A Boy and His Blob (NSP, XCI) ROM + v1.0.2 Update

A Boy and His Blob is a puzzle-platform game developed by WayForward Technologies and published by Majesco Entertainment. It is a re-imagining of the 1989 video game, A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia, which was originally developed by Imagineering for the NES. The game was released for the Wii in North America on October 13 and in Europe on November 6, 2009.

A high-definition port of the game developed by Abstraction Games was released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux on January 20, 2016. A PlayStation 3 version was made available on June 28 of the same year as a cross-purchase with the PS4 and Vita versions.

Mobile ports for iOS and Android were later released worldwide on November 17 and September 26 2017 respectively. A Nintendo Switch version was released on November 4, 2021, by WayForward and Ziggurat Interactive. WayForward’s director Sean Velasco, a fan of the original NES title, expressed a desire to re-create and update the experience for current generation gamers, streamlining the NES title’s gameplay mechanics to create a more “forgiving” experience.

A Boy and His Blob’s art direction has received widespread critical acclaim and praise and was utilized by the developers, in addition to a minimalistic story, to create a “heartwarming… and friendly game” accessible to a wide audience.

GAMEPLAY AND PLOT

A Boy and His Blob is a 2D side-scrolling puzzle platformer in which players control a young boy as he cooperates with a blob-like creature to overcome various obstacles. The boy can feed the blob a variety of jelly beans, which are unlocked as the game progresses and vary depending on the level, which transforms it into one of fifteen different objects that can be used to solve puzzles and defeat enemies.

These include ladders for climbing, anvils to drop on top of enemies, holes that allow the boy to drop through platforms, and cannons for shooting to the difficult-to-reach areas. Unlike the original NES game, which only displayed each jelly bean’s flavor, this version allows players to select beans from a wheel that shows what each bean does.

The boy can also hug and scold the blob, as well as call to it to revert its transformation and bring it to his side. However, the boy will die if he touches an enemy or a hazardous object, or falls from a great height, sending the player back to the beginning of the area. The game is split into four worlds, each containing ten levels and a boss battle.

Finding three chests hidden within each main level unlocks additional challenge levels, which reward bonus developer material such as concept art and storyboards when cleared.

The planet Blobolonia is threatened by an evil emperor, and the titular “blob” flees to Earth seeking help. It crash-lands on Earth and finds the eponymous “boy”. They team up to dethrone the evil emperor, first by completing a quest on Earth and then by traveling to Blobolonia. Along the way, minions of the Emperor attempt to stop them.