So anyway, I decide last week that "Hey! They came out with a new Blaster Master game for Wii! I'm going to drop $220 for a new Wii and BMO because this is exactly what I've been waiting for!" and here I am.
So far, I'm loving the game. At first, things were a tad rocky due to some core mechanic changes, but ya know, who cares. I've decided instead of bitching about it and then praising the rest of it, I'll just make a list of pros and cons!
I'll start with the cons!
- Game's a tad clunky. Cycling weapons and getting into SOPHIA take too long, and you also feel too restricted by gravity. It lessens the "classic feel".
- No true pausing! You can stop the game, not the timer. You can't pause at all when you're inside structures as Alex. This means for a speed run, you can take NO breaks start to finish.
- Controls seem somewhat unresponsive at times. It's so hard to aim diagonally in any situation, and strafing is a tad uncomfortable, as you have to hold the B button while holding the wiimote like an NES controller.
- Health/Energy upgrade system eliminates the general need for skill that makes speedrunning efficient. You aren't able to start the game as ready to play as you were when you first beat it.
- The "reimagining" of the story has left me a bit disappointed. I don't like the idea of a pilot of Sophia wearing a lucha mask. I can understand why it needed to be done, but it really just left a lot of disappointment when reaching the bosses of some areas. (Area 4 :\)
- And finally, an aesthetic gripe- Gates to the next areas are gone. You'll find yourself constantly slipping into areas you don't want to be in on accident throughout the game. It's more Metroid/Castlevania style than classic Blaster Master style.
NOW FOR THE PROS GO GO GO-
- The game's difficult. Requires a LOT of skill to master.
- The music is amazing!
- They built it with speed runners in mind, regardless of the flaws for it mentioned in the cons. Official competitions await.
- Large areas to explore. It really does feel like the first time playing the original BM on NES.
- SAVING.
- Bosses have recognizable patterns that are incredibly difficult, so beating any one of them is a bragging right. Very much like BM on NES.
- Lots of unique enemies!
Ultimately the game's pretty sweet. The cons list is big but they're not game breakers at all. I'd suggest picking it up since it's
only $10.It's not for !@#$% ass casual gamers though. You need some skill outside of wagglin' your wiimote.
