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The Top 25 Video Game Villains of Every Subtype Imaginable
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<blockquote data-quote="CC13" data-source="post: 65904" data-attributes="member: 1151"><p>That's the one! Why did a literal fat blob get the #12 spot on this list? Read on to find out:</p><p></p><p>12. The Emperor of Blobolonia (A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia)</p><p>Developed By: Imagineering</p><p>Published By: Accolade/Jaleco/Majesco</p><p>Platform: NES</p><p>Year of Release: 1989</p><p></p><p>Few games occupy a stranger place in the old-school video game canon than A Boy and His Blob. As a largely non-violent, undeniably pioneering release by David Crane, the same man who gave the world Pitfall!, A Boy and His Blob could have been one of the defining titles of the NES, but instead, it fell somewhat short. First of all, the game's emphasis on trial and error has aged VERY poorly–time is tight for many adult gamers, so the boy's utter incompetence at anything and everything can be somewhat grating. Also, certain jellybeans (the means by which you solve puzzles–feeding one to Blobert will make him transform into something that hopefully gets you out of your current predicament; notable ones include the Tangerine Trampoline, the Root Beer Rocket and the Ketchup Catchup, which instantly brings Blobert to your side if he should get separated from The Boy) are limited in number, which can make for yet more frustration if you wasted one too many trying to figure out what each one does. Furthermore, the decision to have The Emperor be vulnerable to vitamins is highly strange, at best, and serves mainly to pad out gameplay by requiring you to get valuables to trade for them. Finally, the 2009 re-imagining by Shantae developers WayForward Technologies for the Wii completely overshadows it. Yes, this is the rare old-school game better experienced through a latter-day update.</p><p></p><p>The first thing you'll noticed about the remake (simply titled A Boy and His Blob) is that the 2D graphics are amazingly gorgeous. It almost looks like early Osamu Tezuka, with its broad color palette and rounded lines, and the art style has been confirmed to be deliberately reminiscent of '80s animated films, so you know WayForward knew what they were doing on this front. In addition, you also have as many jellybeans as you need for each stage (although you can only use certain jellybeans in each level) as well as unlimited lives, so the process of trial and error, though still present, won't raise nearly as many hackles as it did in the 1989 original. I should also note that the hug mechanic, although only a remnant of what was supposed to be a much more elaborate emotion system, is one of the cutest things I've seen in any video game...or any form of media at all, for that matter. Voice clips are sparse, since The Boy is the only speaking character in the game, but they do a good job of establishing the growing bond between boy and blob (who has no name given this time, but hey, you can't win 'em all). The turn for the poignant in the final few levels of the game (which I am NOT spoiling here) is sudden, but since we know how close our protagonists have gotten, it works; let me simply say that if you aren't cheering your lungs out during the final battle with the Emperor after what he did to The Blob, I sincerely doubt that you have a soul.</p><p></p><p>Sadly, this wonderful little gem didn't sell very well, with a grand total of 184,238 units sold since 2009. However, you have one other option if you really need more A Boy and His Blob: The Rescue of Princess Blobette, a 1991 follow-up to Trouble On Blobolonia. The implementation has its flaws (who thought that making it so that Blobert could push you onto spikes was a good idea?) and the presentation is rather plain, but it still manages to capture what made the original work so well and take it onto the pea-green screen. Treasure all three games well, for we've probably seen the last of Blobolonia for a long time to come.</p><p></p><p><strong>Next Time on The Top 25 Pre-1991 Western Arcade & Console Game Villains</strong>: Enter the dragon!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="CC13, post: 65904, member: 1151"] That's the one! Why did a literal fat blob get the #12 spot on this list? Read on to find out: 12. The Emperor of Blobolonia (A Boy and His Blob: Trouble on Blobolonia) Developed By: Imagineering Published By: Accolade/Jaleco/Majesco Platform: NES Year of Release: 1989 Few games occupy a stranger place in the old-school video game canon than A Boy and His Blob. As a largely non-violent, undeniably pioneering release by David Crane, the same man who gave the world Pitfall!, A Boy and His Blob could have been one of the defining titles of the NES, but instead, it fell somewhat short. First of all, the game's emphasis on trial and error has aged VERY poorly–time is tight for many adult gamers, so the boy's utter incompetence at anything and everything can be somewhat grating. Also, certain jellybeans (the means by which you solve puzzles–feeding one to Blobert will make him transform into something that hopefully gets you out of your current predicament; notable ones include the Tangerine Trampoline, the Root Beer Rocket and the Ketchup Catchup, which instantly brings Blobert to your side if he should get separated from The Boy) are limited in number, which can make for yet more frustration if you wasted one too many trying to figure out what each one does. Furthermore, the decision to have The Emperor be vulnerable to vitamins is highly strange, at best, and serves mainly to pad out gameplay by requiring you to get valuables to trade for them. Finally, the 2009 re-imagining by Shantae developers WayForward Technologies for the Wii completely overshadows it. Yes, this is the rare old-school game better experienced through a latter-day update. The first thing you'll noticed about the remake (simply titled A Boy and His Blob) is that the 2D graphics are amazingly gorgeous. It almost looks like early Osamu Tezuka, with its broad color palette and rounded lines, and the art style has been confirmed to be deliberately reminiscent of '80s animated films, so you know WayForward knew what they were doing on this front. In addition, you also have as many jellybeans as you need for each stage (although you can only use certain jellybeans in each level) as well as unlimited lives, so the process of trial and error, though still present, won't raise nearly as many hackles as it did in the 1989 original. I should also note that the hug mechanic, although only a remnant of what was supposed to be a much more elaborate emotion system, is one of the cutest things I've seen in any video game...or any form of media at all, for that matter. Voice clips are sparse, since The Boy is the only speaking character in the game, but they do a good job of establishing the growing bond between boy and blob (who has no name given this time, but hey, you can't win 'em all). The turn for the poignant in the final few levels of the game (which I am NOT spoiling here) is sudden, but since we know how close our protagonists have gotten, it works; let me simply say that if you aren't cheering your lungs out during the final battle with the Emperor after what he did to The Blob, I sincerely doubt that you have a soul. Sadly, this wonderful little gem didn't sell very well, with a grand total of 184,238 units sold since 2009. However, you have one other option if you really need more A Boy and His Blob: The Rescue of Princess Blobette, a 1991 follow-up to Trouble On Blobolonia. The implementation has its flaws (who thought that making it so that Blobert could push you onto spikes was a good idea?) and the presentation is rather plain, but it still manages to capture what made the original work so well and take it onto the pea-green screen. Treasure all three games well, for we've probably seen the last of Blobolonia for a long time to come. [B]Next Time on The Top 25 Pre-1991 Western Arcade & Console Game Villains[/B]: Enter the dragon! [/QUOTE]
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