GENRE
	Action
	DEVELOPER
	Rare
	PUBLISHER
	Nintendo
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONTROLLER PAK
	yes
	RUMBLE PAK
	no
	RAM PAK
	no
	BUY NOW AT

In the spring of 1997, BLAST CORPS quietly entered the N64 library with little fan fare and a puny advertising budget. It is regrettable that Nintendo did not push this game harder because the sheer amount of levels and variables inherent in them makes this game shine above and beyond many games in the library of any current console. The initial impact made by the game was mediocre. The game starts with a rotating N64 logo that gives way to a nice looking spinning Rareware logo. After all the logos are done with, the title screen comes up showing the RAMDOZER bulldozing buildings around the missile carrier. While it gave players a rough idea of the game’s looks and its amazing level design, the intro didn't have the dramatic camera movements Turok, Mario 64 and Wave Race 64 had, and as a result, lacked the attention grabbing qualities of the other N64 games. To truly get a feel of this game’s brilliance, one must play the game for an extended period of time, because its intro just won’t do the game justice.

The Story behind the game is sort of corny. A missile carrier with nuclear warheads en route to a safe detonation site had began to leak, and the on-board computers locked on to the closest route there. However, this open up a new problem. The route to the detonation site is blocked by sprawling cities, sleepy farm towns among other obstacles. As a member of the Blast Corps team, your job is to clear a path of the missile carrier to travel, so it doesn’t detonate prematurely and cause nuclear winter. Despite having a rather shallow story, it really doesn’t change anything for Blast Corps. The story creates the perfect excuse for you to level any buildings you want. Besides, a good portion of classics in this industry have rather shallow stories, it’s the gameplay that counts.

The main map is a 3-D globe, which has only one open level "Simian Acres". The level is basically a sleepy farm town with a railroad track running through it mostly as decoration. The player's job is to clear a path for the Missile carrier. When that is done, they earn a gold medal. After completing a level, players can always re-enter them and finish up on destroying buildings, find all the RDU's (radiation dispersal unit), save survivors and find six scientist hidden throughout the synthetic world of BLAST CORPS. To truly complete the game, Platinum medals can also be collected once the player has gotten gold medals in all the levels.

visuals

Among the best and most detailed graphics to grace the Nintendo 64, BLAST CORPS has a very realistic urban-esque look. The textures look very nice (I could almost make out the words on billboards and neon lights) and has that worn look, unlike the clean textures of most N64 games. The cityscape is believable, from gas stations to corner stores, the cities, towns and buildings in general has a that “lived-in” look and feel. Except for a few grubby looking spots, the light-sourced buildings and amazing explosions set the tone for the rest of the game. There are several types of explosion textures that occur randomly so gamers won't get tired of the same look all the time. Going back to structures, the cities, towns and urban areas have around 50 or so different buildings, which were matched together in different combinations for each level. The result is a fresh landscape. In one of the bonus levels, the windows of the skyscrapers actually reflect sunlight while the night levels never cease to impress me with realistic street lights that actually affects the lighting of the streets, luminous window textures, and incredibly detailed structures. (One structure has a staircase and if you look closely you can actually make out the steps!). The vehicles are equally impressive. Robots like Thunderfist displays the best chrome effects in any Nintendo 64 game. Overall, Blast Corps deserves a lot of credit for its graphics; I'm surprised its strengths in the graphic department were never publicized enough. Some scenes are absolutely stunning, the camera angles, the way the entire level looked, it almost appears you're playing on an SGI workstation. RARE did a fine job on this part of the game; the game’s looks are as close to the original SGI renderings of Blast Corps as they can be.

audio

The sound is the typical RARE fare. Which is IMPRESSIVE. The soundtrack changes constantly, and the sound effects are especially good (in stereo). The soundtrack of the game is a mixture of Techno, hard rock and a few country tunes which bring a sense of atmosphere to a degree where it actually helps the graphics of the game to establish setting and time. What surprised me was the amount of voice in the game. The voice samples are not simple yells or screams. Phrases such as "No trouble at all" and "You're trying to impress me" are the typical length of the voice samples found in the game. At last count, there's more than 25 voice samples in Blast Corps.

gameplay

The gameplay of this game is simply SUPERB. I thought it was dull at first, but some of levels require a lot of practice. While I was trying to complete the first few levels, the time sort of elapsed and before I knew it, I've been at the game for hours and hours. In two days that I played the game back in April, I've logged more than 25 hours. The game requires strategy while still appealing to our human urges to destroy things, especially buildings. (Something not all of us do in real life) After clearing a path for the Missile carrier, players can go back to find all the RDU's, level the undestroyed buildings, find the survivors, communication dishes and locate the six hidden scientist hidden in the many levels of Blast Corps. One of the more interesting aspects in the game is that it conveys a sense of urgency not yet matched by most games. As the missile carrier closes in on you, and knowing full well I can’t clear the buildings in time, I begin to sweat, and my hands grew cold. Truly, I almost thought I’m out there saving the world from impending doom. Describing the gameplay as smooth, addictive and superior is a very general description. RARE, once again, managed to mix the perfect formula for a game. Like Golden Eye or Diddy Kong Racing, going back to a level to complete some unfinished business or to get the best time are challenges players will gladly take, not an unwanted chore.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

What else can I say that I haven't said? The game is just a feast of graphics and gameplay. A perfect example that modern eye candy games can still have the fun of the good old classic games. In addition to the vehicles and robots of mass destruction, there are also trains, platform cranes and barges that allow you to transport your vehicles to strategic locations, they will play an important role in the latter stages of the game. The graphics are impressive and the sound is top notch. The only drawback is that the EEPROM chip (included in the cartridge) can't save as much as the controller pak meaning saved data may be lost. In a nutshell, Blast Corps is an enjoyable game through and through. BC gains its immense replayability by setting extremely high standards for a player to get all the gold medals necessary to complete the game. Unlike, other poorly developed video games, collecting all the gold medals become a challenge, not a chore. It is almost always a learning experience. Like the time when I was frustrated beyond comprehension because I simply could not come close to the ridiculously little time needed to complete the four laps in a bonus level. In my frustration, I rebelled, and broke what I perceived to be the rules the game imposed on me. Detouring off the road, I quickly realized that I could reduce each lap time significantly by cutting through a shortcut. By doing this, I was able to beat the time and get the gold medal I wanted.

In a time when games require players to push a button as fast as they can, memorize combos, enter cheats, or to memorize each and every turn, the deep, often remarkable puzzles and brain-teasers in Blast Corps is to say the least a big breath of fresh air. Blast Corps is definitely a must buy game for any gamer. You might not complete the game anytime soon, but its destruction theme and deep puzzles will appeal to a wide range of gamers. Blast Corps is a game that I'm sure many gamers will go back and play long after the Nintendo 64 has faded from the limelight. Truly, a symbol those timeless classics are beginning to show up for the N64. Do yourself a favor and buy or at least rent the game. Take it for a spin. I know I liked it, in fact, I bought the game as an after Christmas present for myself.

9.5/10