If you bought a Nintendo Switch, you probably bought The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (read our review of Zelda and the Switch). I don’t think that’s a wild assumption. But beyond that, it’s tough to guess the second game people are going to buy, and that is creating an opportunity for some indie developers looking to score big with people wanting to get software for their new Nintendo console.
Blaster Master Zero from developer Inti Creates is one of the games that could have a successful debut because it is an ideal fit for the Switch hardware. This Blaster Master sequel is an all new game, but it features the original visual style and mechanics of 1988’s Blaster Master from publisher Sunsoft. It is similar to how Capcom, working with Inti Creates, returned to the Mega Man franchise with Mega Man 9 using 8-bit-style graphics and gameplay that looked ripped from the Nintendo Entertainment System in 2008. Blaster Master Zero will debut on the Switch in the Americas on March 9.
Like Mega Man 9, Blaster Master Zero limits itself in terms of its color palette and pixel count, but Inti didn’t box itself in too hard. It does render in a 16-to-9 aspect ratio, so it’ll fill the Switch display or HD television. And the result is the bet of both worlds with a game that recalls the NES without recalling every one of its limitations.
All of these elements make Blaster Master Zero the kind of game that could stand out on the Switch. It hasn’t already launched on other platforms, and it is a game that Nintendo fans might remember more than other groups of gamers. It’s also a game you can play in short bursts between long, intense Zelda sessions. It was also only 1,000 yen when I bought it from the Japanese eShop, which is roughly $10. With 1-2 Switch requiring local multiplayer and Super Bomberman R coming across as lackluster — and both costing $50 — that creates a vacuum for people to spend a little bit of extra cash on something like Blaster Master instead. And I’d recommend Inti Creates game before just about anything else in the Switch’s library at this point.