Is the sequel to the 2008 funk-fest as fun as the original?
As indicated by my review, I am a fan of de Blob, to put it lightly. As the expo was wrapping up on the last day, I found myself in front of the demo stations for de Blob: the Underground, and I had to go and try it out. I had enough time, fortunately, to play the demo start to finish, giving myself a full impression of the gameplay, along with the mysterious fellow who set up a video camera behind me; whoever he was, I hope he got some good footage, and I wonder where I can see it.
In any case, the basic gameplay stays the same as it was in the original game; Chroma City has had its color drained, and as a mysterious blob entity, you need to absorb paint and touch buildings in order to give the city some much-needed color. The plot is fairly basic, like in the last game; a priest named Papa Blanc is trying to get himself elected mayor of Chroma City by rigging the vote, and he’s draining the color while he’s at it. One of my favorite elements, the emerging and dynamic music, is back as well; as you touch buildings with different colors, different instruments will play as the music and world come alive.
So the basics are well in hand, and after playing through the demo, it’s just as good as the original. There have been a couple changes, though; most notably, you no longer need to shake the controller to jump, as the A button will do. Climbing on walls is a bit wonky right now, though that may have been my fault; either way, I hope it’s easier for me when the game launches later.
The main addition to the game are some 2D platforming sections; you start in one, and as the game progresses you’ll find yourself in plenty more. In the last game, you would gather up a bunch of paint before jumping into certain buildings to convert them and the surrounding land instantly. Here, whenever you jump into a building, you’ll find yourself in a platforming section. These areas have small enemy armies, switches that unlock doors, and some color-based puzzles where you’ll have to navigate pools and waterfalls in order to progress. They’re not really revolutionary, but they’re well-designed and break up the gameplay nicely, so I’m willing to give them a thumbs-up.
Basically, if you were a fan of the older game, you’re going to be a fan of this one just as much, and I’m looking forward to its Spring 2011 release. The main version is slated for release on the Wii, though there is a DS version in production as well that’s much heavier on the 2D platforming. According to Nintendo, there’s also a 3DS version in production, so look into that as well as more details are revealed.
Stay tuned to NintendoGal.com for more impressions as the week wraps up.
