A technically impressive NES boomerang action-platformer. Wide-sweep weapons, varied levels, memorable bosses. Overlooked but truly excellent. One of the console's good platformers.
Your verdict
Category
Action1 player7+
Description
Original Japanese version of Power Blade. Released in Japan by Taito. Original Japanese version of the Power Blade game on Famicom.
Power Blazer review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The hero's boomerang traces a bright arc across the screen and returns, the only moving element clearly detached from the scenery. The eight sectors, power plant, desert, underwater base, factory, each adopt their own palette and architecture, and the enemy sprites are drawn broad to stay readable during the fastest phases.
The writing exploits the three voices with uncommon density: a mobile bass, a continuous countermelody, a tune that never repeats identically across the loop. The themes have the bearing of structured instrumental rock, with bridges and reprises, which makes them markedly longer to memorise but far more tenacious.
Power Blazer is the original Japanese version of Power Blade, noticeably different from the Western export reworked by Taito and Natsume. Its hero sports a different design, and levels and difficulty diverge, making this Famicom build a study piece for anyone comparing the two versions. Its appeal lies precisely in that role as the matrix preceding the overhaul, a Japan exclusive that illuminates the era's localization choices.
An underrated gem
With its boomerang-throwing agent and levels you can tackle in any order, this Taito run-and-gun stands as a clever cousin to Mega Man. Eclipsed by the era's heavyweights, it never got the recognition it deserved. Its sharp controls and freedom of progression will thrill fans of 8-bit action.
Is Power Blazer still worth playing in 2026?
Power Blade is a technically impressive boomerang action platformer on NES by Taito. A wide-arc weapon that returns to the hero, varied levels tackled in any order, memorable bosses and careful presentation evoke a mix of Mega Man and Bionic Commando. Overlooked but truly excellent, one of the console's solid platformers. A strongly recommendable detour today, especially for fans of uncommon weapons and free level order.
