When A Boy and His Blob was released on the NES in 1989, it was well received, despite being incredibly hard and generally unforgiving. The concept was good, with the titular boy feeding his pet blob jellybeans to transform the creature into various objects. Unfortunately, the lack of direction—and jellybeans—made the game more frustrating than it needed to be. When Majesco announced that they would be publishing a “re-imagining” of the title for the Wii, it seemed like a chance to make A Boy and His Blob the game it should have been two decades ago, with a beautiful aesthetic and more accessible gameplay. Though A Boy and His Blob may be a bit too simple at times, the updated graphics and gameplay mechanics make this one of the most fun Wii titles of the year.

A Boy and His Blob maintains the same minimal plot as the original, which is barely touched upon in the actual game. An evil emperor has taken over the blob’s home planet of Blobolonia, so he has come to Earth hoping to find help. Together with his new friend, the unnamed boy, the duo traverses dangerous obstacles on Earth and Blobolonia in order to make both planets safer for man and blob alike. The friendship between the boy and his blob is very touching, with the blob jumping to attention when the boy calls or whistles; as the boy, you will even have the option to hug the blob, which serves no real purpose other than being adorable. This story is told not by cut scenes or dialogue, but context clues found throughout each environment. Though the narrative is very light, it suits the tone perfectly, and I never felt like I needed more plot development to enjoy the game.



Also unchanged from the NES classic is the core gameplay: as the boy, you will feed the blob jellybeans in order to transform him into various objects, which in turn will help you get past enemies and obstacles. The gameplay is a mix of platforming and puzzle elements, and each level features a different set of jellybeans to be used. Blob can turn into ladders, holes, protective bubbles, car jacks, parachutes, and trampolines, to just name a few. No longer are you limited in the number of jellybeans given at the start of the game; instead, each level provides an unlimited amount of beans of specific varieties. Some levels only give one or two types of beans, while others have up to eight different kinds. This eliminates a lot of the frustrating trial and error gameplay of the original, in which you could easily run out of jellybeans and never get them back, making the game nearly impossible.

While the NES game may have been too unforgiving, I felt that A Boy and His Blob had the opposite problem at times. The game will constantly hold your hand, with crudely-drawn signs posted throughout each level to let you know what shape the blob should take. While certain sections can be completed multiple ways, and most levels will not point you in the direction of hidden objects, by the second world I really just wanted to figure each puzzle out on my own, and not be directed by a sign depicting a trampoline or ladder. A Boy and His Blob does get more challenging in the later levels, but I still would have liked more opportunities to find my own way through the game.



My other issue with the gameplay is that while the blob was a nice companion for much of the game, there were times when he drove me crazy. Occasionally he wouldn’t go after jellybeans, and even more often he jumped off a cliff, disappearing into the void below. He always comes back, and you don’t have to worry about the blob ever leaving for good, but it could take too long to get him to return. Sometimes, just calling his name or giving a whistle was enough to prompt the blob to turn into a balloon and float back to safety; other times, I would call and call, and only after a minute or so would my pet return. It's a minor annoyance, but can hinder an otherwise pleasant experience.

With four worlds and forty standard levels, A Boy and His Blob takes about ten to twelve hours to play straight through, which is a decent length. However, each level has three hidden treasure chests to collect, which may give you a reason to go back and replay certain sections. Upon completing a level with all of the hidden treasures, a challenge will become available. There are ten of these bonus levels in each world, significantly expanding the game. Challenge levels task the player with completing difficult sections with limited types of jellybeans, or possibly none at all. Each finished bonus board unlocks concept art for the game. While the art serves no real gameplay purpose, it is enjoyable to see how this re-imagining made its journey from concept to reality. All of the artwork is collected in a hub for each world, which serves as home base and allows the boy to travel between locations. These hubs always fit in with the current world, like the boy’s treehouse or the blob’s Blobolonia home.



The biggest leap A Boy and His Blob made when landing on the Wii was visually. With the pixilated eight-bit days long gone, developer WayForward instead redesigned the game from the ground up with gorgeous artwork. Each level is wonderfully designed, while still giving a sense of nostalgia. It’s not often that I get to describe Wii games as beautiful, which is a shame, because A Boy and His Blob proves once again that there is no excuse not to be able to make a good-looking game for the system. The opening cinematic looked like it could be a cartoon from the 1980s—and I mean that in the best possible way. From the forest and city environments of Earth to the fluorescent palette of Blobolonia, the presentation of this game is a constant source of enjoyment.

As a child, A Boy and His Blob was one of my favorite Nintendo games, but it always frustrated me that I could never seem to get anywhere. Now that I realize it wasn’t me, but the gameplay, that was the problem, I am glad that Majesco and WayForward decided to breathe new life into the game with this re-imagining. It may be a little too simple for most gamers, especially those old enough to remember the original, but it never stops being fun. Those who enjoyed A Boy and His Blob twenty years ago will love this new take on an old classic, and even if you aren’t familiar with the source material, this is definitely a game worth playing.