A Boy and His Blob

A Boy And His Blob

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gameplay

The "blob" is capable of a number of transformations in order to traverse the game's puzzles, such as a parachute to avoid damage from falls.

A Boy and His Blob is a 2D puzzle platformer. The main characters progress through a variety of levels with various obstacles to get to the end of the level and move on to the next. The protagonist feeds the blob jelly beans in order to transform it into one of fifteen different objects that can be used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.^[3] Unlike the NES game in which only the jellybean flavor was displayed, the Wii version uses a more intuitive menu that shows each transformation.^[5] By calling for Blob, it will revert out of its transformation and follow the boy, who can also scold it to make it stay put. The boy will die if he touches an enemy or other hazards, or falls from a great height.^[6]

"...to journey deeper into most stages, you must tap the Z button, which cues the jelly bean wheel. Here, you'll find a wide assortment of beans that, when fed to the [blob], induce his changes into convenient tools. A ladder for climbing; an anvil for dropping on enemies' heads; a cannon for shooting the boy to otherwise unattainable areas; a spaceship for flying around stages; a crank for lifting platforms and obstructions; a bouncy ball for floating across waters; a trampoline for springing into the air; and even a hole so that the boy can fall through platforms to walkways below."

—Matt Casamassina, IGN^[5]

The game has pre-set stages surrounding a central hub.^[7] In addition, every 10 stages concludes the current hub with a boss battle. The game consists of 80 stages; 40 standard levels and 40 hidden challenge levels unlocked by collecting three chests hidden within a standard level. The 40 standard levels provide an average of ten hours of gameplay.^[4] The protagonist has access to an unlimited amount of jelly beans, although the type availability is pre-set at the beginning of each level.^[6] Completing challenge levels unlocks bonus developer material such as concept art and story boards.^[5]
A Boy and His Blob does not utilize the Wii Remote's motion detection or IR controls,^[4][8] and is controlled either by the Wii Remote (with the Nunchuk accessory) or by the Wii Classic Controller. Many reviewers have noted the "hug" button, which serves no in-game purpose except to hug the blob companion.^[9][10]