A Boy and His Blob (2016)
Heartwarming tale of friendship, teamwork, and hugs.
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A Boy and His Blob (2016)
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that A Boy and His Blob is a heartwarming downloadable tale of friendship and teamwork. Violence in the game is minimal and not very scary, as more emphasis is placed on creatively using the blob's shape-shifting abilities to trap and defeat enemies. When the main character encounters an enemy or environmental hazard, the music becomes more dramatic as he falls lifelessly to the ground. There's little consequence for dying, but this may be a little too emotional for very young players. Controls can also be sluggish, which could frustrate some young players.
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What’s It About?
A BOY AND HIS BLOB is a remake of the NES classic and an updated port of the 2009 release for the Nintendo Wii. In an effort to save his home planet of Blobonia from an evil emperor, the blob travels to earth and finds a young boy to aid him on his quest. The boy and his blob become fast friends as they rely on each other to navigate obstacles and solve challenging puzzles. Fueled by jellybeans, the blob uses his special abilities to transform into helpful tools that can be used on the adventure.
Is It Any Good?
If you’re looking for a heartwarming story with tons of personality, you won’t need to look much further than this game. With hand drawn-characters, magical environments, an enchanting soundtrack, and the ability to give the blob a hug whenever you’d like, you’d be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable game. One of the most creative and original aspects of A Boy and His Blob is how you feed the blob different flavors of jelly beans to turn him into useful tools to get past obstacles. Examples would be using a licorice jelly bean to turn the blob into a ladder to reach out of reach places, or feeding him a root beer jelly bean to transform the blob into a ridable rocket to speed through a tunnel.
If anything, the controls can sometimes feel a bit sluggish, but it's never so bad that it takes the fun out of the experience. For example, when the boy is floating down with the help of the blob in parachute form, it's not instantly clear how to deploy the blob-chute while in mid-air. During faster paced boss battles, fumbling for controls can be frustrating. It's a bit of a learning curve, but the game generally eases you into it, and sooner or later, you'll get the hang of things. By the time you finish A Boy and His Blob, you'll be left with a warm, fuzzy feeling in your heart and an insatiable craving for jelly beans.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the importance of positive reinforcement. In the game, the boy is able to give the blob unlimited amounts of hugs and jellybeans, but what's your favorite way of being rewarded for a job well done?
Discuss the nostalgia factor in games like this. Which of your current favorite games would you most like to see remade with future technology?
Game Details
- Platforms: Mac, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Windows, Xbox One
- Pricing structure: Paid
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Majesco
- Release date: January 19, 2016
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Robots, Space and Aliens
- ESRB rating: E for Mild Cartoon Violence
- Last updated: August 24, 2016
For kids who love adventure
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