It’s always a bit disconcerting jumping into a series after it’s already started, whether it’s a TV show or a gaming franchise.
Despite this being the only Blob game for Windows Phone 7, de Blob Revolution is in fact the sequel to de Blob, an iOS and WiiWare game released back in 2008. Just to confuse everyone slightly more, it's even listed as de Blob on the Zune Marketplace.
Thankfully for us folk not inducted in the ways of the colourful pliable mass, there’s so little plot and continuity between the two titles that it feels less of a revolution in terms of what’s gone before, but more an evolution in an age-old puzzle mechanic.
Colourful anticsThe titular Blob is on a quest to save grayscale Graydians from a life of joyless, colourless servitude to the evil INKT – a group of what looks like screaming helmet creatures.
The idea is to sweep through each floor/screen, collecting all the little Graydians as quickly as possible without accidentally getting trapped by the colour trails Blob leaves behind him, or hunted down by the INKT troops that give chase on later levels.
The presentation of the game is very eye-catching. Whether that’s mainly due to the contrast between the bright, primary colour trails (that splatter to the side like paint), or just the fantastic sound of the other blobs chattering along, it all adds up to a slick handheld experience.
The controls don’t let the side down either. Controlling Blob is as easy as dragging a path away from him, with edits made by either dragging away earlier in the path or by double-tapping a section.
There’s the odd moment where Blob runs off too quickly, thus leaving you in a quandary, but generally things just ‘work’
Colourful languageIt’s the ‘revolutionary’ progression system that ends up putting the brakes on Blob’s well-intended uprising.
As opposed to taking the traditional route and rely on a series of set levels, de Blob Revolution picks out a few from a random pool of puzzles for each game. Yet there’s not quite enough to stop levels repeating multiple times before you even unlock the second difficulty level.
Nor are the other two modes – Speed Rescue and INKT Chase – significantly different from the original to encourage the player to keep playing. Indeed, the only real difference is that the timer is no longer hidden from view.
Because of this repetition, it’s more than likely that you’ll have seen everything de Blob Revolution has to offer even before you unlock the final mode, but it’s one heck of a pretty and playable ride up to then.