The motion control idea for video games lent itself to many ideas for unique experiences, especially for the popular Nintendo system known as the Wii. So many third-party developers tried their hardest to create a memorable experience for the Wii system with varying success. One of the games that have gained a cult following over the years for many Wii enthusiasts is blue tongue entertainment’s De Blob. In this colorful game, your main objective is to color and paint everything in sight to stand up to the bleak and colorless INKT corporation from sucking out all the colors of chroma city. It’s honestly not hard to see why this game was still talked about even after its release back in 2008. It has problems, but the good things are too good to pass on.
In the colorful world of Chroma city, the radians are suddenly invaded by the INKT corporation as they suck out all the city's color and force the radians into black and white slavery. This catches the attention of a colorful ball of goop named Blob as he tries to undo the actions of INKT by painting everything in site in color. Together with the help of the color resistance, it's up to Blob and his friends to stand up to the INKT corporation and take back their control from the evil comrade black.
The story is simple yet full of personality. The game knows it's a cartoon and has a lot of fun with its ideas about where the wacky scenario can go. The characters don’t really have fleshed-out personalities, but they have simple enough traits to make them cute and entertaining for the time being. Don’t expect to go into this story thinking you’ll get a Pixar-like experience, but do expect to get sucked into the likability cartoony world that is just as cute as it is fun and enjoyable
The gameplay works swiftly with loads of satisfaction from even just painting a single building. Painting your surrounding area is so satisfying, and the player does get a free range to use different colors to make the environment come alive. De Blob gets his colors from running into paint bots which come in the primary colors red, yellow, and blue. Mixing the two or more colors will allow you to paint in secondary colors such as green, orange, purple, and brown. In each level, side challenges will require you to paint buildings a specific color or use your colors to take out INKT forces. The levels have time limits, but there is enough time for players of any age to make it to the end with plenty of minutes to spare. The game does not seem to branch out from repeatedly doing similar challenges. Still, this game works because each challenge is well constructed and made easy to understand but decently challenging to execute. Aside from coloring, you’ll also be platforming and splatting Inkies in combat. Doing so will require jumping with a flick of the Wii remote. Unfortunately, the motion may not always be responsive as the jumping feels floaty, and the motion controlling does not always work when needed. I understand it's the Wii, and motion controls are a given, but this game would have been better if the motion controls were much tighter and more responsive. The player can participate in free painting or multiplayer mini-games when levels are finished. There is also unlockable content, such as concept art and test footage, that can be unlocked by getting high scores in the levels. The way the game plays is simple but a lot of fun, and even though the jumping mechanic could have used some work, the gameplay has held up pretty darn well to the point that it's primarily timeless.
The graphics do have the disadvantage of being at 480p. However, the colors and the unique cartoony style overthrow the disadvantages of not having sharp and overly detailed imagery. The character designs are simple but full of personality, from the cool and confidant De Blob to the threatening and robust Comrade Black and the cuteness of the Radians. the visuals in each level depend on how you color your surroundings, giving the player some freedom to see the level to his or her liking. The level designs are established in a way that begs you to color every little bit of it, and the cutscenes in between levels are made to show off cartoony silliness, which can work as a fun breather after finishing a part of the story. The colors are vibrant, and the overall visual style is fun and irresistible. These graphics will put a smile on your face, and the cartoony style and colorful scenery will live on in gamers for many generations.
One of the most intriguing aspects of the game is the soundtrack which has no right to be as catchy and extremely fun as it is. When you enter a level, you can choose which music soundtrack you’d like to hear while painting buildings. Each track is crafted with passion and soul, and the music always picks up more speed when more buildings and objects get painted. This may be some of the most fun music you will ever hear in a game. it helps to support the already colorful visuals and cartoony story and just being so irresistible.
De Blob gets more and more attention as the years go on. The game would be successful enough to release a follow-up three years later, and both games would be re-released in the future on many modern systems, including the Nintendo Switch. Before Splatoon, this game was a colorful blast for many gamers, including myself. However, it is honestly a shock that many people don’t even know what this game even is. Sure it does have some motion control problems, and it may be a little too repetitive at times, but this is the kind of game that deserves to be recognized along with other popular gaming classics. Whether you play it on a modern system or the good old Wii, De-blob is a game that is fun to play and too charming to resist.
(Final Grade: B)