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IGN Review of de Blob 2
Tasked with bringing de Blob 2 to DS, talented Australian development house Halfbrick has made some smart decisions. Rather than attempt to shoehorn 3D exploration onto a platform that's not ideally suited for it, the team has instead focused the gameplay on 2D platforming, with rock solid mechanics that also make the most of the overriding colour motif.
For those of you unfamiliar with this series, the premise of de Blob is that the world has been drained of its colour by the evil Inkt Corporation, and its people – the Raydians – imprisoned inside ugly grey suits. It's up to the player to liberate the people and restore colour to the world by literally absorbing different colours and painting everything you come into contact with.
It's a great concept, and while de Blob 2 on DS is less freewheeling than its console brethren, colour is still very much the focus. Blob comes up against switches, enemies and more that require him to be a certain colour to interact with, and many of the missions within levels revolve around painting specific areas specific colours.
As the game progresses, more mechanics based around colour are introduced. Some of my favourite sections feature platforms of various hues that will only become solid if Blob is the same colour. Sadly, far too often the colour challenges become non-challenges because the paints you need are right there waiting for you. Only occasionally does the game make players navigate a treacherous path from the colour source to the goal.
Even so, it's great fun cutting a swathe of colour with every step - or roll, as the case may be. While the painting may be less dynamic than on console, it's still gratifying having such an immediate and quantifiable impact on the world. Drab propaganda posters burst into colour, rescued Raydians squeal with glee and security cameras become disco balls.
Blob controls really well. Wall-jumping is a breeze, as is locking onto and leaping towards enemies, switches, slingshot points, boost pads and paint dispensers. In fact, the lock-on system gives the game a sense of pace and swift motion that's neatly balanced by precise controls for movement and jumping. Occasionally you might find you'll accidentally lock to a slingshot point instead of an enemy – or something similar, but those moments aren't deal breakers by any stretch of the imagination.
The level design is straightforward but flows nicely, taking Blob from city streets to underground lairs. New ideas and mechanics are introduced steadily, such as rotating blades and black ink jets to avoid, slingshot points that allow Blob to fire himself through the air and a variety of enemies. Before long enemies will be tossing ink bombs at you or wearing armour, so that only a stomp move can take them out.
There's plenty to collect, too, and the collection system is tied into level progression, making it worthwhile finding everything that a level has to offer. I also really liked the inclusion of Chroma Cameras in the game. Find one of these (DSi and DSi XL owners only) and you'll play an augmented reality mini-game after the level where you need to snap pictures of particular colours. Fill all the Chroma Cameras and you'll unlock a crystal with the power to change Blob's colour at any time.
©2011-02-22, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved
For those of you unfamiliar with this series, the premise of de Blob is that the world has been drained of its colour by the evil Inkt Corporation, and its people – the Raydians – imprisoned inside ugly grey suits. It's up to the player to liberate the people and restore colour to the world by literally absorbing different colours and painting everything you come into contact with.
It's a great concept, and while de Blob 2 on DS is less freewheeling than its console brethren, colour is still very much the focus. Blob comes up against switches, enemies and more that require him to be a certain colour to interact with, and many of the missions within levels revolve around painting specific areas specific colours.
As the game progresses, more mechanics based around colour are introduced. Some of my favourite sections feature platforms of various hues that will only become solid if Blob is the same colour. Sadly, far too often the colour challenges become non-challenges because the paints you need are right there waiting for you. Only occasionally does the game make players navigate a treacherous path from the colour source to the goal.
Even so, it's great fun cutting a swathe of colour with every step - or roll, as the case may be. While the painting may be less dynamic than on console, it's still gratifying having such an immediate and quantifiable impact on the world. Drab propaganda posters burst into colour, rescued Raydians squeal with glee and security cameras become disco balls.
Blob controls really well. Wall-jumping is a breeze, as is locking onto and leaping towards enemies, switches, slingshot points, boost pads and paint dispensers. In fact, the lock-on system gives the game a sense of pace and swift motion that's neatly balanced by precise controls for movement and jumping. Occasionally you might find you'll accidentally lock to a slingshot point instead of an enemy – or something similar, but those moments aren't deal breakers by any stretch of the imagination.
The level design is straightforward but flows nicely, taking Blob from city streets to underground lairs. New ideas and mechanics are introduced steadily, such as rotating blades and black ink jets to avoid, slingshot points that allow Blob to fire himself through the air and a variety of enemies. Before long enemies will be tossing ink bombs at you or wearing armour, so that only a stomp move can take them out.
There's plenty to collect, too, and the collection system is tied into level progression, making it worthwhile finding everything that a level has to offer. I also really liked the inclusion of Chroma Cameras in the game. Find one of these (DSi and DSi XL owners only) and you'll play an augmented reality mini-game after the level where you need to snap pictures of particular colours. Fill all the Chroma Cameras and you'll unlock a crystal with the power to change Blob's colour at any time.
©2011-02-22, IGN Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved