Invasion of the Blobs!
Overview
The first IotB is an overhead three-quarters view action adventure game; exactly the kind of thing that Game-Maker was designed for. And indeed, at a distance it feels like an advanced remix of RSD’s demo games.
It’s almost like someone handed Perrucci RSD’s Sample, and said “Fix this.” The early stages contain the same flower-crushing action from Sample, similar kinds of background and design elements, in particular forest mazes and water barriers. Some of the later levels also seem to show a Penguin Pete influence. Yet all the elements are original, and perhaps cleaner than RSD’s. The background tiles sport nice gradients and perspective; there’s a neat shadow effect under raised objects like bridges. The smaller character is better scaled to the environment, and the monsters are consistent throughout. Each color of blob has a distinct movement pattern and a unique, creative death animation.
Outside the Game-Maker realm, some of the interaction of items and background elements feels reminiscent of Zelda, different objects allow different kinds of background interaction, such as burning of bushes. There’s even a SkiFree stage.
Despite some really clever bits, like the complex boss battles, it’s the subtle things that impress me, like the game’s understanding of the touchy way that active tiles affect the player sprite, and the way that Integrator interprets level ending flags. The game isn’t very difficult, though it doesn’t feel like that’s the point; it’s more of an attempt to try out as many techniques as possible.
Story
Oh no! Evil blobs from outer space have invaded Earth! Who can stop them? Only Bobby, a kid who likes adventure and his friend Melissa, who was kidnapped by the evil blob leader.
But what does Bobby have? No big muscles, no huge bazooka blasters, no musical talent...
"Oh no, we're doomed!"
Don't give up hope so hastily. He'll have plenty of help along the way. Powerful weapons, unusual friends, and you will aid Bobby on this five stage adventure.
"Sounds pretty cool..."
You bet. But before you start playing, read the instructions on how to control Bobby. The controls change several times during the game, so it helps to be prepared.
Instructions
Normal Bobby
- As your ordinary self, you have no weapons. Avoid the blobs. Find the bag,* push P, and exit the level. You'll use the thing(s) in the bag in the next level.
- * There's no bag in level 3-1.
Pyro Bobby
- Burn baby, burn! The flame thrower will operate as you walk. Don't worry about running out of fuel.
Bobby on Ice
- Just like normal Bobby, except he's much harder to control. Try tapping the button in the direction you want to go.
Skiing Bobby
- Ski left, ski right, hold down to speed up. Collect points if you really want to.
Spaceship Bobby
- Spiffy! 1 fires lasers, 2 emits twin plasma blasts, and 3 shoots triple missles.
Plasma Gun Bobby
- Pressing SPACEBAR makes our hero drop acid on the ground. If an enemy hits it, they'll die. Think of it as a liquid land mine.
Muscle Bobby
- How strong is he? Try lifting a 1-ton weight and you'll see. Once you pick up the weight, you can use it as much as you want. Just press SPACEBAR.
Credits
Sound FX and Music By GameMaker
Nifty GIF pictures made using NeoPaint
Everything Else By Mike Perrucci
