Blaster Master Zero 2

Blaster Master Zero 2 picks up right where the first game left off, sending the hero Jason and his armored tank SOPHIA III on a rescue mission to another planet, where his companion Eve was abducted. The basic recipe stays the same – alternating between top-down on-foot action and side-view tank driving – but this time with greater demands on movement in vertical spaces and more elaborate bosses that make use of the tank's new abilities, such as flight, transforming into a submarine, or driving on ceilings. The new planet is also divided into distinct biomes, from frozen plains to underwater caves, so the environment changes much more dramatically than in the first game.

This entry was the first in the series to launch directly for Nintendo Switch, and it shows – studio Inti Creates designed the level layout with both handheld and docked play in mind, and fully leveraged the console's power for smoother animations and more detailed backgrounds than in the previous 3DS installment. Compared to the first game, a new mechanic of simultaneously switching between two characters with different abilities has also been added, pushing the level design closer to more elaborate metroidvania puzzles that require combining both abilities at once, and the player often has to switch characters even in the middle of combat. The story is a direct continuation, so new players should start with the first game, but the gameplay itself also stands on its own thanks to clear tutorials and a gradual introduction of new abilities at a reasonable pace.

Why play it: For players who enjoyed the first Zero and want a more refined sequel with tougher bosses, more varied environments, and a smoother pace, ideal right on the Switch in the comfort of handheld mode.