Jason’s frog fell down a hole. Following it, he found a tank called SOPHIA III. Blaster Master mixed vehicular side-scrolling with top-down dungeon exploration—drive the tank through large areas, then exit on foot to explore caves and battle bosses. The bizarre premise belied a carefully crafted action adventure.
Fast facts
- Developer: Sunsoft.
- Protagonist: Jason (and SOPHIA III).
- Structure: Tank + on-foot gameplay.
- Western story: Differs from Japanese version.
Dual gameplay
| Mode |
Perspective |
| Tank sections |
Side-scrolling |
| On-foot sections |
Top-down |
| Transitions |
Enter doors/caves |
SOPHIA III abilities
| Upgrade |
Function |
| Hover |
Temporary flight |
| Wall climb |
Drive up walls |
| Dive |
Underwater movement |
| Crusher |
Break certain blocks |
| Weapon level |
Power |
| Level 1-3 |
Short range |
| Level 4-5 |
Longer range |
| Level 6-7 |
Wave shots |
| Level 8 |
Maximum power |
| Damage penalty |
Lose levels when hit |
World structure
| Area |
Environment |
| 1 |
Surface caves |
| 2 |
Underground forest |
| 3 |
Underwater |
| 4 |
Ice caverns |
| 5-8 |
Varied terrain |
Boss battles
| Location |
Combat |
| Top-down rooms |
On-foot boss fights |
| Pattern learning |
Required for victory |
| Gun power |
Critical for damage |
Western vs Japanese
| Region |
Story |
| Japan |
“Metafight” - alien invasion |
| West |
Pet frog rescue mission |
| Gameplay |
Identical |
Design strengths
| Element |
Quality |
| Music |
Memorable Sunsoft soundtrack |
| Exploration |
Non-linear discovery |
| Variety |
Two gameplay styles |
| Challenge |
Demanding but fair |
See also