Power Blade

Power Blade has you play as NOVA, a buff shades-clad man (with no Schwarzenegger similarities whatsoever) who must stop aliens from harming Earth, armed to the teeth with...boomerangs.

Sub-Pages#

Prerelease Info

Sound Test#

Power Blazer (Japan)	Power Blade (US/EU)

At the title screen, hold Left + A + B on Controller 2 and press Start on Controller 1. Press Up/Down to select the music and A to play it.

The sound test looks a bit different in Power Blazer, and most of the music tracks have names instead of just "BGM01"/"BGM02"/etc. The sound test in Power Blade simply replaces the titles with their listings in hexadecimal instead, "TYPE" indicating sound effects while "BGM" indicates music tracks.

Comparing both games' sound tests, overall Power Blade has more sound effects and music than its earlier predecessor Power Blazer.

The following table lists tracks in order from their respective sound tests. Notes column lists what each abbreviation given in the Power Blazer sound test means, along with any tracks new to Power Blade. Track titles listed next to BGMs are taken from Rom Cassette Disc In TAITO Vol.2 (CDST-10044).

Hidden Credits#

Present at 0x1C010 in all versions:

TOSHIKAZU IWASA

Regional Differences#

This page or section needs more images. There's a whole lotta words here, but not enough pictures. Please fix this. Specifically: Lots of comparisons between Power Blazer and Power Blade to be made here. Add screenshots of ending cutscene, bosses and, if possible, level layout comparisons.

The original Japanese release was titled Power Blazer and was a fairly shameless Mega Man ripoff. The overseas versions were retitled Power Blade, and the game underwent one of the most extensive localizations in NES history. Power Blade is pretty much a completely different game compared to Power Blazer: different hero, different enemies, different levels, different music, different graphics, and many gameplay alterations.

Title Screen#

Japan	US/Europe

Stage Intro#

In Power Blazer, this appears by remaining at the title screen. In Power Blade, it appears upon getting past the title screen. Alternately, if you let the game sit on the title screen, you get a new story intro.

Title Demo Cutscene#

While much of the story in Power Blazer was relegated to the manual, with hardly any dialogue in-game, Power Blade elaborates on its story much more in-game, adding more cutscenes and in-game dialogue.

Most importantly, it adds an extra intro to the title screen, moving the previous cutscene to the start screen afterwards.

Music#

Replaced Music#

Some of the music in Power Blade has been replaced entirely with new pieces that sound less happy-go-lucky and more somber and foreboding, perhaps to match with the more serious tone and setting.

• Game Over:

• Player Clear:

However, this does not necessarily mean the songs added in Power Blade are used in the exact same place as the songs replaced, as shown with what's used for the epilogue cutscene in both games.

• Epilogue: While "BGM10" replaces "ENDING" in the sound test, it is not actually used for the credits like the latter in Power Blazer. Since Power Blade has no credits, the song is used instead for the epilogue cutscene that plays after beating the final boss.

Exclusive Music#

There are also a few tracks that are exclusive to either the Japanese or American/European versions as well.

• Ending: This track is used for the staff credits in Power Blazer. While BGM10 takes its place in the Power Blade sound test, it is used for the epilogue cutscene instead, as there are no credits in Power Blade.

• Opening: This song is used in the brand new title intro demo added to Power Blade.

• Sector Disarmed: This song takes the place of DEMO in the sound test. A variation of the new opening theme, it plays during the Sector Disarmed cutscene that plays after beating a sector's boss in Power Blade.

Sound Effects#

In addition to the music, some sound effects are different in Power Blade, either being updated from Power Blazer or are entirely new.

• Player Out - This sound effect that plays when the player's health is completely depleted has been made less "cartoony" in Power Blade.

To do: Rip the sounds. TYPE0C and TYPE23 are known ones.

• Power Suit sounds - Power Blade has the power suit and some sounds played along, like attacking and clinging the ladder.

Password#

Although both games feature a password system, they use different characters.

In Power Blazer, the characters are as follows, cycled with up button: "ACDEGILUNOPRSTWM". The password screen is also brought up above the map screen shown below. It is possible to check the password after completing a stage and before selecting another.

In Power Blade, the characters are as follows: "0123456789BDFGJK". The password screen has a pitch black background. After disarming each computer, the password is displayed automatically on the screen shortly later.

Japan	US/Europe

Map Screen#

The map screen was completely overhauled. It's now far more helpful, as well as more detailed.

While navigation is handled the same way (press Left or Right to either move the cursor counterclockwise or clockwise respectively), the stage select cursor is different. The player sprite is used as the level select cursor on the Power Blazer map screen, but it's replaced by a rectangular reticle in Power Blade instead.

Power Blade allows the player to leave the stage from the starting door, or enter any cleared stage again. Power Blazer doesn't allow either of them.

Japan	US/Europe

Player Sprite#

Power Blazer	Power Blade

Gameplay#

The hero in Power Blade has a higher jump than the one in Power Blazer. There have also been some gameplay control improvements, such as ladders being easier to cling onto.

In Power Blazer, the player can only throw one boomerang, straight forward and one at a time. A normal boomerang comes back to you when you hit an enemy, but it is possible to have it go inside or bounce off the back of enemy and hit multiple times. A red boomerang passes though enemies instead. The power regeneration (which determines how far the boomerang is thrown) is slow. In Power Blade, the player can throw boomerangs in 8 directions, and up to 3 at the same time with powerups. The boomerangs will always pass through enemies unlike in Power Blazer, can be upgraded to do more damage (the red boomerang is the strongest). The power regeneration is fast.

Power Blade also features the Power Suit, which can be found only in fixed locations in stages. When worn, your attack changes from the boomerang to a powerful high-speed wave (called the Power Blade in the manual and Nintendo Power guide) able to go through terrain. The suit is lost after taking 3 hits (separate from your health bar), while picking up another suit is the only method to restore durability.

Power Blade also adds time limits to each stage.

In Power Blazer, taking hit loses all horizontal momentum (making it lethal if getting hit above hazardous terrain), and bounces up the player while on the ground. In normal mode of Power Blade, damage doesn't affect the movement.

Expert Mode#

Expert Mode is exclusive to Power Blade, where the player suffers knockback (in Castlevania style) when taking damage, and the time limit is reduced from 999 to 300 or 350.

Special Items#

To do: Sprite comparisons, including the other powerups.

In Power Blazer, Bombs and Energy Tanks are shown as badges with "B" and "E" letters. Both are only found in fixed locations. It is also possible to find 1ups. Other item drops are determined by RNG. In Power Blade, Bombs look like Grenades and can be dropped by common enemies. Energy Tanks are shaped like can of rations and be placed at fixed locations. All enemy drops follow a determined list in order.

Status Bar#

Power Blazer	Power Blade

Power Blazer only shows the player health and the power meter. Bombs and energy refills are always visible. There is a scoring system.

Power Blade adds a health meter for the stage boss. It shows either the Grenade or Energy Tanks depend on what has been selected. The timer and the remaining durability of your power suit is also displayed.

Power Blade also adds a separate status bar for when the game is paused, which lets you select between Grenades and Energy Tanks, and also keeps track of the status of each stage, where a "tape unit" is the item used at the end of stage on the computer.

Stage Order#

The order and placement of the stages on the map has been significantly rearranged in Power Blade. Order is listed from counterclockwise, starting from top left:

The stages between versions are distinguished by their music, general theme, and boss.

Roughly speaking, the order starting counterclockwise from top left in the Japanese version is: Military Base, Weather Control, Residential Area, Life Research, Space Center, Energy Development, and finally the Control Center.

The order in the US/EU version, now listed under Sectors 1 to 7, is moved to: Space Center, Energy Development, Life Research, Weather Control, Military Base, Residential Area, and finally the Control Center.

Stage Layouts#

To do: Maybe add maps for a better comparison

In Power Blazer, each stage is linear. Simply reach the door at the end and fight the boss. Falling off the screen leads to a lower section.

In Power Blade, the stages are bigger with more of an emphasis on exploration. In each Sector minus the last, the player must find the agent to get the ID card that is needed to access the boss door. The agent locations also double as checkpoints. Sector 7 is a more linear affair where the goal is to make it to the boss door at the top of the tower. Falling off the screen kills the player.

The stage themes roughly remain the same between versions, though the Military Base in Power Blade is centered around a battleship rather than an actual military base in a desert like in Power Blazer. The Weather Control stage in Power Blade also has a frozen up section at the bottom where the agent is located.

Enemies#

To do: There's a few more

Most enemies in Power Blazer were redesigned to fit the different theme of Power Blade. Some have different behavior, some are unique to Power Blade and not seen in Power Blazer and vice versa.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This walking gun-armed enemy has a smaller head and longer legs in Power Blade.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This fish had some (palette aside) subtle changes in Power Blade.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This monkey-like enemy that jumps around was made slightly thinner in Power Blade.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This large enemy was made slightly smaller in Power Blade but gains the added ability to occasionally jump torwards the player.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This frog enemy was made way smaller in Power Blade.

This skeleton enemy is less skeleton-ey in Power Blade but behaves the same (crumbling on "death" but reanimating a few seconds later much like Dry Bones in the Mario games).

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This enemy that slides left to right on the floor, gets faster when the player is on the same floor or at its level (much like Gabyoalls in the Mega Man games), and pops up to shoot a straight-forward bullet, gets a second bullet in Power Blade with added upward trajectory.

This plant enemy is more colorful with bigger leaves in Power Blazer, but spits out more projectiles in Power Blade.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This gorilla enemy is smaller in Power Blade but, to compensate, gets the ability to spit rolling balls.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

In Power Blazer, this enemy fires a boomerang that's short ranged but comes back to them. This particular enemy is a real challenge when your weapon is at its default, un-upgraded range. They were easier to deal with in Power Blade, firing slower boomerangs aimed at the player which don't come back. In Power Blade, they are usually found guarding Power Suit pickups.

Power Blazer	Power Blade

This enemy is smaller in Power Blade but now has two variants, the other being a hovering one that flies around rather than being static on the ground.

This enemy is exclusive to Power Blazer, standing stationary on top of the watchtowers towards the end of the Military Base and shooting bullets down towards the player.

This rifle-equipped enemy is exclusive to Power Blade and has two variants: one that crouches and occasionally stands to shoot two bullets, and one that runs forward while occasionally shooting.

This rotor-bladed drone is exclusive to Power Blade, firing two homing missiles at a time, one from each side, and swooping down at the player.

Bosses#

To do: Sprite comparisons, and maybe boss arenas too

Most of the bosses and their areas have been redesigned to look less cartoonish and more serious. Some bosses do have a different pattern however.

• Space Center - In Power Blazer, the boss has a shield and will equip it after every landing. It is impervous to attacks while holding the shield, and can only attack and take damage while jumping. In Power Blade it doesn't use shield but will shoot more often.
• Energy Development - In Power Blazer, the boss uses rolling attack more often, while in Power Blade it spits fire more often.
• Life Research - To match the attack range of player, the beehives are placed lower in Power Blazer, but higher in Power Blade.
• Weather Control - The lightning effect only flashes in Power Blade. The boss moves in the same pattern, making it hard to hit the boss in Power Blazer where the player must jump from far sides to attack when the boss swoops down.
• Military Base - The boss only looks different.
• Residental Area - The Frankenstein boss is totally different. In Power Blazer it is short, while in Power Blade it is so tall that the room has timed blocks to help the player hitting the head, the only weak point.
• Control Center - The final boss has a completely different second form between versions, with Power Blazer's being static on the ground and firing rolling bubbles that can be destroyed, and Power Blade's moving left and right in mid-air, shooting a fireball upwards that splits and rains down several smaller fireballs, while steam jets are constantly fired below the ship.

Epilogue/Credits#

There is an additional credits cutscene exclusive to Power Blazer, which plays after the epilogue cutscene, featuring the staff credits for the game accompanied by lighthearted, sometimes comedic pictures featuring the game's bosses. This is completely absent from Power Blade, which features no staff credits and ends the game on the epilogue cutscene instead.