The NES library has its highs and lows. Many genres that are still around today were created on that little gray box. But it was also home to shovelware the likes of which is rarely seen in the industry. During that initial rush of ground breaking titles A Boy & His Blob was released. This was a truly original title, that offered an open world experience few games could match. But it also suffers under the weight of its flaws, making it a hard one to recommend.
A Boy & His Blob is a completely non-linear adventure. You have free reign of the entire world from the onset and can explore it in any order you want. Its so free in fact you can actually fly to Blobolonia right from the start. Of course, you’ll die right away but the option is there. Ultimately the goal is to explore the underworld and collect as much treasure as possible. This treasure is used to buy vitamins to power your vitablaster, your primary weapon on Blobolonia. It isn’t necessary to collect all the treasure but the more you find the better off you will be.
To find these treasures and explore the underworld you’ll have to rely on Blob. Feeding the blob different jelly beans transforms him into one of fourteen forms. These forms are incredibly varied, from the obvious like a ladder to the unexpected, like a hummingbird. There are so many that it is possible to solve puzzles multiple ways with some creativity. Experimenting and stumbling onto a solution is one of the game’s strongest elements. Like a PC adventure game sometimes you’ll have to think outside the box. Obviously a torch can burn away cobwebs but who would have the courage to use an umbrella to block falling rocks? Its in these moments that the game’s premise truly shines.
To fully appreciate A Boy & his Blob there is a lot you’ll have to tolerate. The most important are the controls. The boy sip slides around and the controls overall feel loose. The other is dealing with the blob itself. He always moves a few steps behind the boy which is usually optimal for transformations. The trouble comes when you need to position him. You can whistle to call him over but that doesn’t always work. The best thing you can do is use a torch jellybean to pick him up and drop him where he is needed. But that not only wastes a jellybean but is also tedious. These aren’t insurmountable problems but they could and should have been better.
The game’s complete freedom is also an albatross. You aren’t given any direction, a goal, nothing. If it weren’t for the treasure count in the UI you wouldn’t know that is part of the game. The game’s opening pretty much forces you to experiment with the jelly beans to progress. The game doesn’t tell you what each jelly bean does until you use it so you’ll have to make your own list. It can be very easy to end up in situation where you’ll have to kill yourself to progress. Wandering around under the city can feel aimless and the game’s lack of acknowledging your actions does not help.
I’ll offer my own anecdotes about playing A Boy & His Blob. Once I figured out that I needed to collect treasure I set about that task. It took a long time but I managed to collect every treasure eventually. And was greeted with nothing. With no other recourse I made my way back up to the surface, which was a task in itself. Out of desperation I made my way to the general store, at which point the game gave me vitamins based on my treasure count. Even then there was still no further guidance. I used the rocket jellybean because at this point it was the only one I hadn’t bothered with. It worked but you can see the pattern emerging in my time with the game. Yes, it worked out eventually but even a simple sentence pointing you in the right direction would have helped.
For a game that doesn’t have much perceptible danger A Boy & His Blob can be pretty difficult. When taken as a whole this is not a long game. But you will burn through your four lives in short order. The hole jelly bean is frequently used to progress but it also leads to many blind drops. Technically the coconut jelly bean can be used for scouting but that isn’t always an option. Trial and error is built into the game but they could have done more to lessen the frustration involved in it. There are far too many instant deaths that make exploration a chore. When you add on that there are no extra lives, passwords, or continues and it becomes a bitter pill to swallow starting over from the beginning.
In Closing
A Boy and His Blob is truly a unique title. But ingenuity only gets you so far. Sloppy controls, a lack of direction, and obtuse design make an otherwise innovative title a chore and not fun. This one needed more work.
