This game is actually the third remake of the original Math Blaster, but it marks a significant turning point for the series. While previous versions were just collections of space-themed math games, In Search of Spot was the first to include an actual storyline. It's a simple storyline about Blasternaut rescuing his robotic pal Spot from the villainous Trash Alien. And while Blasternaut and Spot had both been in New Math Blaster Plus, In Search of Spot marks the first ever appearance by Galactic Commander. The three of them would subsequently be established as the Blasterpals.
The game was followed by a sequel, Math Blaster: Secret of the Lost City, and a remake, Mega Math Blaster.
This game provides examples of:
- Bound and Gagged: Spot is seen tied up in the spaceship level with a cloth wrapped around his mouth.
- Broken Bridge: Occurs in the form of an engine which is out of fuel.
- Cephalothorax: The Trash Alien is one.
- Circling Birdies: If Blasternaut is knocked to the ground in the final level, stars circle around his head as he gets back up again.
- Failed a Spot Check: The plot 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.
- Flying Saucer: The Trash Alien uses a red one.
- For the Evulz: The Trash Alien just litters around space for the spite of it.
- The Joy of X: The title Math Blaster Episode 1: In Search of Spot is probably a double reference to In Search of... and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
- Millennium Bug: The game suffers 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. This also occurs in Secret of the Lost City.
- Retro Rocket: Blasternaut gets around in a purple one.
- Self-Destruct Mechanism: Activated by the Trash Alien right before he flees his ship at the end of the game.
- Space Friction: At the beginning, you can hear Blasternaut's ship screech to a halt above the planet's surface, with nothing to imply that there is any atmosphere.
- Underground Level: One where you chase the Trash Alien through a series of caves.
- Video Game Remake: The game is a remake of New Math Blaster Plus!, which in turn was a remake of Math Blaster Plus!, which was itself a remake of a game simply titled Math Blaster. And it was remade itself as Mega Math Blaster.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: The game ends with Spot getting rescued but the Trash Alien escaping. If this was done so that the Trash Alien would be available to torment the Blasterpals on future adventures, it never really came to fruition. After this game, the Trash Alien's only appearances are cameos in Reading Blaster: Invasion of the Word Snatchers and Mega Math Blaster, both of which portray him as being in custody already.
