A Boy and His Blob (Review)

A Boy And His Blob could be considered a diamond in the rough in today’s over-saturated market of FPS and fighting games. It doesn’t offer fancy 3D graphics, online multiplayer, or unnecessary violence.  ABAHB  is a wholesome, but very challenging, adventure about a young boy and his blob friend from another world.

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After the blob crash lands on Earth, his entry startles our young hero who is seen napping in his tree house. The game opens with the young boy exploring the outdoors to find the source of the explosion. This segment of the game is very straight-forward and requires very little effort to navigate. Since ABAHB is a platform game, you must jump over holes, onto ledges, and avoid pits to reach the end of the level. Every level has similar obstacles to overcome — some more complex than others — but that is the nature of the game. Once you have aquatinted the little boy with his new friend, the real adventure begins.

The first part of the adventure takes place in the tree house. The first thing you will notice is how large it is. At the very top is a jellybean dispenser; this is used to store the jellybeans you will find along your travels. The second half of your treehouse is where your artifacts will be stored. These artifacts can be found throughout each level, collected by your blob friend, and returned to your treehouse to be placed on display.

The main floor contains your bed and the area map where your adventure takes place. By viewing the map, you will be shown the areas containing the jellybeans and hidden treasures you can collect.

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The jellybeans you collect in each level are used to transform your blob into useful objects. This lends itself to some creative thinking in some areas. Some locations cannot be reached by walking, and by turning your blob friend into a ball and rolling him into these areas, you will be able to solve what would seem unaccessible otherwise. Your little boy hero is also incapable of swimming, so any contact with water will result in drowning. Your blob is very important to your survival, so its always important to use him as much as possible.

Unlike some platform games that use basic bump and jump mechanics, ABAHB requires the player to use both the blob and environment to battle the creatures that inhabit it. Certain creatures can be eliminated easily by pushing rocks on their heads or turning your blob into a ball and rolling them over. Other, larger creatures, require a more indirect approach, that may require a blob hole that sends them plummeting to their death. Some are also important to removing obstacles. In some situations, you may find yourself jumping through your blob hole to get a creature to charge at a wall that is blocking your way.

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While ABAHB is not action-packed, it does have its moments during the game. Jumping into ravens and using your blob as a parachute can be pretty challenging, and fast-paced, when you try to avoid the creatures that line the inner-walls. Timing is everything; one false move will send you falling to your death. The boss battles are also intense and require quick thinking. Whether you’re trying to get a boss to slam its head on your blob as an anvil, or trying to trick it into a blob hole, you will find the change of pace a refreshing diversion. If this isn’t enough to keep you entertained, hidden areas can also be found that have hidden chests. These chests can sometimes unlock special features like developer art and notes that can be viewed at anytime from your safe houses. You can go back to completed levels if you find that you have missed a chest.  When you look on the map, you will see the amount of chests each level has.  For each chest that is found, it will be darkened; undiscovered chests will appear as a white chest.  This is a great diversion from the actual game itself.

The Wii controls work quite well for this game. The Nunchuck allows you to select your jellybean, call your blob, and control the little boy. The Wii remote is used to jump, hug your blob friend, activate your parachute, and throw your jellybeans. This combination may seem confusing to someone not familiar with complex Wii games, but once you become familiar with the game, it feels like second nature.

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ABAHB is a fantastic addition to the Nintendo Wii game library. It does nothing wrong and introduces some of the most innovative gameplay in recent memory. ABAHB is a classic and shouldn’t be overlooked

Score 8 out of 10

Mike ‘STGuy1040‘ Pittaro