Remake

When it comes to breathing new life into old-school classics, the folks at WayForward certainly know what they are doing. They were, after all, responsible for 2007’s brilliant DS revival of Contra. Now they have set their sights on NES cult-favorite A Boy and His Blob. The original game was a bit of an odd duck; possibly the first ever ‘puzzle-platformer’. You played as a boy trying to send his alien blob pet back to his home planet. By feeding Blob jelly beans, he would transform into various useful objects like a ladder or a trampoline.

WayForward has done everything they can to make the twenty-year-old title fit for the modern audience. The most striking change is the new graphics. The Wii game boasts some seriously impressive hand-drawn visuals. All the worlds are meticulously detailed and the world’s bright, watercolor palette is breathtaking. I’m reminded of something like Braid or Wario Land Shake It, though A Boy and His Blob is more fluid and possibly even better-looking.

Variation

The new look is great, but the real question is can the new game appeal to those who have played the NES version? The answer is yes - A Boy and His Blob may seem like a remake, but it is a full-fledged sequel. Boasting forty main levels and forty additional challenge levels it seems to be a meaty package. These levels span industrial factories, forests, swamps, and Blob’s home planet of Blobonia.

The levels themselves are as varied as the locales. Some are more action-oriented, requiring quick reflexes to guide the duo through a maze of enemy bullets and moving platforms. The majority of the levels seem to be more cerebral. To get through these, you have to get acquainted with your ‘arsenal’ of jelly beans.

Jelly beans

There are fifteen different flavors of jelly beans, each transforming Blob into a unique object. As the boy isn’t your typical agile platforming hero, these powers are needed often. Trampolines and ladders can be used to reach higher platforms. Holes can drop you – or your enemies – down. There is a shield power-up to block enemy attacks, a bowling ball to clear away objects, and parachutes to glide across pits. It is worth noting that beans are unlimited in this version, and you won’t have to pick up more a la the original game.

The puzzles I have seen were surprisingly well put-together. Unlike the original, which featured more than a few frustratingly obscure challenges, the new A Boy and His Blob seems to be fairer, and more fun. In one level, the Boy comes across a block that is too high for him to jump over. When the player tries to throw a Trampoline jelly bean, a nearby bird swoops down and eats it. By backtracking a little, the Boy finds a block next to a cliff. By positioning a trampoline, Boy can bounce the block up and use it to jump over the previously impassable barrier.

The most charming part of the game, by far, is the Boy’s relationship with his Blob. The Boy can call back Blob with the press of a button, which will cause him to shout a phrase in his adorable little voice. If Blob gets left behind, he will become depressed which the Boy can easily remedy with an emotional Heimlich - a hug, that is.

Yep, there is a Hug button. How many other games can boast that?

Worth it

WayForward has said the main game is being made so kids will enjoy it, but the older crowd can find a proper challenge in the forty bonus levels. A Boy and His Blob seems to be a fitting update for the NES classic. Some are a bit skeptical of its release as a full retail game, arguing that as a 2D sidescroller it is better suited as a WiiWare release. But from what I have seen so far, it looks like it could be quality enough to warrant a full price tag. We will know for sure this October, when the game releases in both North America and Europe.