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de Blob
Publisher: THQ
Developer: Blue Tongue/Banana Games
Genre: Platformer
Release Date: September 22, 2008
Platforms: Nintendo DS, Wii, iPhone
Reviewer: Eric
 If there is something the Wii has it is a lot of third party games. Most of
these games tend to run dry after a few short hours and then you are left with a
random game that will just sit there. THQ has had its few share of blunders on
the Wii but now that is about to change with their latest release, de Blob.
Instead of releasing this game on the Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 THQ went ahead
and put this one out on the Wii (the Nintendo DS and iPhone versions are coming
soon. If there is one thing the Wii is lacking right now it is games. de Blob
might be one of the third party games, in a long time, that is actually worth
the price. THQ has managed to make a game that utilizes the Wii Mote to its full
potential.
de Blob has you controlling a paint splattering ball that has to restore color
to his world. You have to find different colors and splat them on different
objects, from buildings to weird looking creatures (this is a weird game in
general). This game is funny, it controls well, and it does not get old. How
could they have created a Wii game like this? I don’t know, but de Blob is
fantastic.
The developers of this game failed to realize that their product is for
children. From the rating to the weirdness, de Blob is for children. With that
said I found the puzzles in this game to be quite challenging at times. I was
able to get through the first few puzzles without a problem, but then things
start to get hard. de Blob is a great game for puzzle fans, though this is a
game for children and I don’t think too many children will enjoy these puzzles.
 With a game that is all about color I was glad to notice crisp, bold colors
throughout the entire game. This game might have looked better on either the
Playstation 3 or Xbox 360 because of the high definition feature. Either way the
game still looks good, all of the 10 worlds are great. I just wish the Wii had
high definition features.
Controlling the game is actually easy to learn and it is fun. Players will have
to use the Wii Mote and Nunchuk to controller their blob. You will use the Wii
Mote and Nunchuk in ways you never imagined. If you want to jump you’ll have to
slam and wave the Wii Mote in different ways to beat this game. Simple taps will
paint items or defeat enemies while a slamming motion on the Wii Mote will have
you jumping.
Once you get the hang of things, which doesn’t take too long, you can paint the
world. The more you paint the more you will unlock. New areas will be unlocked
after so many buildings have turned a new shade of color. The game might sound
easy, but it really isn’t. Still the biggest challenge is the puzzles so don’t
worry yet.
The fighting system in the game is a breeze and that is thanks to the easy
control set up and camera. For a 3-D platformer de Blob does not have you
fighting off the camera in those hard times. Even boss battles are fun because
of this. Thank you THQ for putting in that extra time when working with the
camera.
 Multiplayer mode can be fun at times and with up to four people playing at once
it can cure those Nintendo Blues. I did however notice a frame rate problem when
playing multiplayer mode. Things do not move as smoothly, but it isn’t enough to
ruin the experience. There are eight modes here so that should make casual
gamers happy. Hardcore gamers will be upset to learn that there are no online
features.
Final Verdict
For the price de Blob might look like a big risk because most third party games
run with one gimmick. I am glad to inform everyone that de Blob is not a gimmick
game; it is actually a game on the Wii that is worth your money. If you haven’t
turned your Wii on in quite some time then you better pick up a copy of de Blob.
Rating
8.50 out of 10
de Blob Trailer
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