[3] Power Blade takes place in the colony of New Earth in the year 2191 and follows NOVA, the Chief Security Officer of a supercomputer called the Master Computer.

The game features gameplay similar to the Mega Man series, in which players can select any of the six levels to play.

Power Blade also has a password feature which allows players to restart the game at a specific checkpoint at any time.

After the six sectors have been disarmed, Nova must fight his way through the Control Center, destroy the Master Computer and restore order to the society.

[8] The reworking included a complete overhaul of the levels, a change of the look of the main character from a cartoon–like robot to an Arnold Schwarzenegger look–alike, and a significant improvement in gameplay controls.

[9] The title screen of the game features a picture of NOVA that closely resembles promotional images of Schwarzenegger in the 1984 film The Terminator.

The box art, created by graphic artist Mike Winterbauer, also features a similar portrayal of NOVA.

[10] Power Blade first received coverage in the Western markets when it was first displayed at the Summer 1990 Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago.

[13][23][24] Readers of Family Computer Magazine voted to give the game a 17.13 out of 30 score in a 1991 public poll.