de Blob (WII) review

de Blob

Nintendo Wii

Blue Tongue, THQ

Ever reminisce those times as a child when you'd actually get a crayon and start painting on the bland, white wall, and every time you did you would get reprimanded by your parents? Well, this game basically takes this child-like desire to color the world and put it in a video game, and infuses it with a political metaphor along the way.

So you start out as the titular Blob as you help the Color Revolution bring all life back to Chroma City, much to the anger of the colonizing INKT Corporation. You restore landmarks, ancient ruins, rivers, lands, and look at pretty pre-rendered, but smartly 'written' cutscenes in between.

Gameplay-wise, de Blob is extremely easy to pick up and play. The primary mechanic here is to put color back just by absorbing a specific color and touching a building to color it. Still, you're not exactly an unlimited coloring machine, as you have to observe the number of paint points you have. They operate similar to ammo, but these points also double as your HP or life points. 

You can get several styles to give a bit more personality to your establishments, and you are free to color the part of the town you want as long as the timer doesn't run out, which is pretty much the least of your concerns if you agree to the challenges presented to you by the members of the Color Revolution.

These challenges are generally easy, but one challenge type in particular which involves having to paint a select part of the town in specific colors is a bit limiting (and at times, frustrating). They manage to infuse some variety in the paint job, but they, in the end, lack just that as well-variety. To be honest, the lack of challenge types (there are only 4 if I'm not mistaken!) is the only major con in the whole game, but that won't stop you from actually getting addicted to coloring the entirety of Chroma City and killing every INKT soldier in sight.

Another con, albeit minor this time, is the fact that Blob can and will cling on to the walls of buildings every single time. This is frustrating if the path is narrow, but with a little bit of perseverance and luck, you can get out of that sticky situation.

The thing that the game definitely runs with is its artistic presentation (the effect that accompanies you painting a building never gets old) as well as its addictive, yet simplistic (and deceptively so) gameplay. If you have a Wii, de Blob is a title you may want to nab if you're into platformers. It may not be as magnificent as Super Mario Galaxy, but it's a potential third-party franchise I'd want a sequel for.

Rating: 8/10

Woo! Walang pasok bukas!

Tomorrow is another day full of Flashing yet again for it is a suspended-classes day! Woohoo!

Igudesman and Joo: The new Rush Hour duo!

Move out Greg Patillo, the new classical musical sensation in the net has arrived! It's acclaimed pianist Richard Joo and Russian violinist Igudesman to the rescue. And if you think classical music is boring, think again. Combining slapstick, wit and sheer silliness, the duo never fails to get a laugh out of you whether you're a music buff or not.

CAPTION: Maksim Mrvica should take a note from these two...

LittleBigPlanet, and other innovative video games

If Hollywood has a fetish for churning out sequels, so does the video game industry. But can't it take a fresh new concept? Of course it can. And here are some of them...

1) LittleBigPlanet (PS3) - Combining cute visuals, stunning 3D, user-friendly level creation/customization and great gameplay, this platformer looks like a must-have in terms of innovation. Heck, this might be fated to become one of the PS3's saving graces. Add online functionality and this could be king of modern platformers!2) Jam Sessions (DS) - If you think you got the guts to create your own music, Jam Sessions is the perfect way to do just that by just strumming virtual guitar strings that appear on the touch screen using the stylus. Boy, is the DS shaping up to be more innovative as it matures...

3) Rock Band (X360, PS3) - Most hyped about in this year's rhythm game, Rock Band enables you to create your own band, literally. It has high-quality accessories and a solid setlist as well. If you've been dreaming of creating your own band, this is your (expensive)

chance. This game will probably pwn all other related rhythm games, though. So why not go all-in-one?

4) Heavenly Sword (PS3) - If LittleBigPlanet is the

platformer that may save Sony's butt, Heavenly Sword may well be the protector and retriever of most of Sony's low rep. This promising high-action, graphics-intensive game may well become the PS3 bestseller when it releases in September.

5) Assassin's Creed (PS3) - From the Ubisoft studio in

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6) De Blob (Wii) - The world's color has been drained and

the Blob has to put it back. In this game, you get to ricochet, bounce and swing through Chroma City and literally paint it red, pink, blue or whatever!

7) Wii Fit (Wii) - Of course, why should I forget Wii Fit? It's the only fitness game with a dead-on focus on it! And the peripheral it uses is quite cool to boot and has potential for other uses aside from this. Heck, who can't resist a game made by THE Shigeru Miyamoto? Not me.

8) Boogie (Wii) - It may have flopped bigtime but you have to admit, it was a bold undertaking especially if the developer happens to be the 2 big letters E and A. It was supposed to be a party game of dancing and singing but it was "repetitive, short and it got old fast" (Gamespot review). "...even it's unique art style won't excuse the sucky gameplay!"