Let me say something first: I am not a fan of how the Wii has been utilized thus far in its life. Very few games have made the motion sensitivity of Nintendo’s system more than a gimmick, and the system is plagued by lackluster ports from the more powerful machines out there. So imagine my delight at “de Blob,” an original property and Wii exclusive from Blue Tongue and THQ.

The game is a brilliant mix of platformer and puzzler as players must find the right way to mix colors to correspond to respective challenges, all while navigating themselves through the levels, some of which are more than large. Oh, and did I mention the whole game is timed? Yeah. It may seem kiddy, but make no mistake, this isn’t an easy game.

Control is tight, save for the annoyance of the jump function being mapped not to a button, but to a swing of the Wii remote. The game doesn’t always catch this movement, causing the occasional fall or miss of an intended target. Since there isn’t much use of the Wii’s motion sensitivity elsewhere in the title, it feels a little strange too.

Although graphics are always less stellar on Wii than on other current generation systems, there’s a lot going on that deserves praise. The game runs at 60 frames per second with no slowdown. It has some of the best particle effects seen on the system, and the process of coloring as de Blob is hypnotic.

Upbeat, funky jazz beats accompany each level and change according to de Blob’s actions in the world. Voices are burbling mumbles, which only add to the personality and hilarity this game brings to the table.

If you’re a Wii owner looking for something fresh and new, look no further.

— Sophie Prell is a junior in pre-journalism and mass communication from Alta