Now this is what the Wii should be about. Quirky, inventive, original, and loads of fun, de Blob is exactly the sort of concept the Wii is in dire need of. While hardly perfect, and it could easily have been on other hardware, this is what gamers expected from the console following the initial announcement.
The premise is simple. You’re a blob. You can take on color. You paint the world. That’s it.
No one said this is complex or deep, but the sheer joy of seeing a black and white world suddenly change by your touch is somehow satisfying. Why does this goofy world need you? It’s been taken over by an evil corporation called INKT. They’ve taken away all the color, and believe black and white is the only option.
de Blob’s story unfolds through some absolutely hilarious cinematics, some even challenging the gags in some of Pixar’s shorts. They’re that funny. The world is simply a joy to play in, and loaded with little touches. Down and out blobs mope around the level until color comes into their lives. Enemies suddenly spring up when they see you coming. It’s a blast to just watch.
Coloring your surroundings requires two things. Finding the color, held inside color draining robots, and then touching whatever object you like. The more you paint, the more points you score, and the more citizens you liberate from oppression. Stages are quite expansive, and the shift from the barren world to a colored one is striking. There’s a rather strange feeling of satisfaction when you see your work.
From a control standpoint, the Nunchuck maneuvers your blob. A flick of the Wii Remote jumps, and slamming it down in conjunction with the Z button is your attack. It’s simple and intuitive, and thanks to variety inside the levels, it rarely becomes repetitive. The game undoubtedly carries a Katamari Damacy appeal, even if it’s a radically different game.
A few things do begin dragging de Blob down the more you play. The camera, simply put, is terrible. While adjustable with the d-pad and centered with C, it rarely manages to be in the right place, sometimes shifting wildly mid-jump. Jumping is floaty and hard to manage by itself. Your blob sticks to buildings before sliding down, and this can help but unfortunately, you can’t jump up off them, only to the side.
Some of the challenges, specifically those that require painting specific buildings certain colors, are lacking in fun factor. The problems stems from something that plagues the game as a whole. You can repaint buildings any color after they’ve already been given life. Not only does this drain your paint reservoir, it can cause problems in the levels mentioned above.
Also, the addition of a timer in all single player modes is more of an annoyance. It’s a cheap way to enhance a nearly non-existent difficulty, yet the ease of play and relaxation are highlights. It makes later levels more frustrating than fun, especially once you’re used to the usual challenges.
Unlockables are well worth the effort, including numerous videos that are replay worthy. Sadly, the multi-player is forgettable, separated into three game modes. None of them are online. Co-op would have been a blast, whether through the main story mode or through additional levels made specifically for it.
de Blob is more than a simple curiosity. It has franchise potential, and with a sequel, maybe all of the issues could be fixed. This is one of the better Wii games this year, and even with the glut of junk hitting the hardware, that’s still saying something. It’s perfect for the family, or the die-hards, and exactly what the Wii should play host to.
Tags: de blob, thq, wii locate
