Power Blade is a reworked and localized version of the Japanese Family Computer game Power Blazer, which was released also by Taito on April 20, 1990. The original title for North America was Power Mission, after reworking the game they went with the name Power Blade. The reworking included a complete overhaul of the levels, a change of the look of the main character from a cartoon-like robot to an Arnold Schwarzenegger look-alike, and a significant improvement in gameplay controls. Other changes included the addition of agents who needed to be tracked down in each stage, power-ups that allowed you to throw multiple boomerangs, the ability to throw your boomerang in any direction, and a power suit that can be equipped by the player. The title screen of the game features a picture of NOVA that closely resembles promotional images of Schwarzenegger in the 1984 film The Terminator. The box art, created by graphic artist Mike Winterbauer, also features a similar portrayal of NOVA. According to Winterbauer, "a certain movie star's lawyers" sent him a very unpleasant letter regarding the painting used for the cover. Winterbauer was able to prove that he had used a photograph of himself for reference and received no further unpleasant letters. Power Blade first received coverage in the Western markets when it was first displayed at the Summer 1990 Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. There, the game was called Power Mission and featured different character sprites from the finished version; Nintendo Power magazine called the game "mega action in the tradition of Mega Man II." It was the featured article and was on the cover in the April 1991 issue of Nintendo Power.
The musics are legendary. The sound effects are top notch. Not sure what happened to Plower Blade 2. I would play PB 1 over and over again just for the musics.
I also love how this game kept you feeling rewarded and forgiven the better you played it. Because once you get the power suit, that’s the game’s most destructive weapon (This happens on the first level!) and you get to keep it if you don’t mess up too much. Not many, if any platformers do this anymore.
Our American version of this game had the protagonist (and other things) altered and the idea of a large, muscular Duke Nukem-esque man throwing a boomerang around and turning into Robocop is truly the kind of thing only realized on the ol' days, haha. Thanks for the upload!
This game was a good example of why we needed 'Nintendo difficulty'. It was a more expensive title at the time, but took just a few days effort to finish.
I never got a chance to play more than a few minutes of this as a kid, and always wanted to revisit it but never got the chance to. Nice to get some closure and confirmation that yes, this was definitely a standout even for the era.
The woman that composed the music for this also wrote the original Castlevania soundtrack when she worked for Konami, so there's a pretty good reason for it sounding similar to Contra :)
Esse foi o primeiro jogo na nintendo que eu joguei na época, era o único cartucho que tinha no Carrefour para comprar, e no jogo o personagem parece que era o Arnold Schwarzenegger.
They made a lot of bench marking for this game. I see many paralells between this game and Mega Man, Contra, the Goonies II, Metal Gear and even Castlevania and it looks like really fun to play. Too bad I did not know about this game back in the days.
I don't have a clue who's playing this game but they're better at it than I'll ever be I'm a sad story that already happened and that's a sad story I hope no one feels sorry for me
Even with the first song at the start when Nova gets told of the mission. You knew you were in for an awesome game with amazing music. My cousin had this game and i gave him double dragon 3 for PB1. We didnt want to return back our games. Hahahaha!
Хорошая игрушка👍. В отличие от второй части здесь есть элементы лабиринта - можно походить, поискать ништяки. А вторая более прямолинейная. Но во второй части зато костюмов много😊👍. В целом вторая конечно лучше.
@NintendoComplete Question: I notice in this video that the top part of the HUD is cut off. Is that an emulator issue; or, was that overscan that would get cut off on a contemporary television of the time?
Really not bad. However, the japanese version of this game (Power Blazer) is crazily hard compared the US and EU versions of this game (Power Blade), however the time in expert mode is short, so this will make players act like speedrunners.
This is SNES like game quality for a console that started with totally lousy graphics in Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. Heck, the SNES would not be able to play this at all, too CPU intensive.
![[TAS] NES Power Blade by scrimpeh in 13:54.01](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/nP9s8rvp59Q/mqdefault.jpg)
![BOWKYLION - วิงวอน (ex-change) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cLdnZWDaO-w/mqdefault.jpg)
Just as excellent as the rest of Natsume's NES platformers. The music is ridonkulously sweet, no joke.
Is there a point to the Power meter?
@@Yoni123 The power meter increases the range of your boomerang. It starts quite low and ends up going half a screen.
This was such a great game and no one talks about it!
Much more affordable than Shatterhand, and every bit as good, maybe better.
I love this game..
It was too easy, I think, so you didn't have the satisfaction of grinding in it for months and then finally opening that next door.
Agree! Great Game, great sound track!
Power Blade is a reworked and localized version of the Japanese Family Computer game Power Blazer, which was released also by Taito on April 20, 1990. The original title for North America was Power Mission, after reworking the game they went with the name Power Blade. The reworking included a complete overhaul of the levels, a change of the look of the main character from a cartoon-like robot to an Arnold Schwarzenegger look-alike, and a significant improvement in gameplay controls. Other changes included the addition of agents who needed to be tracked down in each stage, power-ups that allowed you to throw multiple boomerangs, the ability to throw your boomerang in any direction, and a power suit that can be equipped by the player.
The title screen of the game features a picture of NOVA that closely resembles promotional images of Schwarzenegger in the 1984 film The Terminator. The box art, created by graphic artist Mike Winterbauer, also features a similar portrayal of NOVA. According to Winterbauer, "a certain movie star's lawyers" sent him a very unpleasant letter regarding the painting used for the cover. Winterbauer was able to prove that he had used a photograph of himself for reference and received no further unpleasant letters.
Power Blade first received coverage in the Western markets when it was first displayed at the Summer 1990 Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago. There, the game was called Power Mission and featured different character sprites from the finished version; Nintendo Power magazine called the game "mega action in the tradition of Mega Man II." It was the featured article and was on the cover in the April 1991 issue of Nintendo Power.
The musics are legendary. The sound effects are top notch. Not sure what happened to Plower Blade 2. I would play PB 1 over and over again just for the musics.
I also love how this game kept you feeling rewarded and forgiven the better you played it. Because once you get the power suit, that’s the game’s most destructive weapon (This happens on the first level!) and you get to keep it if you don’t mess up too much. Not many, if any platformers do this anymore.
Our American version of this game had the protagonist (and other things) altered and the idea of a large, muscular Duke Nukem-esque man throwing a boomerang around and turning into Robocop is truly the kind of thing only realized on the ol' days, haha. Thanks for the upload!
:) np! Yeah it's funny how much they did the 'American' thing. I mean, the title screen says it all!
Just found a cartridge and it has an amazing quality, very nice big-sprite level design, good music, difficult but you will have progress.
I like those very colorful cuts scenes.
Amo demais esse jogo, quando eu tinha um Nes na decada de 2000 ,esse foi o primeiro jogo q eu aluguei
Mas só consegui zerar em 2003
This game was a good example of why we needed 'Nintendo difficulty'. It was a more expensive title at the time, but took just a few days effort to finish.
I never got a chance to play more than a few minutes of this as a kid, and always wanted to revisit it but never got the chance to. Nice to get some closure and confirmation that yes, this was definitely a standout even for the era.
Good classic NES-game. I had plenty of good times with it in the early 90`s. :)
Muchas gracias, me hiciste recordar mi niñez , este juego fue mi favorito
It's like a decent mix of mega man, Castlevania, and Metroid. Obviously not as good, but still good. And def worth a playthrough.
Back when life was simple
Thanks for putting this up!! I loved this game and the soundtrack as a kid!! This game and Zen Intergalactic Ninja!!
Power Blade was also on Nintendo's PlayChoice-10 arcade system in 1992, 1 year after the NES game was released.
My favorite as a kid.
Wow makes it look so easy! No farming for power ups!
This game reminds me a lot of strider combined with mega man in a very arcade like style, the music also has a contra feel to it which is nice :)
The woman that composed the music for this also wrote the original Castlevania soundtrack when she worked for Konami, so there's a pretty good reason for it sounding similar to Contra :)
That's awesome, and great knowledge as always pal, you're like the modern day gamesmaster :D
ED209 is in the game!
Esse foi o primeiro jogo na nintendo que eu joguei na época, era o único cartucho que tinha no Carrefour para comprar, e no jogo o personagem parece que era o Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Great game. So much fun
This was a cool game
They made a lot of bench marking for this game. I see many paralells between this game and Mega Man, Contra, the Goonies II, Metal Gear and even Castlevania and it looks like really fun to play. Too bad I did not know about this game back in the days.
I don't have a clue who's playing this game but they're better at it than I'll ever be I'm a sad story that already happened and that's a sad story I hope no one feels sorry for me
Don't feel bad. I'm the same.
Arnold Schwarzenegger in power blade
The guy on the cover is actually one of the programmers!
Even with the first song at the start when Nova gets told of the mission. You knew you were in for an awesome game with amazing music. My cousin had this game and i gave him double dragon 3 for PB1. We didnt want to return back our games. Hahahaha!
Хорошая игрушка👍. В отличие от второй части здесь есть элементы лабиринта - можно походить, поискать ништяки. А вторая более прямолинейная. Но во второй части зато костюмов много😊👍. В целом вторая конечно лучше.
John Gordon
Robert Williams
David Straker
Lynda Baker
Martin Douglas
Daniel Leeds
That running animation reminds me of Amagon.
The music is awesome.
1:07 Is it me or he looks like Duke Nukem?
He looks like Arnold, Duke is also based on 80s action characters
Anyone else hear that dissonant effect in the chorus of stage 3's music?
Arnold Schwarzenegger is going sue.
More like 3d realms/apogee games. Jeez.
Duke nukem in a nes game
My favorite game when was in Africa 😅
@NintendoComplete Question: I notice in this video that the top part of the HUD is cut off. Is that an emulator issue; or, was that overscan that would get cut off on a contemporary television of the time?
God, that running animation is too much. XD
6:40 Mega man soundtrack ?
Really not bad.
However, the japanese version of this game (Power Blazer) is crazily hard compared the US and EU versions of this game (Power Blade), however the time in expert mode is short, so this will make players act like speedrunners.
Musiche meravigliose!!!!
This is SNES like game quality for a console that started with totally lousy graphics in Legend of Zelda and Super Mario Bros. Heck, the SNES would not be able to play this at all, too CPU intensive.
Hasta un tema de julio iglesias le metieron jaja
Hati-hati, Nova... Dan Awasi Bagian Belakangmu!
2021 very nice
Blade 8비트패미콤터미네니터?
Hay si es idéntico a Arnold Schwarzenegger
There is power blade 2???
yes search it there is alot of playthrough of it.
No, is Power Blade 1
Phantasy Star 2 anyone?
just seems like a rip off of TMNT