Let’s talk nostalgia.
Nintendo is always about cashing in on our youths – and it isn’t always a bad thing. Before, it was re-releasing classic Nintendo games for the Gameboy. Then, it was re-releasing them for the Wii. And the latest trend is remaking them for the Wii.
The latest is a new 2D incarnation of A Boy And His Blob. I’m here to say that it is masterfully re-created, if not intensely frustrating.
I wouldn’t say I was a “fan” of the original – I recognized it’s merits as a good platformer/puzzler but never really enjoyed it because at that age, I was not at all in the mindset to try and figure anything. I wanted pure, simple, mindless gameplay. Even the now relative simplicity of Final Fantasy I for the NES was too much for me to handle.
However, the fan service and throwbacks to the original are not lost on me, and even I got a little giddy when some of this flashed on the screen.
The basic premise is this: A Blob lands from outer space, the Boy sees him and prettymuch goes, “‘sup Blob. Let’s hang out.” and they embark. That’s all the story you’re gonna get until the end of the game. And it’s all that is needed. You then throw jellybeans of various colors at the Blob to turn him into things – ladders, balloons, anvils, holes. Very simple, right? Well you still need to figure out how to utilize these in just the right way.
The visuals are pretty and they work very well with the style of the game. It’s a “cute” game and that shines in the visual design.
Musically, the game is also very cute. The background songs are typically calm and quiet, but they add a really nice atmosphere to the stages you frequent.
The controls aren’t exactly perfect. I’m starting to see that the Wii’s analog stick on the Nunchuk kind of sucks. It’s really unresponsive at times.
There IS replay value here, because ABAHB is just so darn fun. And the end result is a game where you can sit there, watch the game, listen to the music, and just smile. More games should bring a smile to players’ faces like this.
Having said that, I’ll add to it with this. The game WILL frustrate you. The bosses are all damn near impossible unless you figure out the exact way to defeat them, and perform at your very best. The second boss, for example, kills you within 2 seconds of the fight unless you throw the right jellybean instantly. Time and time again. The puzzles are great, but it isn’t always obvious how to figure them out.
