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Blaster Master (1988)

Review · Platformer · NES

Blaster Master (1988)

Reviewed: 18 May 2026

NES

SunSoft · 1988

Ludograph rating

D

Caution

43 /100

06010030BenefitLow riskB 27 · R 0
The Ludograph reading, plotted from the published benefit and risk sub-scores.

Growth (BDS)

27

Risk (RIS)

0

Daily limit

120min

Age guidance

7+

Developmental benefits

B1Cognitive
0.36
B2Social-emotional
0.00
B3Motor
0.45

Blaster Master provides a solid challenge requiring good hand-eye coordination, reaction time, and strategic thinking to navigate its levels and defeat enemies. Players will need to remember enemy patterns and level layouts.

Design risks

R1Compulsion-loop pressure
0.00
R2Monetization
0.00
R3Social risk
0.00

The primary risks are the high difficulty, which could lead to frustration, and some mild cartoon violence and thematic fear from radioactive mutants.

Content (not in risk score)

R4.1Violence Level
0.33
R4.2Sexual Content
0.00
R4.3Language
0.00
R4.4Substance References
0.00
R4.5Fear / Horror
0.33

Content risk is displayed separately and does not affect the time recommendation.

Regulatory design checks · DSAAssessed: meets criteria·GDPR-KAssessed: meets criteria·ODDSAssessed: meets criteria

  • DSA:What Ludograph checks: whether the game's design gives minors the transparency the EU Digital Services Act expects: plain terms, honest defaults, and clear reporting routes.: Estimated from review data. No dark pattern or child-targeting concerns found.
  • GDPR-K:What Ludograph checks: whether age assurance and consent flows are designed for under-16s, in the spirit of GDPR Article 8.: Estimated from review data. No privacy or child-targeting concerns found.
  • ODDS:What Ludograph checks: whether paid random-reward drop rates are disclosed, as required in China, Japan and South Korea.: Estimated from review data. No paid random-reward mechanics found, so drop-rate disclosure requirements do not apply.

These reflect Ludograph's assessment of the game's design practices against each framework's criteria, not a legal compliance determination.

Parents ask…

Is Blaster Master (1988) safe for kids?

Ludograph gives Blaster Master (1988) a rating of 43/100, recommended for ages 7 and up. There are notable risks worth knowing before letting kids play.

What age is Blaster Master (1988) appropriate for?

Ludograph's rubric recommends a minimum age of 7+ for Blaster Master (1988), based on benefits, risks, and content review. That is stricter than ESRB E, because our assessment weighs behavioral design risks, not just content.

How long should kids play Blaster Master (1988)?

Our session recommendation for Blaster Master (1988) is up to 120 minutes per day. It is derived from the game's own structure (natural stopping points, compulsion-loop design, monetization pressure, and social dynamics), not from a universal screen-time dose.

Session recommendations are design-based heuristics. Evidence linking specific daily durations to child outcomes is limited, and context matters as much as time; treat this as a starting point for household rules, not a clinical threshold.

What are the main risks of Blaster Master (1988)?

The primary risks are the high difficulty, which could lead to frustration, and some mild cartoon violence and thematic fear from radioactive mutants.