I got this game the other day and I'm completely new to the series, so naturally I got horribly lost and died repeatedly. Does anyone have any beginners' tips for this game? Also, can you ever go back to a stage you've completed, and is it possible to miss an upgrade or something by going to the next stage without exploring?

Did you ever get any further? I've beaten this game, but not since it was new on the NES, so I don't remember much. You might try one of the walkthroughs on GameFAQs (it's in the NES section, not 3DS).

So how does the game hold up? I'm currently trying to decide between this and Enemy Below for my 3DS. I've never played Enemy Below, but I like the graphics better on the NES version, so I'm torn. And from what I hear, they're too similar to justify getting both.

It's been awhile since I played and I don't know if I played too far, but I think you can go back to other stages. From what I heard, you need the power-ups to reach other stages (and you get them by defeating bosses) so you shouldn't miss them.

There's also Blaster Master: Enemy Below, which is like a "Master Quest" to Ocarina of Time, such as different layouts with harder levels.