Nintendo third party games have had an interesting, and
rather pathetic history. But it could be on the rebound.de Blob is a Wii game
from developer Blue Tongue that is making quite a splash. The idea was conceived
by some game development students in the Netherlands and spotted by THQ. Now
the fully fleshed out platformer is making its gooey debut on both Wii and DS
consoles.
The evil I.N.K.T Corporation has sucked the color out of
the once vibrant city of Chroma. Now its population is being captured and, dare
I say, some former musicians are being made accountants! Well of course, enter
the (de) Blob. He’s slow, overweight, and likes to eat paint, but he’s the man
to save this city from a cruel, monochromatic death.
The gameplay is simple. Players use the analog on the
nunchuck to roll the Blob around the city, painting the white and gray buildings
full of color. While you may wonder why you don’t use the tilt functionality to
roll, the analog provides a much tighter and more responsive feel to the game.
To jump requires a fling downwards with the Wii remote, and similarly to attack,
players swing down.
I found the controls to leave me wanting more. The
downwards motion is not sensitive enough and somewhat unresponsive. But I also
wanted more unique Wii features for this game, like IR functionality in-game or
some tilt or motion functionality. I also expected there to be some drawing
games using the IR in the game (it is a game about coloring and paint mixing).
There were a lot of missed opportunities there.
But for the system it’s on, de Blob is a star. The visuals
look fantastic and are rendered nearly on the same quality as Nintendo 1st
party titles, like Super Mario Galaxy. The style is also magnificent, oozing
cool on every level. I only wish there was a tad more variety in the levels, and
less of the same urban blocks. Most importantly, however, is the music, and it
makes this game. As you roll around, painting buildings, the music layers
itself based on the paint your using. Maybe one level starts out with a dull
beat. As soon as you grab some paint and splash it on a building, a keyboard or
saxophone will riff in time. When you have a whole block or city painted, there
will be a jazz or funk rhythm driving in the background. Between audio and
visuals, you will have a great feeling playing the de Blob.
The levels consist of you racing against a fairly lenient
time limit to cover a good partition of the city in color. Other challenges
appear on the way, like to race to a building top in 30 seconds or mix colors on
a certain block, but those are optional. Other than that, and some bosses along
the way, de Blob rarely challenges you or provides enough engaging gameplay for
my tastes. I loved painting the city and jumping across buildings (and watching
the world come to life is beautiful) but that mechanic alone wasn’t enough to
get me for the long-term. I wanted more creative outlets for this game, like
the ability to customize paint styles, or more challenging paint-mixing puzzles.
De Blob is a fantastic, and surprisingly polished, 3rd
party Wii game. The game has a great sense of humor and the cut scenes are often
hilarious, nearly on par with any recent movie animation. But what keeps this
game from true greatness is the lack of depth and challenge in the gameplay. I
had fun playing it and enjoyed the visuals and music, but when I put it down I
really didn’t feel strongly compelled to pick it back up again. I also
think that the developers, in an effort to shoehorn in Wii motion controllers,
mishandled the Wii’s basic functionality. They could have made better puzzles
with reliable IR and tilt motion. Similarly, I think the time limits imposed on
each level give the game an artificial challenge. It’s the start of a great
franchise, however, and one that I hope will continue in other iterations.
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Gameplay: 7.0
The platforming
mechanics are solid and coloring buildings is extremely relaxing and enjoyable.
But the weakest part of de Blob is the lack of variety and challenge in the
levels. It’s just not engaging enough.
Graphics: 9.5
A beautiful style
and amazing (for the Wii) physics and particle effects. The game has a clean,
polished look that is rarely beaten by Nintendo 1st party games these
days.
Sound: 10
As you color
buildings, music gradually layers into the score. And the instrument that comes
in depends on the color you’re using. It’s truly a reason to play the game.
Difficulty: Easy
The game is perfect
for younger players.
Concept: 9
de Blob started as a
great idea and really came out as a highly polished platformer.
Multiplayer: 7.5
Lack of online play is a downside for replay value. The local multiplayer games
are fun, however.
Overall: 7.8
de Blob is a
fantastic experience, but one that I wish had more depth and challenge. I think
this is the start of a great franchise (game, toys, or TV show) and one that
will surely improve in its next iteration.
