History VideoGame / BlasterSeries

* NowWhichOneWasThatVoice: In Math Blaster Episodes 1 and 2 and ''Reading Blaster: Invasion of the Word Snatchers'', it's easy to figure out who played which character, as only Mark Sawyer and Laura Boedeker were the only two actors. However, in some of the later games, the actors were only listed under "Character Voices", without the role(s) they played being mentioned.

EdutainmentGame series from TheNineties created by the company known as Creator/DavidsonAndAssociates, aimed largely at elementary schoolers, though a few have been aimed at middle schoolers. First there was ''Math Blaster'' and then ''Reading Blaster''. Very briefly, there was ''Science Blaster'', ''Geometry Blaster'', ''Spelling Blaster'' and ''Word Blaster'' (don't ask how that last one is any different than ''Reading Blaster'').

%%If you want to talk about the 1999-2005 era, please DO NOT complain about how it "ruined" the games you played as a kid. Most of the pages for other edutainment game series like VideoGame/JumpStart, Reader Rabbit and The Cluefinders don't complain about the new versions they received. See Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike

* ExcitedShowTitle: The title of the original game was "Math Blaster!" Then there was "Math Blaster Plus!" and "New Math Blaster Plus!"

* {{Badbutt}}: Most of the main characters (Blasternaut, Galactic Commander).

* KidsPreferBoxes: In ''Reading Blaster 2000'', one of the activities involves creating a commercial for an in-universe product. One of the products you can choose to advertise is a box that kids like to play with.

* KidsPreferBoxes: In ''Reading Blaster 2000'', one of the activities involves creating a commercial for an in-universe product. One of the options is a box that kids like to play with.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair:
** Galactic Commander, aka GC, has purple hair in her later incarnations.
** Max (a later version of Blasternaut) has blue hair.
** Blasternaut's (also named Max) 2006 rendition has spiky blue hair.

** ''Spelling Blaster'' was reworked into ''Reading Blaster Ages 6 - 8'', with the post-1999 versions of the Blaster pals replacing the original versions. Compare the [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mathblaster/images/a/a8/Hqdefault.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20200627204438 before]] and [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/mathblaster/images/3/3e/Geyser_valley_1.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110904155703 after]].

** ''Spelling Blaster'' was reworked into ''Reading Blaster Ages 6 - 8'', with the post-1999 versions of the Blaster pals replacing the original versions. Compare the [[http://www.allgamesfree.com/gameshots/download/screenshots/2382-2.jpg before]] and [[http://imgsrv.worldstart.com/store/images/reading-blaster-6-8/reading-blaster-6-8-01.jpg after]].

* RetroRocket: The Blasterpals have a purple one in ''In Search of Spot''. Dr. Minus shoots it down in ''Secret of the Lost City''.

* ''VideoGame/BlasterMysterySeries'', a.k.a. the games featuring Rave and Dr. Dabble

Another universe in this series, featuring Rave and Dr. Dabble, is discussed [[VideoGame/BlasterMysterySeries here]].

* AbnormalAmmo: ''Mega Math Blaster'' has you throw banana peels, clothespins and pacifiers at enemies. ''Ages 9-12'' gives you actual bananas.
* AlienInvasion: Alge-Blaster 3 centers around countering one.

* AlwaysChaoticEvil: ''Alge-Blaster 3'' has the [[AlienInvasion Red]] [[BigRedDevil Nasties]]. ''Geometry Blaster'' has the Geometrons, a race of two-dimensional beings.
* AndImTheQueenOfSheba: From ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'', after it's revealed that the Terrible Monkey King isn't so terrible:
-->'''GC:''' Who are you?\\
'''Monkey:''' Well... I'm, uh... I'm the Terrible Monkey King.\\
'''Blasternaut:''' And I'm a monkey's uncle!

* AsteroidThicket: The normal and "good" endings of ''Mega Math Blaster'' show Blasternaut and G.C. chasing Gelator through one of these. The game is also bookended by you blasting your way through it in pursuit of said villain.

* BigRedDevil: Alge-Blaster 3 has the Red Nasties, though they aren't particularly big.

* BlobMonster: Mega Math Blaster has Gelator. [[spoiler:One of the endings also has his parents.]]
* BrokenBridge: Occurs in ''In Search of Spot'' in the form of an engine which is out of fuel.

* {{Cephalothorax}}: The Red Nasties in ''Alge-Blaster 3''. ''Episode 1'' has the Trash Alien.
* ClimbSlipHangClimb: The N-Gon Mountains in ''Geometry Blaster'' has this as the result if you get a problem wrong. Get too many wrong and you have to start over.
* CombiningMecha: The Lost City (really just four buildings) combine into a new ship for the Blasterpals in ''Episode 2'' after all of the puzzles are finished.
* ContinuityNod: In the introduction of ''Mega Math Blaster'', Spot flies past the prison planet Lock-Em-Up, where the previous games' villains Trash Alien, Illitera, and Dr. Minus are imprisoned.
** One within the same game; ''Master The Basics'' had you disable a different part of the Null-Ray Generators on each difficulty level. Level 1 disables the force fields, Level 2 disables the electric fence, Level 3 re-enables the interplanetary communication hubs they were built on to get in touch with the planet elders, then Level 4 has Blaster and AIMEE using their codes to blow the generators to kingdom come.

* ConvectionSchmonvection: ''Mega Math Blaster'' has both lava and fire-breating statues [[UpToEleven in an ice cave]].
* ConveyorBeltODoom: One of the bonus levels in ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'' is set on a non-hazardous one. If you fall off, it just cuts the level short and sends you to the next puzzle.

* DelayedSafetyFeature: In the intro of ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'', the Blasterpals crash-land their ship on a seemingly barren planet and only when they come to a complete stop does the [[ExpospeakGag severe impact avoidance inflatable device]] deploy, filling the entire ship and then expanding out of the airlock when they exit.

* EscortMission: The bridge levels in ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'' alternate between building the actual bridges and puzzles where you need to guide several hopping monkeys across floating platforms. Fortunately, you only need to keep them from falling.
** The control room sequences of ''Master The Basics''. Blaster projects his shield onto the planet delegate/elder in order to protect them long enough to disable the current difficulty’s obstacle. The chamber robots have multiple equations that must be checked against a static equation for equivalents, then targeted correctly to disable them until your ally loops back around through the door.

* EverythingsBetterWithMonkeys: A whole planet of flying ones in ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12''.

* ExpospeakGag: The ship computer in ''Ages 9-12'' refers to the air bag as a "severe-impact-avoidance inflatable device".
* {{Expy}}: Gelator is a yellow alien with three eyes that abducts Spot... exactly like the Trash Alien. In fact, Gelator's game, ''Mega Math Blaster'' (later released as ''Ages 6-9''), is a rehash of the entire premise of ''In Search of Spot''.

* FailedASpotCheck: The plot for ''In Search Of Spot'' is kicked off by Blasternaut dismissing Spot's suggestion that their ship is out of fuel, which is confirmed by the fuel gauge in the console just to Blasternaut's left. ''Ages 9-12'' has the Blasterpals miss an alert that they're about to crash into a planet because they're partying.

* FlyingSaucer: The Trash Alien uses a red one.
* ForTheEvulz: The Trash Alien just litters around space for the spite of it.
* FungusHumongous: One of the levels in ''Mega Math Blaster'' has these as platforms.

* GeniusLoci: In ''Geometry Blaster'', the Sphinx is a living building containing the Dimension Machine. She quizzes Andi and Zoid before opening her doors to let them repair the machine.

* HerrDoktor: In ''Mega Math Blaster'', Blasternaut has a "wrist analyzer", which is referred to as "Freud" and speaks with a German accent.
* HumongousMecha: [[spoiler:[[LargeHam The Terrible Monkey King]] used one as a disguise at the end of ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'']].
* HurricaneOfPuns: The ending of ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12''. {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d with the line "Enough with the monkey jokes already! Stop!"

* TheJoyOfX:
** The first ''Reading Blaster'' game was subtitled ''[[Film/InvasionOfTheBodySnatchers Invasion Of The Word Snatchers]]''.
** The title ''Math Blaster Episode I: In Search of Spot'' is probably a double reference to ''Series/InSearchOf'' and ''Film/StarTrekIIITheSearchForSpock''.
* JungleJapes: ''Mega Math Blaster'' has a varying number of these depending on the difficulty. On hard mode, there are two of these followed by an UndergroundLevel. Much of ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'' has some level of this to go with the flying monkeys.

* LargeHam:
** The old guy and the Terrible Monkey King in ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12''.
** Dr. Minus from ''Secret of the Lost City'' had his moments, as well.
** The Sphinx in ''Geometry Blaster'', especially if you answer incorrectly. The Geometrons are also pretty hammy.
** Dr. Zero, the [[EvilRedhead redheaded]] EnfantTerrible in ''Math Blaster Ages 7-9'' (1999).
* LiquidAssets: Gelator drains Spot's intelligence in ''Mega Math Blaster''.

%% * TheManBehindTheCurtain: [[spoiler:The Terrible Monkey King.]]

* MultipleEndings: In ''Mega Math Blaster'', determined by how many bonus objects you found in the game.
* MillenniumBug: ''Math Blaster: In Search of Spot'' and ''Math Blaster Episode 2: Secret of the Lost City'' suffer from this-- any game played after 2000 will produce a completion certificate with the date given as the corresponding year in the 1900s. (As in, if you finished the game in 2001, your certificate would say 1901.)
* NerdGlasses: [[spoiler:The Terrible Monkey King.]]

* PowerCrystal: Each of the first three puzzles in ''Mega Math Blaster'' end with finding one.
* PungeonMaster: The Geometrons in ''Geometry Blaster'' have a degree of this. They drop geometry puns whenever they walk by Andi's trailer.

** Subverted with Zoid in ''Geometry Blaster''. His full name is Trap E. Zoid, despite being made of triangles [[spoiler:and cones later on]].

* RedEyesTakeWarning: The Geometrons in ''Geometry Blaster''.

* RuinsForRuinsSake: ''Mega Math Blaster'' has up to three of these levels depending on the difficulty.

* SesquipedalianLoquaciousness: Zoid in ''Geometry Blaster''. Lampshaded at the beginning of one of the puzzles. The Sphinx combines this with LargeHam if you answer her questions incorrectly.
* ShoutOut:
** At the beginning of ''Math Blaster Ages 7-9'' (1999), the heroes are watching a pastiche of ''WesternAnimation/TomAndJerry'' on TV.
** The ending and enemies from ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'' are a reference to ''Film/TheWizardOfOz''.

* SpaceFriction: At the beginning of ''In Search of Spot'', you can hear Blasternaut's [[RetroRocket ship]] screech to a halt above the planet's surface, [[SpaceIsNoisy with nothing to imply that there is any atmosphere]].
* SpaceIsNoisy: The Blasterpals can hear Dr. Minus's ship catching up with theirs in ''Secret of the Lost City''. Blasternaut initially thinks its Spot revving his jets.
* SuddenlyVoiced: The leader of the Quadraticans is voiced in a non-interactive promotional demo for the 1994 games.

* TokenHuman: Andi, the protagonist of ''Geometry Blaster'', is the only human protagonist in the pre-1999 games.
* UndergroundLevel: ''Mega Math Blaster'' has up to three ice cave levels depending on the difficulty. Hard mode also adds one after the two jungle levels. ''In Search Of Spot'' has one as well.
* VertebrateWithExtraLimbs: The [[WingedHumanoid flying monkeys]] in ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12''.

** ''Mega Math Blaster'' is a remake of ''Math Blaster Episode I: In Search of Spot'', which in turn was a remake of ''New Math Blaster Plus!'', which was also a remake of ''Math Blaster Plus!'', which was yet ''another'' remake of a game simply titled ''Math Blaster''.
** ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12'' is a remake of ''Math Blaster Episode II: Secret of the Lost City'' that implements the puzzles differently.

* TheVoice: Andi's mother in ''Geometry Blaster''.

* WizardClassic: The Venerable Apothem in ''Geometry Blaster'' is a two-dimensional one made out of triangles. He even has the 2D equivalents of a RobeAndWizardHat and a WizardBeard.

* DummiedOut: ''Writing Blaster'', a combination simple word processor and art program has a feature that converts words to pictures from the art half of the program and back. There are a few words in the word processor that can be converted to pictures that aren't in the art program.

EdutainmentGame series from TheNineties created by the company known as Davidson, aimed largely at elementary schoolers, though a few have been aimed at middle schoolers. First there was ''Math Blaster'' and then ''Reading Blaster''. Very briefly, there was ''Science Blaster'', ''Geometry Blaster'', ''Spelling Blaster'' and ''Word Blaster'' (don't ask how that last one is any different than ''Reading Blaster'').

Another universe appeared in the Blaster Series with a kid named Rave going up against the MadScientist Dudley Dabble. Rave is a green creature with a [[HornedHumanoid yellow horn growing out of his head]] and most of the other inhabitants of his world appear to be monsters and/or creatures of some description, with the odd exception of Dabble, although he was eventually given blue skin. While generally unrelated to the original universe, there was a readable crossover story featured in ''Reading Blaster 2000'' titled ''Dr. Dabble's Revenge'', wherein the original heroes fought against Dr. Dabble.

* AbnormalAmmo: ''Mega Math Blaster'' has you throw banana peels, clothespins and pacifiers at enemies. ''Ages 9-12'' gives you actual bananas. Rave in ''The Great Brain Robbery'' throws green slimeballs during the last stage.

* ArsonMurderAndJaywalking: The back of the early instruction books lists all of the Blaster series' main antagonists, in the form of a WantedPoster. Dr. Dabble is wanted for "robbery, grand larceny, and non-payment of electric bill".

* AssholeVictim / NeverMyFault: Dr. Dabble in ''Reading Blaster Ages 9-12''. It is revealed, after you save them, that each of his victims are those from his younger days whom he felt have done him wrong in some way and that he had a score to settle with each of them, even though said wrongs he suffered he really deserved.

* BalefulPolymorph: The six missing people in ''Reading Blaster Ages 9-12'' were turned into household appliances.

* BeeAfraid: A swarm of bees flies randomly around the catwalk stage in ''The Great Brain Robbery''.

* BlobMonster: Mega Math Blaster has Gelator. [[spoiler:One of the endings also has his parents.]] One of the enemies on the catwalk in ''The Great Brain Robbery'' is a blue slime creature.

* DelayedSafetyFeature: In the intro, the Blasterpals crash-land their ship on a seemingly barren planet and only when they come to a complete stop does the [[ExpospeakGag severe impact avoidance inflatable device]] deploy, filling the entire ship and then expanding out of the airlock when they exit.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: The mysteries in ''Reading Blaster Vocabulary'' are minor crimes that get huge attention from the Bizaroville media. At the conclusion of each case, the narrator describes the judge dishing out a humorously karmic punishment.

* {{Halloweentown}}: Rave's hometown of Bizarroville.
* HauntedHouse: Dr. Dabble's mansion, haunted by its previous owner, Lydia Novella, who also serves as your guide throughout the game.
* HerrDoktor: In ''Mega Math Blaster'', Blasternaut has a "wrist analyzer", which is referred to as "Freud" and speaks with a German accent. At the start of ''Math Blaster Pre-Algebra'', Rave is watching a movie with a German-accented character referred to as "Professor".
%% * HornedHumanoid: Rave.

* IntangibleTheft:
** In the first ''Reading Blaster'', [[MeaningfulName Illitera]] steals all language from the planet Earth.
** In ''Math Blaster Pre-Algebra'', Dr. Dabble uses an [[AppliedPhlebotinum electrochemical math magnet]] to steal all math from the world.
* MonumentalTheft: One of the mysteries in ''Reading Blaster Vocabulary'' involves the perpetrator stealing the state of Rhode Island.

* KidDetective: Rave in ''Reading Blaster Vocabulary''.
* KidHero:
** Rave, who is a KidDetective in ''Reading Blaster Vocabulary''.
** The 1999 incarnation of the Blasterpals.

** Dr. Dabble.

* LookBehindYou: How Rave defeats Dr. Dabble at the end of ''Math Blaster Mystery''.
-->'''Rave:''' Look! Music/{{Elvis|Presley}}!\\
'''Dr. Dabble:''' What? Where?!
* LuckBasedMission: The sentence spinner game from ''Reading Blaster Ages 9-12''. With random [[{{Whammy}} whammies]] like "wordrupt" (a pun on "bankrupt" that's exactly what it sounds like), you can easily lose without making a single mistake. It'll certainly be worse for you if you ''do'' make mistakes, but still, the game is mostly pure chance.

* MadScientist:
** Dr. Dabble, naturally.
** Dr. Zero in ''Math Blaster Ages 7-9'' (1999).
* MadScientistLaboratory: Dr. Dabble's laboratory.

* MonsterMash: ''Math Blaster Mystery: The Great Brain Robbery'' has a fairly large assortment of monsters that give you word problems and puzzles to solve.

* NoEnding: Lydia's journal in ''Reading Blaster 9-12'' ends on a cliffhanger with no resolution whatsoever.
* NotGoodWithRejection: As mentioned in ''Reading Blaster 9-12'', [[spoiler:this was the reason why Dr. Dabble spirited away Bobbi Fright: he wanted to be her boyfriend, but she kept refusing, while he would not take no for an answer. A LoveTriangle erupted when Dr. Dabble and Lou Fright vied for the affections of Bobbi, and when Lou and Bobbi got married, Dabble retaliated by sending her a wedding gift of [[BeeAfraid a fridge full of angry bees]]. Dabble never forgave her for rejecting him, and it was these reasons why he lured her to his domain and imprisoned her in his lab.]]

* {{Revenge}}: Dr. Dabble's motivation in Reading Blaster Ages 9-12.

* StealthInsult: In ''Reading Blaster 9-12'', Dr. Dabble mentions that the mayor may have fewer ethics than he does, and turns her into a vacuum cleaner. [[spoiler:He thinks she sucks.]]

** ''Math Blaster Pre-Algebra'' is a remake of ''Math Blaster Mystery: The Great Brain Robbery''.

* TheVoice:
** Lydia the Ghost in ''Reading Blaster Ages 9-12'' is a disembodied voice occasionally represented by floating objects. In the sentence spinner game, a pair of disembodied feminine eyes serve as her avatar while your avatar is a picture of Rave.
** Andi's mother in ''Geometry Blaster''.

True to being both educating and entertaining, the Blaster series centered on an astronaut called Blasternaut (get it?) and his RobotBuddy Spot, a little blue droid. They worked for the Galactic Commander, who herself helped to run a [[TheFederation federation-like]] organization that spanned the galaxy to apprehend criminals. Eventually Galactic Commander (or GC, as the others called her) joined the team. Their images changed rapidly - for example, Spot eventually became a robotic dog named MEL while G.C. became a 12 year old girl instead of a [[GreenSkinnedSpaceBabe green woman]] and Blaster became a 12 year old human boy instead of a green, astronaut-like man. This last version of the characters was featured in the SaturdayMorningCartoon series ''WesternAnimation/BlastersUniverse'', produced by Creator/{{Nelvana}} in 1999.

EdutainmentGame series from TheNineties created by the company known as Davidson, aimed largely at elementary schoolers, though a few have been aimed at middle schoolers. First there was ''Math Blaster'' (1994) and then ''Reading Blaster''. Very briefly, there was ''Science Blaster'', ''Geometry Blaster'', ''Spelling Blaster'' and ''Word Blaster'' (don't ask how that last one is any different than ''Reading Blaster'').

True to being both educating and entertaining, the Blaster series centered on an astronaut called Blasternaut (get it?) and his RobotBuddy Spot, a little blue droid. They worked for the Galactic Commander, who herself helped to run a [[TheFederation federation-like]] organization that spanned the galaxy to apprehend criminals. Eventually Galactic Commander (or GC, as the others called her) joined the team. Their images changed rapidly - for example, Spot eventually became a robotic dog named MEL while G.C. became a 12 year old girl instead of a female adult and Blaster became a 12 year old boy instead of a green astronaut-like man. This last version of the characters was featured in the SaturdayMorningCartoon series ''WesternAnimation/BlastersUniverse'', produced by Creator/{{Nelvana}} in 1999.

** In the first ''Reading Blaster'', [[MeaningfulName Illiteria]] steals all language from the planet Earth.

* TinyGuyHugeGirl: Blasternaut and GC in their 1996 designs.

** ''Mega Math Blaster'' is a remake of ''Math Blaster Episode I: In Search of Spot'', which in turn was a remake of ''Math Blaster Plus'', which was yet ''another'' remake of a game simply titled ''Math Blaster''.

** Blasternaut's 2006 rendition has spiky blue hair.

* ConspicuousCG:
** The cutscenes in ''Mega Math Blaster'' and ''Math Blaster Ages 9-12''.
** The intro of ''Math Blaster Ages 6-8'' (1999) has the spaceship rendered like this.

* ChooseYourOwnAdventure: ''Reading Blaster 2000'' features three stories that function like this. Every five stars you earn, you get another chapter.

%%If you want to talk about the 1999-2005 era, please DO NOT complain about how it "ruined" the games you played as a kid. Most of the pages for other edutainment game series like JumpStart, Reader Rabbit and The Cluefinders don't complain about the new versions they received. See Administrivia/ComplainingAboutShowsYouDontLike