Found 0 item(s) for sale
- No items currently for sale.
In the early 1990s, the side-scrolling beat 'em up genre was the king of the home console market. While Capcom and Konami often dominated the headlines, Taito brought a unique and somewhat quirky contender to the ring: Sonic Blast Man. Originally starting its life in the arcades as a specialized "punching" game, the transition to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System saw it reimagined as a traditional brawler. It combined the muscle-bound heroics of 90s comic books with a distinct Japanese arcade flair, resulting in a title that remains a cult favorite for many retro enthusiasts today. Despite its generic-sounding name, the game offered a high level of challenge and a colorful presentation that stood out even in a crowded market.
The narrative of Sonic Blast Man is as straightforward as it is charmingly absurd. The game follows the titular hero, a powerful superhuman wearing a red and white suit, who has taken it upon himself to protect Earth from any and all threats. The scope of his enemies is remarkably broad; Sonic Blast Man doesn't just stick to local crime. The journey begins on a gritty construction site on Earth, where he must dismantle street gangs and put an end to domestic terrorists who threaten the peace.
As the game progresses, the stakes escalate significantly. The hero eventually finds himself battling extraterrestrial invaders and high-tech robots. The setting shifts from urban environments to the reaches of outer space. The climax of the story introduces a personal stakes element, as Sonic Blast Man must confront an evil mechanical doppelgänger known as "Heavy Blast Man." This evil clone represents the ultimate test of the hero's strength, concluding a narrative arc that spans from the city streets to the stars.
Unlike its arcade predecessor which relied on physical force applied to a punching pad, the console version of Sonic Blast Man is a classic beat 'em up. Players move from left to right, engaging waves of enemies using a variety of punches, kicks, and grappling moves. The controls are precise, allowing for a strategic approach to crowd control. One of the standout mechanics is the ability to pick up enemies and throw them into one another, which is essential for managing the screen when it becomes cluttered with foes.
Sonic Blast Man also possesses powerful special moves, including the iconic "D-M-X" or "Dynamic-Mighty-X" attack, which clears the screen of weaker enemies. The game is divided into five stages, each culminating in a boss fight. To break up the combat, the game includes bonus stages that pay homage to the original arcade game’s mechanics. In these segments, players must time their button presses to deliver a powerful blow to a target, such as a giant crab or a falling skyscraper, mirroring the "punching" gimmick that defined the character's origins.
This game was primarily released for 16-bit home consoles during the early nineties, appearing in both the Japanese and North American markets.
Sonic Blast Man is remembered today as a solid, if difficult, entry in the SNES library. While it didn't achieve the same level of mainstream fame as Final Fight or Streets of Rage, it earned enough of a following to warrant a sequel, Sonic Blast Man II, which expanded on the mechanics by adding more playable characters. The original game is often cited by collectors as a prime example of Taito's ability to adapt unconventional arcade concepts into standard home console genres. It has maintained its identity over the decades as a quirky superhero brawler, standing out because it is known exclusively as Sonic Blast Man, without any confusing alternative names or rebrands in different regions.