About this game
Rare's first Nintendo 64 game — developed by a small team, many of them recent graduates — is one of the most purely original action-puzzle concepts of the 16/32-bit era's successor generation. A nuclear missile carrier has suffered a system failure: its warheads are now live and will detonate if anything touches the vehicle. Players must clear a path through densely built-up areas by driving eight different demolition vehicles — bulldozers, dump trucks, robot mechs — smashing every building that lies in the carrier's route. The premise is simple; the execution requires lateral thinking and precise spatial reasoning.
Key Features
Eight distinct demolition vehicles, each with different abilities: some smash sideways, some drive into buildings head-on, some fire missiles, and mechs can fit through narrow gaps. Because vehicles cannot teleport, players must often deliver the right machine to the right place by driving it across the map. Each level has a fixed carrier route and a limited set of available vehicles; the puzzle is identifying which vehicles can destroy which obstacles and routing them appropriately. Time attack and full-completion challenges unlock additional stages.
The Story Behind
Blast Corps arrived at the very start of Rare's golden N64 era — preceding GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, and Donkey Kong 64 — and established the studio's willingness to pursue unconventional ideas at a AAA scale. The game was developed by a small team of approximately 4–7 people, many fresh from university, a fact that makes its ambition remarkable in retrospect. It was critically acclaimed upon release and ranked among the top N64 games of 1997, alongside GoldenEye.
Tricks & Tales
The game went through multiple working titles — Bull 64, Heavy Duty Heroes, Blast Radius, Power Dozer, BlastDozer — before trademark issues forced the final 'Blast Corps' name for Western markets. Japan retained the BlastDozer name. Composer Graeme Norgate reused the boss battle theme from his work on Donkey Kong Land for the Skerries stage — which he later admitted was 'laziness.' Blast Corps was Rare's very first N64 release, kicking off seven years of acclaimed titles on the platform.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Released in North America in February 1997, Japan in March 1997 (as Blast Dozer), and Europe in September 1997. Available in both the Japan SFC and Western markets in modest numbers; reasonably accessible for collectors today.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
Direct purchase supports this museum directly. eBay Top Rated Seller · 1,750+ reviews · 100% positive feedback.
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