Blaster Master Zero Version 1.2 Available Today

I know it may seem kind of weird to be talking about Blaster Master Zero here, but as you may recall, there was some teasing around the time of its release that a Mega Man-esque character (who readers of this site should be familiar with by now) would be released in due time.

Well, that time has come, and along with several other updates, the Azure Striker has arrived! Or will arrive; he and the rest of Version 1.2 are due today, but it hasn’t shown up on the Nintendo eShop as of this writing.

As you can see, Gunvolt is not alone — or at least, he won’t be for long, as Ekoro from Inti Creates’ Gal*Gun series will be along come June 1st as well.

What’s more, these aren’t simple reskins of Blaster Master Zero hero Jason, oh no. These two are bringing with them the weapons and abilities which made them famous in their own series.

Gunvolt comes armed with his electricity-based septimal power, and is ready to strike fear into the hearts of underground mutants everywhere with his Flashfield and Prevasion techniques. Just as in his self-titled games, tag the enemies with bolts before delivering a shock to their systems!

You might be familiar with Ekoro’s techniques if you played Mighty Gunvolt, the 8-bit styled throwback to Classic Mega Man games starring herself, Gunvolt, and Beck from Mighty No. 9. She dual-wields a pair of “Desert Angel” guns among her other weaponry, and can charge them up to show those muck-dwelling mutants the power of love!

Both Gunvolt and Ekoro will be available for a two-week period from their respective times of release — May 4th to 17th for Gunvolt, June 1st to 14th for Ekoro — and will be available at a price of $1.99 USD afterwards if you should miss that window.

These are just “some of the characters” they have planned for EX Character mode, and if anyone else of note here happens to show up, I’ll have the news for you.

But wait, there’s more!

Version 1.2 of Blaster Master Zero also brings with it a little something extra for those who felt the original release was too easy: Destroyer Mode.

In this more difficult mode, enemies are tougher and immune to certain weapons, meaning you’ll have to choose the right armament for the job in order to take them out. In the side-view levels, their destruction will also result in a scatter of shrapnel, so be on guard when opening fire!

Want more? Then how about this: Energy Guard and Life Up items are now useless. Your only hope is to make use of what you start out with, while other items have been changed up a bit.

Plus, if you look closely, SOPHIA III has a new paint job in this mode. In fact, the same occurs for Gunvolt and Ekoro, too!

If you haven’t played Blaster Master Zero yet, then might I invite you to check out my review over on Mario’s Hat? And if that’s not enough to convince you, then there’s more good news: A new free demo version is also available to try, allowing you to dip your toes into the Forest Area (Area 1) and the Industrial Area (Area 3). You can even give the local multiplayer a shot if you’re playing the Nintendo Switch version!

So what do you think? Have you played the game already, and if so, are you interested in these new options? If not, have the new characters led to second thoughts, or is the demo more likely to sway you? Discuss in the comments below!

LBD "Nytetrayn"

David Oxford, or “LBD ‘Nytetrayn’,” as he is sometimes also known, is a freelance writer of many varied interests who resides in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. If you’re interested in hiring him, please drop him a line at david.oxford (at) nyteworks.net.

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