A Boy and His Blob (or A Bwai an’ ‘im Blab, if you’re on the island)

If you grew up with an original 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System, and had eclectic taste in games even as a child, then you might recall A Boy and His Blob. An incredible premise at the time, A Boy and His Blob’s core mechanic was the manipulation of the Blob, who would change shapes and become useful items after being fed particular flavours of jelly beans. He’d be able to turn into ladders, brick walls, hummingbirds and more (it was about 20 years ago … I don’t quite remember it all), and he’d be crucial to all your puzzle solving needs.

It’s not 20 years later, and most of the world has forgotten about this creative and endearing game. Many 8-bit gamers may have grown up and out of spending time with a good game, or have had their tastes ‘mature’ toward more serious and aggressive games like the Halo’s, Quake’s, or Metal Gear Solid’s. But anyone still with an inner child will be happy, or at least interested to know that A Boy and his Blob are making a comeback to both Wii and DS systems.

So far, we can tell that the DS version will feature a 3D rendition of the original game’s art style. But here, the boy has grown into adolescence, and the array of objects into which the blob can turn are of similar fair: ladder, trampoline, bomb, blow torch, even a suit of armour. The DS’ touch screen has been confirmed to be used in “jelly bean management” and an overhead map.

The announcement of Wii version hasn’t had as much detail in its description as the portable version, but I can say this: I love the art style. A combination of hand drawn sprites and three dimensional cel-shaded backgrounds give this game a stylish and much needed update (and are nicer to look at over the DS’ graphics, to boot!). See the screenshots below to see what I mean.

… I’d end this preview with a little snappy thing to quote … but … I’m late for work.

Skate 2 Hall of Meat Guide

Before you start hurting and maiming yourselves, there are a few things to note:

Do the challenges in the sequence they are listed in the Hall of Meat in order to unlock the locations and spawn points that you’ll need for later challenges. While this isn’t necessary, it will make the process a lot less frustrating later on down the line, and we’ve written this guide assuming you’ll complete the challenges in sequence.

You can jump ahead to any of the four sections by clicking these links below:

SECTION 1 - Intro to Hurting yourself
SECTION 2 - Check Yo’self … then Wreck Yo’self
SECTION 3 - Posing will get you Hurt
SECTION 4 - Objects n Stuff …

Actions:
Intentional Wipeout (aka AUTO BAIL) - Right Trigger + Left Trigger + Left Stick + Right Stick
Cannonball - Right Analog Stick UP
Spread Eagle - Right Analog Stick DOWN
Torpedo - Right Analog Stick LEFT
Judo Kick - Right Analog Stick RIGHT

Session Marker - Left Bumper + Dpad DOWN

1.1 - 5000 Points @ GED High School Location: GED High What you’ll need: Nothing Description: Get to the top of the ramp leading into the courtyard. Gain speed, aim straight, and a general bail with a roll or two should get this rather simple challenge. What you get: $100

1.2 - 10,000 Points @ Upper Stacks Location: Upper Stacks What you’ll need: Nothing Description: Jump through any of the large circular openings in wall at the upper stacks and bail immediately. The combination of height, and falling damage should do the rest. If not, try to roll a couple rotations when you hit the ground. What you get: $200

1.3 - 15,000 Points @ Sunset Heights Location: Sunset Heights What you’ll Need: Nothing Description: After spawning at Sunset Heights, blindly bail over the left side, which should be a fairly high drop. Do a few tweaks, try to land spread eagle or judo kicking, and you’ll get the 15,000 you need. What you get: $300

1.4- 17,500 Points @ Mini Mega Location: Mini Mega Redux OTS What you’ll Need: Nothing Description: The key here is rotation and speed. Launch off the mini mega, and try to grab as much speed and air as possible before bailing. After a good launch, bail, spin and spin some more. A good tweak like judo kick or spreading eagle will also help deal some damage. What you get: $400

1.5 - 20,000 Points @ Dueling Snakes Location: Dueling Snakes What you’ll Need: Description: From the spawnpoint, head left up the hill toward the small grouping of apartment buildings overlooking the park. At the top of this hill, you should see a break between two railings that open up over a concrete block. Back up a short distance from the edge of this hill and set your marker. When you bail off the hill cannonball into the top of this concrete block. With enough momentum, you should be able to continue rolling off this block and either hit the glass awning right below, or just land smack dab on the concrete. Either way should do enough damage, but this one still might take a few attempts. What you get: $500

1.6 - 22,500 Points @ Lighthouse Park Location: Lighthouse Park What you’ll Need: Description: As tempting as it might be to shoot off the ramp after spawning, there’s an easier way to get this challenge. Immediately to your left and right, you’ll notice a set of red stairs leading to the bottom of the park. Set your marker at the spawn point, and skate over to the top of either stairway and ollie. Bail off the ollie and roll down the stairs, cannonballing and torpedoeing to maximize your time on the stairs. If you’re over 10,000 points by the time you’ve hit the bottom, you’re on the right track. This one takes some tweaking. What you get: $1000

1.7 - 25,000 Points @ The Boneyard Location: Boneyard What you’ll Need: Description:From the spawnpoint, look toward the blue half pipe near the center Boneyard. To the left, you should see an abandoned building. Head for the building, and keep your eyes peeled for a set of metal steps at the corner of the building. At the top of those stairs, you’ll see another flight of stairs, follow that, and go up as high as you can. You’ll find yourself in a semi-demolished room overlooking the rest of the park. Set your marker here and ride off the opening opposite to the half pipe, bail, spin, and spread eagle. What you get: $2000

1.8 - 30,000 Points @ Mega Compound Location: Mega Compound What you’ll Need: Description: This will probably be the easiest 30,000 bail points you’ll ever earn. Hit the middle ramp - be careful though, to properly land the downramp, you’ll have to hop from the crease right before the drop. Ride the ramp down and bail where the boards meet the green, spinning and nailing as many tweaks/gestures as you can before hitting the ground. Roll down the landing ramp to earn some bonus points. What you get: $1,500

1.9 - 35,000 Points @ Cougar Bridge Location: Cougar Bridge Via Cougar Mountain — Past the SV Dam What you’ll Need: Description: Coming from the top of Cougar Mountain, you’ll see a ramp to the left when you arrive at the bridge. You’ll also notice this ramp leads right over the side of the bridge. Set your marker and follow your instincts by using the ramp to fly off the side. As usual, bail at the peak of your jump, spinning and tweaking for bonus points. What you get: $1750

1.10 - 40,000 Points @ the Dam Location: SV Dam What you’ll Need: Description: This one requires a little attention to detail. From the top of Cougar Mountain, you’ll see the entrance to the Dam, guarded by a traffic pole gate. Slip under it, and stop at the circular court immediately to the left. Note the cabling that descends the side of the hill/dam. Follow the one of the right with your eyes, and you’ll also spot what appears to be a to be a scenery-scope, mounted on a pole. From the center of the court, place your marker, and ride off the edge, following the cable on the right, but staying to the left of the scope. You don’t need speed for this one - if you just roll right over the edge, you’ll hit the hill and continue rolling to the bottom of the dam. Remember, spin and tweak. What you get: $2000, Hideki Tower

1.11 - 45,000 Points Anywhere Location: Hideki Tower What you’ll Need: Description: Now that you’ve unlocked Hideki Tower, it’s time to have some real fun. Teleport to the Spawn Point, and just bail over the ledge in front of where you spawn. Let nature take its course. If you want a sure thing, go over to the left, you’ll be able to hit a few things to add a few thousand bonus points. What you get: $5000

1.12 - 46,000 Points Anywhere Location: Hideki Tower What you’ll Need: Description: SEE ABOVE. What you get: $6000

1.13 - 47,000 Points Anywhere Location: Hideki Tower What you’ll Need: Description: SEE ABOVE. What you get: $7000

1.14 - 50,000 Points Anywhere Location: Hideki Tower What you’ll Need: Description: SEE ABOVE. What you get: $8000

1.15 - 55,000 Points Anywhere Location: Hideki Tower What you’ll Need: Description: SEE ABOVE What you get: $10,000, Hideki Tower OTS

Wii Dead Rising Zombie Music Video

While it only subtly previews some of Wii’s Dead Rising gameplay (watch the screens in the background), I find this, for one reason or another, adding to my zombie bloodlust. Check out this music video for Dead Rising Chop Till You Drop by GA GA GA Special. Yes, the band is from Japan.