With a September release looming, de Blob might have just enough to put it ahead of the pack, but it certainly won’t get there without a few more coats of paint to cover up some unsightly cracks in its wall. The camera, for one, required constant centering with the C button. Even more pressing are the somewhat unresponsive controls. Jumping, for us, was especially frustrating, as we had to really whip the Wii remote to get de Blob to move effectively - not exactly good when 90 percent of the gameplay is jumping. Once we got the hang of it, however, we were sending Blob careening off the sides of skyscrapers, doing wall jumps the length of entire blocks as he bounded from building to building. It was a blast, though our arms were the worse for it. Finally, though the game’s color and sound might be enough to distract from it, we couldn’t help but notice lots of fog in the distance, with scenery that popped in as we moved (or rolled/oozed) toward it.
Despite our nitpicking, it’s not often that we’re excited for the debut of another franchise mascot in an action-platforming game. With some tightening up of the graphics and controls and a little bit of spit shine, it may just add a big splash of color to the Wii lineup’s increasingly drab décor.
Aug 11, 2008
