improvements, and overall better progression, with the same great gameplay and retro-style presentation. While not without its flaws, overall if you’re looking for a modern game that channels the spirit of the best that the 8- and 16-bit era had to offer, you should definitely grab this game.

Grade: A-

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2021 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Metroidvania

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