| Blaster Master 2 | |
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Box art of Blaster Master 2 |
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| Developer(s) | Software Creations Ltd.[1] |
| Publisher(s) | Sunsoft[1] |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis |
| Release date(s) | |
| Genre(s) | Run and gun |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
Blaster Master 2 is a video game developed by Software Creations and published exclusively in North America by Sunsoft of America for the Sega Genesis on March 15, 1993. The game was produced as a supposed sequel to the original Blaster Master, made specifically for the North American market following the success of the first NES game in the same region, but later exported into Europe. However, the staff of the original Japanese version of Blaster Master titled Chô Wakusei Senki Metafight, weren't aware of Blaster Master 2, and decided not to develop their own sequel after being informed of the game's creation.
Like many 16-bit titles, it went widely unrecognized and fell to the wayside, becoming increasingly rare shortly after its 1993 release. Also similar to other 16-bit era games, it features no credits other than the "Sega" logo on startup and "Licensed by Sega Enterprises Ltd" on the title screen. In all, BM2 provided a 16-bit "arcade" type addition to the Blaster Master saga, with the original elements brought in and enhanced for the newest home consoles available at the time.
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The game takes place four years after Jason's Encounter with the Plutonium Boss and the radioactive mutants under the Earth.[2] His only reminder of the incident is S.O.P.H.I.A., the vehicle he used to stop them, which he has hidden in an abandoned barn. One day, one bolt of lightning struck the house and caused the ceiling to crumble, knocking Jason unconscious. When Jason woke up, S.O.P.H.I.A. was in pieces and the parts he had collected from his first dealings with the Mutant Bosses were missing. Little does Jason know that there are more lightning beings where the first one came from and they are planning to destroy the Earth. The beings started digging towards the Earth's core in order to shift the planet's weight off its axis, leading to total annihilation. The parts from SOPHIA are being used to create a robotic army to assist the being in accomplishing their mission.[2] Now, Jason must stop them, but he won't make it without the help of SOPHIA. Since he can't recover the parts, he decided to redesign it to better prepare himself for the ordeal facing him. After 29 days, SOPHIA was completely rebuilt and ready for battle.[2] Remembering where he saw the being's footsteps, Jason jumped in his vehicle and headed towards the mountains where the challenge begins.
Jason Frudnick - He is the protagonist throughout the Blaster Master series. He is the character that accidentally discovered SOPHIA while trying to retrieve his pet frog Fred. In Blaster Master 2, Jason is young (age 19) and couldn't have been more prepared for battle. His job is to eliminate the Plutonium Boss once and for all. Jason's equipment is fairly simple in Blaster Master 2. He is wearing body armor that has moderate protection from heat and impact. Jason also comes with his usual blast cannon that is equipped onto his left arm brace. It does not overheat, and has unlimited energy. In Blaster Master 2, Jason is mostly seen inside SOPHIA's canopy, but can easily hop out at any time in the game when in the sidescroll view. Jason does not take impact from falling too well in BM2, but when in the "Jason view" he does not take damage from falling impact. Jason is more easily seen in detail when challenging a boss or even an underboss. He is approximately ten times larger in this view.
S.O.P.H.I.A. (sometimes referred to as SOPHIA) - The robotic, combat tank-like vehicle used throughout the Blaster Master series. SOPHIA comes in many different models, and the one that is seen in Blaster Master 2 is SOPHIA 4th (2000). The model has been rebuilt by Jason and has many new and helpful features from the previous models of SOPHIA (SOPHIA Nora MA-01, SOPHIA Nora MA-02).
Under the development team of Creations and the marketing team at Sunsoft, several things were altered in the new Blaster Master 2 game, such as the name of the vehicle (now "S.O.P.H.I.A."), as well as significantly expanded gameplay. There are now 8 levels to play through, and each level containing a power-up or new obtainable weapon in which Jason or SOPHIA can use throughout the game. The platform-jumping characteristics that made the original NES game so popular among fans were preserved, while other viewpoints provided an additional level of gameplay unique to BM2 alone. There were now three ways to play: sidescroll view (S.O.P.H.I.A. and Jason), overhead view (S.O.P.H.I.A.), and Jason running through rooms (with a large view, and a small view with Jason running through certain parts of the stages).
In the sidescroll view, players battled through levels just like in Blaster Master, except in 16-bit graphics. Jason could get powerups such as homing missile, three-way missiles, bubble shield, and lightning spread.
In the overhead view, S.O.P.H.I.A. can not use upgrades, but instead could rotate the turret 360 degrees while the player runs through obstacles and gunfire. S.O.P.H.I.A. rotates her turret differently than when in the sidescroll view. A tap of the B and C buttons on the Genesis controller will rotate left and right.
During the course of the game, Jason could enter several rooms, one of which may contain a mini-boss (such as a giant bee or worm) that he must fight in order to gain a powerup or key that will let him enter the next stage. Sometimes these mini-bosses will give Jason or S.O.P.H.I.A. a powerup that enhances their abilities. For example Jason can get a jetpack, or missile launcher. S.O.P.H.I.A. can get a hover module, or a drill that can break through stone.
To match the new 16-bit gameplay atmosphere, Blaster Master 2 incorporates many techno beats and trance, as well as house, all of which took excellent advantage of the Sega Genesis' music processor.
Three months after the US release of Blaster Master 2, EGM wrote a review and posted it in one of their magazines in a column. The review contained information about BM2, as well as people based opinions and what they rated the game. The average score that the review came to was 7/10.
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