The basic objective of de Blob is to spread color to a drab, achromatic town by slamming your amorphous character into building after building, like a game of first-person paintball. You get more points for painting certain structures one color as compared to another, so changing the Blob's primary color becomes necessary--an act which requires you to consume a color-coded citizen of the town. The colors mix and morph corresponding to the color wheel--combining a red Blob with a yellow citizen will turn the Blob a bright orange, and so on. Every level is timed, adding a sense of urgency to the player's otherwise carefree coloring.

Control of the Blob is mainly handled through the analog stick, allowing you to spin in circles at will, as if Mario had eaten too much pasta and was forced to roll his way through levels. Jumping is achieved with a quick flick of the Wii Remote, and most moves are derived therein--bouncing off walls, attacking enemies, and other acrobatic moves are all relegated to variations of Wii Remote jostling. If this basic experience wasn't solidly enjoyable, de Blob would be in trouble, as the gameplay doesn't get much more complicated--thankfully, as we learned in childhood, it's a lot of fun making a mess. Careening through the municipal obstacle course and spattering paint onto every available surface is a relaxing operation. Chaining combinations of wall jumps and leaping over multiple buildings in a single blobby bound earns you more points, and after earning a certain amount, the next level is opened.

Every time the Blob absorbs a new color it gets larger in size, which is denoted by a sort of Grinch-like fatness chart in the bottom right corner of the screen. When a police patrol hits the Blob, it not only shrinks, but is infected with a black paint, which trails behind it, scarring the once-colorful urban portrait. The player must roll the round character into a pool of water, washing away the inky substance before continuing on. These little touches were charming, but I found myself wanting more of them.

For instance, music also plays a role in de Blob, but not to the extent that I wanted. When the Blob enters an oppressive courthouse and matches to a corresponding color, the building transforms into a giant symphonic horn section, earning the player some extra points. Different colored buildings also produce different changes to the musical score as the Blob squishes and squashes to and fro. However, these musical touches weren't immediately apparent. After only a few buildings, the track's simple beats were unchanged for the duration of the level, leaving the score feeling as bland as the once-gray buildings.

Every city in de Blob has a theme, with the one I played being based around a bridge that lead to the next area. In all, the developers at Blue Tongue are planning 12-16 full levels, each taking an estimated 20-25 minutes to complete. In addition to gaining access to new levels, unspecified unlockables will be part of the incentive to gain high scores and fully explore the world. A full multiplayer mode is planned, with multiple Blobs causing kaleidoscopic havoc.

Ultimately, there really is no finish line in de Blob. You move on to new areas, and you gain more points, and you get fatter. It's hard to imagine being intensely motivated to move from level to level, although the simplistic story and gameplay aren't engrossing to the point of necessitating a satisfying reward. A THQ representative likened de Blob to the act of popping bubblewrap, and I would agree. Like bubblewrap, de Blob is a mindless, yet oddly satisfying distraction at heart. If you are a goal-oriented gamer, you'll probably find the game a rather boring experience. If you find yourself easily endeared to quirky, open-ended titles, then de Blob might hold your interest--provided Blue Tongue can add a little more depth before its release in 2008.

Using the same assets as the Wii title, THQ developer Helixe will be bringing de Blob to the DS sometime next year.