My Top 100: #90 – Power Blade

 

*Thanks to RF Generation for the image, and everything else that helped me make this list, for that matter!*

Arnold Schwarzenegger was pretty much everywhere for a while.  Even where Arnold technically wasn’t, like the cover of this overlooked classic, there he was…

Power Blade is Taito’s answer to the Mega Man games in that you have different “sectors” that can be played through in almost any order you want.  NOVA, the game’s protagonist (obviously a hybrid of a few Arnold characters), has to eliminate an alien threat to each sector of Earth’s “Master Computer” with nothing but his trusty and very much upgradeable Power Blade…  the baddest-ass boomerang you’ve ever seen.

 

 

I find the level structure and controls somewhat similar to the Batman game for NES, even though it’s not quite as difficult and unforgiving as that.  You could throw your weapon in eight directions, much like Contra, and travel different paths if you wanted to.  Some paths would lead to power ups or other bonuses like the Power Suit, which fired a wall of flame instead of the usual boomerang.  Other paths would have NPC’s to interact with, usually some kind of side mission that unlocked other areas.  Every sector felt unique, and I loved exploring them.  The bosses were pretty funky, too, all with their own themes and whatnot.

I can’t really describe the game any more, because that’s pretty much all there was to it!  It’s just one of those games that was really simple and fun, and a nice change of pace from the usual Mega Man wannabes I’d rent.  The sequel added various Power Suits and was awesome as well, but my fun was mostly had on the original!