A Boy and His Blob. . .

I was so excited to get this game as a kid. It just looked so cool. Then I got it, and the sadness set in. So I have a bunch of beans, a blob, and no idea what I am supposed to do. Ok, lets figure out what all the beans do. Ok, still no idea what to do or where to go. Never touched the game again.



Fast forward 20+ years, pop it in the old NES, and still have no idea what to do or where to go. Seriously, how the hell were you supposed to figure this game out????



Well, got me a walkthrough for it and it turns out I really like the game. Its actually a lot of fun once you get past some of the mind boggling parts **cough the first level cough**



How did some of you master games out there figure this game out? Without that walkthrough, id still be on the first level scratching my head.

 
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  • Just think, in our current whiny culture how many times would people have an outrage about not being able to get past the first level of a game they just paid $50 for? We must have been a lot more patient back then...



    Anyway, I couldn't figure this game out either when I was little. Fortunately it was just a rental though.
  • Yeah, it wouldn't go over well these day. I remember putting every ounce of effort in to games as a kid, because I may only get 2 or 3 a year so even if it sucked I would power through it. This game though, I just had No idea. Even the collective wisdom of the neighborhood kids was no match for it.
  • I remember being lost in this game as well. I thought Nintendo Power had a feature for it but it didn't really help the crazy difficulty of the game. I never owned the game I think we also rented it but now I kind of want to play it. The NES had so many unique games.
  • Oddly I got through level 1 and a good deal further on a rental, had no trouble figuring out how to use trampolines, portable holes, ladders, etc.

    I must've been 9 or 10 years old. But I also saw the Nintendo Power featurette explaining the gist of the game, so that helped.
  • I'm sure as a kid I used some kind of guide to get started. I don't know this now but back in the day I had a route for getting all the treasure in the game. Someday I will figure it out from scratch all over again.
  • Originally posted by: cirellio



    Oddly I got through level 1 and a good deal further on a rental, had no trouble figuring out how to use trampolines, portable holes, ladders, etc.

    I must've been 9 or 10 years old. But I also saw the Nintendo Power featurette explaining the gist of the game, so that helped.

    The portable hole is what got me in Level 1. How were you supposed to figure out you had to use it or even where to place it? I didnt even see a hint anywhere like discolored blocks or a symbol on the wall in the background or anything. Just some random spot that im supposed to put a hole.



     
  • Same exact story for myself and Boy and His Blob.



    I never knew what in the hell to do with that stupid blob when I was a kid and I just ran back and forth on that first level throwing random jelly beans everywhere.



    Then in University I looked up what the beans did online. Well, I should have looked up a walkthrough because I still didn't get anywhere, haha. I think I made it underground and was screwing around a bit there.



    Maybe I'll just check out a walkthrough one day and go for it. That will be when I'm playing my games A-Z.
  • Originally posted by: AirVillain



    Same exact story for myself and Boy and His Blob.



    I never knew what in the hell to do with that stupid blob when I was a kid and I just ran back and forth on that first level throwing random jelly beans everywhere.



    Then in University I looked up what the beans did online. Well, I should have looked up a walkthrough because I still didn't get anywhere, haha. I think I made it underground and was screwing around a bit there.



    Maybe I'll just check out a walkthrough one day and go for it. That will be when I'm playing my games A-Z.



    I remember righting down what every Jelly Bean did and still couldnt figure out what I was supposed to do. Once you get further in the game the levels are pretty fun and inventinve. A walkthrough is a must though, and its still hard even with that.

     
  • Originally posted by: Rookie1

     
    Originally posted by: AirVillain



    Same exact story for myself and Boy and His Blob.



    I never knew what in the hell to do with that stupid blob when I was a kid and I just ran back and forth on that first level throwing random jelly beans everywhere.



    Then in University I looked up what the beans did online. Well, I should have looked up a walkthrough because I still didn't get anywhere, haha. I think I made it underground and was screwing around a bit there.



    Maybe I'll just check out a walkthrough one day and go for it. That will be when I'm playing my games A-Z.



    I remember righting down what every Jelly Bean did and still couldnt figure out what I was supposed to do. Once you get further in the game the levels are pretty fun and inventinve. A walkthrough is a must though, and its still hard even with that.

     

    Haha, same here.



    That's cool that the levels get better. Might be a while untilI get to it but I look forward to it.



     
  • I spent a lot of time with this game back in the day as a kid and eventually figured my way through it. Sure, it's a trial and error-type game, but man it was addictive.
  • I had this game. I wanted it because something about the name appealed to me. I was dimly aware of the movie A Boy and His Dog, but I hadn't seen it and don't care for dogs, so go figure.



    Anyway, I don't see the game as having "levels" so I'm confused at what some of you are talking about. There's basically three areas--the street (Is this the "first level?"), the caverns, and Blobolonia, and you can travel between them at will. I wrote down what all the jelly beans did. I got into the caverns by punching a hole in the subway. There was no "knowing what to do", I just put the hole here and there until I got through somewhere that wasn't too far down to land. If you die at this part, it's in like the first minute (after you look around all the easily accessible areas and figure out the jelly beans--none of this has to be repeated) so it doesn't seem like a bother.



    I went through the caverns picking up treasure, climbing and dropping and floating and so on... now here is my problem... Once I was done underground, I could never figure out how to get back to the surface! So I never did get any vitamins for the vitablaster. Sometimes I went to Blobolonia just from the start. If I ever got past three screens of cherry bombs, I don't remember what came after that.



    I wouldn't call it a great game, but it's definitely unique. Like Star Voyager, I never thought of it as "challenging" because action isn't immediate or obvious, but now I actually consider it a pretty difficult game. Even knowing what to do, there are some parts of the caverns that are just treacherous, like sneaking under those bouncing snakes.
  • Originally posted by: Rookie1



    I was so excited to get this game as a kid. It just looked so cool. Then I got it, and the sadness set in. So I have a bunch of beans, a blob, and no idea what I am supposed to do. Ok, lets figure out what all the beans do. Ok, still no idea what to do or where to go. Never touched the game again.



    Fast forward 20+ years, pop it in the old NES, and still have no idea what to do or where to go. Seriously, how the hell were you supposed to figure this game out????



    Well, got me a walkthrough for it and it turns out I really like the game. Its actually a lot of fun once you get past some of the mind boggling parts **cough the first level cough**



    How did some of you master games out there figure this game out? Without that walkthrough, id still be on the first level scratching my head.

     



    I just picked up this game. What would you say is the minimum mandatory knowledge needed to enjoy this game without getting too frustrated?

     
  • Originally posted by: G-Type

     
    Originally posted by: Rookie1



    I was so excited to get this game as a kid. It just looked so cool. Then I got it, and the sadness set in. So I have a bunch of beans, a blob, and no idea what I am supposed to do. Ok, lets figure out what all the beans do. Ok, still no idea what to do or where to go. Never touched the game again.



    Fast forward 20+ years, pop it in the old NES, and still have no idea what to do or where to go. Seriously, how the hell were you supposed to figure this game out????



    Well, got me a walkthrough for it and it turns out I really like the game. Its actually a lot of fun once you get past some of the mind boggling parts **cough the first level cough**



    How did some of you master games out there figure this game out? Without that walkthrough, id still be on the first level scratching my head.

     



    I just picked up this game. What would you say is the minimum mandatory knowledge needed to enjoy this game without getting too frustrated?

     



    At the least you will need to figure out what every jelly bean does. That way you can sort of figure out how to overcome the obsticles. I attribute the game to feeling your way through a building you have never been in before while its pitch dark and filled with things that will kill you while carrying a backpack and not knowing whats in it. lol

     
  • Originally posted by: Lonsta



    Just think, in our current whiny culture how many times would people have an outrage about not being able to get past the first level of a game they just paid $50 for? We must have been a lot more patient back then...



    Anyway, I couldn't figure this game out either when I was little. Fortunately it was just a rental though.

    We were happy when we owned 5 nes games.  Rich kids owned 10.  We played the same crappy have over and over and over and over





     
  • Originally posted by: G-Type

     
    Originally posted by: Rookie1



    I was so excited to get this game as a kid. It just looked so cool. Then I got it, and the sadness set in. So I have a bunch of beans, a blob, and no idea what I am supposed to do. Ok, lets figure out what all the beans do. Ok, still no idea what to do or where to go. Never touched the game again.



    Fast forward 20+ years, pop it in the old NES, and still have no idea what to do or where to go. Seriously, how the hell were you supposed to figure this game out????



    Well, got me a walkthrough for it and it turns out I really like the game. Its actually a lot of fun once you get past some of the mind boggling parts **cough the first level cough**



    How did some of you master games out there figure this game out? Without that walkthrough, id still be on the first level scratching my head.

     



    I just picked up this game. What would you say is the minimum mandatory knowledge needed to enjoy this game without getting too frustrated?

     



    Play it like an old school adventure game, where you will die a lot trying to figure your way through it.  Going in knowing you will die\get screwed trying to figure out puzzles helps.

     
  • This is one game I was never able to find myself enjoying. Even after I figured out what every jelly bean does and even got pretty far in the game, never at any point did I like the game. I've heard the Wii remake is worlds better and is one game I need to pick up soon.
  • Same experience with the game myself. Had no idea how to play it! For some reason, this game also reminds me of Willy Beamish for Sega CD. I think I got both games around the same time and both were surprisingly (to my 12 year old mind) disappointing to me!
  • This happened to me but with Metal Gear NES, I was just confused and frustrated that I couldn't past any screen, dogs and soldiers just killing me.

    I've never played any Metal Gear again but not because I didn't want to, it was just circumstances.

    Recently I realized this game mechanics was different from everything I've played so far, it was no Running and Gunning game and I think that's why I didn't get it at first
  • Rented it when I was a kid, bought it in the mid-90's, and it's still one of my favorite NES games. Took me years to figure out I was supposed to use the treasure to buy vitamins though, so it was quite a thrill to finally get past those cherries. And you gotta love the look on the blob's face when you throw a jellybean over his head.
  • Originally posted by: Rookie1

     
    Originally posted by: cirellio



    Oddly I got through level 1 and a good deal further on a rental, had no trouble figuring out how to use trampolines, portable holes, ladders, etc.

    I must've been 9 or 10 years old. But I also saw the Nintendo Power featurette explaining the gist of the game, so that helped.

    The portable hole is what got me in Level 1. How were you supposed to figure out you had to use it or even where to place it? I didnt even see a hint anywhere like discolored blocks or a symbol on the wall in the background or anything. Just some random spot that im supposed to put a hole.



     

    Experimentation.



    I remember throwing different jelly beans all over the place to test them out.



    Then discovering the portable hole and falling 8 or 10 screens to my death and thinking... surely there is a correct place to use this safely.



     
  • Originally posted by: Ozzy_98

     
    Originally posted by: Lonsta



    Just think, in our current whiny culture how many times would people have an outrage about not being able to get past the first level of a game they just paid $50 for? We must have been a lot more patient back then...



    Anyway, I couldn't figure this game out either when I was little. Fortunately it was just a rental though.

    We were happy when we owned 5 nes games.  Rich kids owned 10.  We played the same crappy have over and over and over and over





     

    Yup, and the real trick was coordinating with your friends so between all of you, you sort of covered the spectrum of what you wanted to play.



     
  • Gave this game a try yesterday. I enjoyed it a lot. What a cool and unique game! I haven't looked up any hint guides, but was able to make a decent start and collect about 7 of the treasures. I really like the puzzle aspect of it. Definitely reminds me of an adventure game in that regard. My 2 year old was very drawn to this game too. He gets excited making the blob change into its different forms.
  • I found all but 2 of the treasures in the caverns and traveled to blobolonia. I'm having a blast. Figuring out how to use the honey after using the tangerine was one of those "Awesome Gaming Moments" for me.
  • I drew my own map for this game when I was a kid. 4 entire sheets of notebook paper taped together.



    Wish I still had that.
  • yea a map definitely helps in terms of knowing where to make holes and such
  • I just found this game at the pawn shop this morning oddly enough...going to try it out after work and I will let you know my thoughts.
  • It was designed by David Crane and has a lot of similarities to Pitfall!.
  • Me and a buddy tried to beat the first level for hours and never made it.
  • OK seriously, what is the first level that so many people are talking about? Where is the end of it?

  • Originally posted by: gunpei



    OK seriously, what is the first level that so many people are talking about? Where is the end of it?





    There's really only 2 levels... its not that big of game. Level 1 is the caverns under the city and I guess that level ends when you travel to blob's world.
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