Blaster Master Zero 2 (Nintendo Switch) Review

The story of Blaster Master Zero 2 picks up almost immediately after the conclusion of the first entry. Jason has secured his dimensional frog, "Fred" and his android partner, Eve has contracted a corruption to her system. When this sort of thing happens in a videogame, it is a guarantee everyone is going to have a bad time, something thatsignifies the start of a new adventure. This time Fred will prove to be useful, and now the SOFIA III has been upgraded to G-SOFIA, which can now travel into outer space. Why would Jason want to do this? To find the planet where Eve was built, and hopefully find a cure... with the help of a few new friends, as well.

As per usual, Blaster Master Zero 2 has three distinct modes of play that will be switched to throughout this six-to-eight-hour quest. The standard 2D platforming tank gameplay that can also have Jason hop out where he is extremely vulnerable and cannot survive any fall damage from drops that are greater than his own jump, and, finally, the overhead shooting sequences. Each style has its uses and the game constantly has opportunities to use them all, especially in the small planetoid levels which function as one-off challenge stage with a power-up to collect at the end.

Overhead areas will take up about 40% of the action, since these are peppered throughout every location. For the most part, the core game is using G-SOFIA, and thankfully its mechanics are the most fleshed out. Playing as Jason when it isn't a bird's eye view is a huge liability, since he is extra weak in this state as a puny sprite, and will die instantly from falls. Naturally, this means the developer sought to implement many cheeky instances where players will find it necessary to play as Jason in this state while exploring the many planetoids.

Just like its predecessor, Blaster Master Zero 2 opts for the NES pixel art aesthetic. Blacks are heavy and liberal, and the colour pallet is mostly authentic with several exceptions. Sprite animation and detail is where the visuals far exceed what was capable on '80s Nintendo hardware. Every issue that was a drag on the Blaster Master Zero has been addressed. The overhead segments are much more enjoyable now that Jason has much more options in combat. Being able to counter attack almost every enemy and boss makes him much more flexible, since these stages are designed with a control scheme that still doesn't use the twin-stick shoot 'em up configuration. Jason still can strafe and fire his cache of weaponry and he is going to have to since now this is a much more challenging game that the first. Thankfully these overhead sections are mercifully brief. Of course, these chunks of gameplay are meant to break up the real meat of the action: tank platforming and shooting.

The standard Metroidvania formula has almost been abandoned in Blaster Master Zero 2. Instead, users will be travelling around in space, picking stages from what is effectively a map screen. Navigating the levels is made so much faster and easier, thanks to each zone being a separate and isolated planet. After so many similar 2D action games pushing hard on backtracking and having everything connect to each other, Blaster Master Zero 2 feels like a breath of fresh air. Naturally these planets are not interconnected like the main world in the previous game. Each area operates more akin to a small level that has some interconnectivity and will almost always require a return trip at some point in the future when Jason and company acquire some new ability for his tank. G-SOFIA is more versatile and mobile than ever now. It can wall-jump like Ryu Hayabusa, and even hover great distances. The platforming gets very challenging since this tank's inertia causes it to take a bit to come to a complete stop, but in the hands of a pro it will yield great fruit. The loose handling gives G-SOFIA a real sense of weight, especially when slamming down on a hard surface from a great height. The crunchy retro sound effects are extra satisfying when accompanied with the Switch's HD rumble.

If there was one aspect that Blaster Master Zero 2 can surprise anyone with that it would be the boss battles. Inti Creates went nuts with some of those, with some being unable to fit in the screen or require Jason to go inside them. The scope of some of these battles can go beyond expectations, and sometimes will have users get back up from other characters to help save the day. This kind of spectacle just was never seen on the NES, and Blaster Master Zero 2 shows what it might have been like. Overall, anyone who enjoyed Blaster Master Zero is going to relish this much more refined and challenging sequel that trims off the fat.