As is customary with video games that follow the exploits of colorful mascots, de Blob 2 was released on a plethora of gaming platforms. However, unlike those other colorful mascots, whose hand-held games are typically sub-par compared to the console versions, de Blob 2 on the DS is a very enjoyable experience. I may even go so far as to say that it is more enjoyable than the versions that appear on home consoles.
De Blob 2 follows the exploits of de Blob as he and his political activist pals fight against the oppressive forces of those who would prefer a world devoid of color. To do this, de Blob has to color everything in paint, solve simple puzzles, and beat up those who aren’t made of primary colors.
For readers unfamiliar with de Blob, and how he gets things done, he’s basically a sponge for color. As you progress through the game, you roll through puddles of paint absorbing the color, and then splash everything in de Blob’s path with that soaked-up pigment. Changing the color of everything around you happens simply by touching it, so walls floors, posters, wall-mounted cameras, and pretty much everything else will light up in color simply by de Blob rolling nearby. The more color the level receives, the more crazy and upbeat the music gets, and the bigger the smile will stretch across your face.
On the DS, de Blob 2 is a side-scrolling platformer. You won’t be falling down endless pits or precariously jumping from progressively smaller platforms that are set wider and wider apart, though. De Blob 2 is more about figuring out how to open the next gate so you can move on. Sometimes this requires painting walls, defeating enemies, hitting switches, or bouncing off floating dirigibles. It’s never hard enough to become frustrating, and rarely repetitious enough to become boring.
De Blob 2 on the DS takes advantage of the DSi camera, which is an element of the handheld that not many games have played with. Hidden throughout the levels are collectible cameras. If you are able to find one of these cameras, at the end of the level you are tasked with taking a photograph of a requested color. If you are able to photograph the right color, you are that much closer to attaining that 100% completion rate in the game.
The camera demands strong lighting to track down the right colors, so if you are playing in darkened room, you are out of luck. Thankfully though, this portion of the game can be skipped in case you don’t feel like getting up and trying to find something pink to take a picture of, but at least it is a somewhat interesting use of the camera.
De Blob 2‘s storyline on DS is different from the narrative that appears on the console version. Between levels, motion comics relate the happenings of de Blob and his friends, and it’s pretty interesting. It’s not the main reason to play the game, but it’s a worthy shove to get you to continue on to the next level.
The act of coloring and the way the music layers as you progress make de Blob 2 a very rewarding and enjoyable experience, but the near complete lack of challenge can make it a bit boring. There are rarely any dangers associated with your actions, and you will build up a huge cache of lives very quickly. I didn’t even realize you could actually die at all until well into the lifespan of the game.
De Blob 2 is colorful, full of great characters, and has a great funk-infused musical score. The levels are diverse in their presentation, but even with new abilities appearing rather frequently, the experience can be a little dull. At times it feels more like you are simply moving forward rather than achieving anything substantial. This does make the experience somewhat relaxing, though. You will never get lost or frustrated; you will just have a good time coloring everything and listening to the great music.
