Double Bloob (World Exclusive Hands-On) (Nintendo DS) Preview

If the names 'Pang' and 'Super Buster Bros.' mean anything to you, then you will already know what Double Bloob is all about, especially since it was dubbed as 'Double Pang' in its first incarnation. For those who are in the dark, though, let me give you a little background information. Back in 1989, Capcom released a game to the masses that involved two-player co-operative action set in the confines of what seemed like a traditional puzzle title. The aim was to rid the world of devastating balloons that were wreaking havoc all over the globe simply by running around and bursting them with your handy harpoon weaponry. The problem lay in the fact that popping a large balloon simply resulted in two smaller ones appearing, which then had to be poked once more, breaking them into even tinier bubbles until they finally disappeared. This had to be done without being hit by any of them as they floated menacingly around the numerous stages on offer.

Mitchell Corporation, the company that recently did two versions of Polarium (one for DS and a more complete GBA edition) and actionloop on DS (an updated edition of the classic Puzz-Loop) for Nintendo, was the team that designed Pang originally, and Cubed3 learned last year that it was considering working on a new version for the DS. However, Nibris has seemingly beaten Mitchell to the punch with Double Bloob, a very welcome update that is being worked hard on right now over in Krakow, Poland by the small, but highly dedicated team.

What is on offer for the moment is literally the bare bones of what will appear in the final game, but already the progress being made on a daily basis is very impressive and bodes well for further down the development line. Loading up the game you are treated to the logos of Fresh Chicken Studio and Nibris, before the title screen pops up in all its bright and breezy glory. For now this is the only place where the touch-screen comes into play, with a trail of stars following the stylus as you drag it around the screen, with the eyes of the eerie Bloob peering up from the lower screen darting around, watching your every move. Tap on that Bloob and it expands slightly, becomes more wide-eyed and you allows you to proceed to manipulate each of its eyes separately. Whilst a minor inclusion, it makes a nice change to have some interactivity in a title screen and also shows good accuracy on the actual touch-screen implementation, which will play a big part when further touch-screen options are designed into the final game.

In terms of modes available, there are 'New Game', 'Continue', 'Multiplayer', 'Options' and 'Credits'. For now each one just links to the game's one location that is on offer, the standard beach backdrop. As the main game kicks off then, you find yourself in control of the male lead character (who clearly must be Aen, the brother mentioned in the original Press Release about the game). At the moment, all he can do is wriggle about on the spot when stood in one place, looking upwards left and right whilst holding the long rope in his left hand and the hook part in his right. Using the d-pad he can run from side-to-side in order to avoid the Bloobs as they come crashing down towards him. Tapping the 'A' button thrusts the hook directly straight up into the air, right up onto the top screen and off into the sky.

What you must do is dodge the Bloobs and burst them using the hook, watching as they split upon impact once, then twice, before you can finally completely remove them from play after popping the smallest versions of them. The background really does not distract you from concentrating on the action, since the only real movements going on there are the waves gently lapping against the shore, blades of grass moving in the foreground and a few nimbus clouds slowly crossing the evening sky. But there are obstacles purposefully placed around the stage to add some spice to the gameplay the longer you survive. Upon clearing the screen of all Bloobs, more appear, gradually in greater numbers to up the pressure on the player, but the setting also changes slightly. In this demo, there are thin wicker platforms that can be blasted away with the harpoon; strong log ones that cannot be removed and vortex style see-through swirls to be found that send the Bloobs flying in random directions when they touch them. The wicker platforms can offer protection when Bloobs are above you, but can be removed if thought to be too troublesome. The strong wooden ones, on the other hand, are a pain in the neck if Bloobs get caught bouncing rapidly underneath one with you in close proximity! A few hits later and your five lives could be gone before you know it...

After killing certain coloured Bloobs, either a chunk of pineapple or half a coconut shell will drop down for collection, although presently this only ups the score counter in the top-left of the upper screen, rather than boosting the 'Super Charge' meter in the top-right, beside your character's profile and lives indicator. 'Beating' the game right now is quite straight-forward as Bloobs all float so slow around the stage it is hard to lose all five lives before clearing everything in the demo, but there are big changes planned for the next update coming in a few months' time. And that is about it as far as the gameplay and visuals are concerned. In terms of the audio aspect, small sound effects have only recently been put in place so that Bloobs now give off a squelching sound when hit and picking up the fruit items makes a small 'ding' noise. However, it is the two music tracks on offer that are worth real mention. The tune that plays in the background during the main game is suitably upbeat and bouncy, starting off with a simple backbeat and developing into a pleasant electronic mixture of light-hearted fun beats and catchy rhythms. As for the music that plays during the start menu, it starts with what sounds like a fast-paced xylophone plinky-plonky beat, which is soon joined by a more stylophone-esque accompaniment, then a gentle accordion theme, which eventually leads into all of the music being expertly mixed together to provide an extremely memorable opening track for Double Bloob.