Blob Wars
Encyclopedia
Blob Wars is a series of open source
cross-platform
video games by Parallel Realities.
2D arcade platform game developed by Parallel Realities. It plays a lot like New Zealand Story
whilst also borrowing elements from Ape Escape
. The main character is a Blob named Bob.
The aim of the game is to rescue Blob MIA
s lost while fighting a battle against alien invaders led by their leader, Galdov (the Metal Blob). Metal Blob Solid features numerous different weapons, locations, boss battles and around 9 hours total gameplay. Despite its cute appearance the game does contain blood perhaps making it unsuitable for younger gamers. The blood can, however, be switched off.
The game also contains an in-game "Medal" service, which allows players to receive award notifications for performing certain tasks, not unlike the trophy and achievements system found on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live
.
The title of the game is a play on Metal Gear Solid
, the popular video game series by Konami
. Originally the lead character of the game was to be a Blob called Solid.
The game is written in C++
and uses SDL
for its input, graphics and audio control.
It is available for GNU/Linux, Microsoft Windows
, Mac OS X
, Amiga
, BeOS
, GP2X
, PlayStation Portable
, Xbox
and Dreamcast.
Bob retrieves three of the four before Galdov beats him to the fourth, granting the alien leader supernatural powers. Bob pursues Galdov to his space station, where he plants a number of bombs and battles Galdov for control of the fourth crystal. Winning the fight Bob flees the space station, leaving
Galdov to be destroyed along with it.
It is a 3D action-adventure game and a direct sequel to the 2D platform game, Blob Wars: Metal Blob Solid. Again, the name is a play on a popular game franchise, this time Command & Conquer
.
Unlike the previous game, this sequel is fully 3D and Bob is now accompanied on his missions by a number of other Blobs, mostly a sidekick known as Teeka. The game features a much more intricate plot than the previous game and contains a number of static and real time cutscenes.
The game was developed over a period of around two years, is written in C++
, and uses SDL
for its input and audio control and OpenGL for rendering its graphics.
Since the defeat of Galdov, Bob has rallied the Blob troops together and they have begun to fight back to liberate their planet. Bob then plans to strike the enemy bases themselves, but one day one of his close friends, a Blob named Teeka, does not return from a scouting mission. Bob searches for him, but is lured into a Biomech trap. Nevertheless he escapes and rescues Teeka in the process. The pair return home only to find their base under attack by Biomech forces. Bob fights back against the invaders and then turns his attention to the enemy bases.
After destroying the Biomech Supply Depot and the Communications Base, Bob stumbles across a map that is said to reveal the location of a 5th Ancient Tomb and the Life Crystal. Terrified as to what may happen should it fall into enemy hands, Bob sets off to the tomb hoping to get there first. However, he is once again tricked and discovers that Galdov survived the destruction of his space station and orchestrated the entire event. Bob battles Galdov and escapes, before leading an attack against the Biomech Assimilator.
Finally Bob leads a huge army of Blobs to the Biomech headquarters and a titanic battle begins in the tower's courtyard. Bob leaves his fellow Blobs to take out the enemy whilst he ascends the tower in his pursuit of Galdov. Finding him on the roof, the two battle until Galdov lies defeated. The tower, however, begins to collapse and Galdov taunts Bob that this time he has nowhere to run and that the two will perish together. At that moment, Teeka teleports onto the roof and whisks Bob to safety. The tower then falls, taking Galdov down with it.
Investigating the rubble, the Blobs discover that Galdov once again survived, but now the Biomech leader only wishes to talk. He reveals, to the shock of the Blobs and Bob himself, that Bob is over 1000 years old and was charged with protecting the Blobs by the race's Elders. It becomes apparent that the Blobs did not originate on the world they now live on, but fled there many years ago when threatened by Galdov and his army. All this happened so long ago that Bob forgot his charge. Galdov releases all the Blobs from his control before telling Bob that their destinies are intertwined and they are destined to meet for one last time. Galdov then departs the planet, telling Bob that he will "await him at the beginning".
The game ends with Bob looking onward into a cave in an unknown location, the final narrative revealing Galdov to be a fallen god; Bob's destiny to destroy him.
After you make a move, any opponent blobs directly next to your own become captured and turn into your blobs! The winner is the player who have the most blobs when the board is filled.
If you can't make a move, then you have to pass. Empty space will automatically be filled with your opponent's blobs and then the score will be calculated.
Open source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
cross-platform
Cross-platform
In computing, cross-platform, or multi-platform, is an attribute conferred to computer software or computing methods and concepts that are implemented and inter-operate on multiple computer platforms...
video games by Parallel Realities.
Blob Wars: Metal Blob Solid
Blob Wars: Metal Blob Solid is an open sourceOpen source
The term open source describes practices in production and development that promote access to the end product's source materials. Some consider open source a philosophy, others consider it a pragmatic methodology...
2D arcade platform game developed by Parallel Realities. It plays a lot like New Zealand Story
New Zealand Story
is a arcade game developed and published by Taito. The player controls , a sneaker-wearing kiwi who must save his lover and several of his other kiwi chick friends who have been kiwi-napped by Wally, a large blue leopard seal. The player has to navigate a scrolling maze-like level, at the end of...
whilst also borrowing elements from Ape Escape
Ape Escape
Ape Escape is a platform game published, produced and developed by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation. It was originally released in 1999. It was re-released for the Sony Greatest Hits and Best for Family line-ups in 2000; for the Platinum Range in 2001; and for the PSone Books...
. The main character is a Blob named Bob.
The aim of the game is to rescue Blob MIA
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
s lost while fighting a battle against alien invaders led by their leader, Galdov (the Metal Blob). Metal Blob Solid features numerous different weapons, locations, boss battles and around 9 hours total gameplay. Despite its cute appearance the game does contain blood perhaps making it unsuitable for younger gamers. The blood can, however, be switched off.
The game also contains an in-game "Medal" service, which allows players to receive award notifications for performing certain tasks, not unlike the trophy and achievements system found on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live
Xbox Live
Xbox Live is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation. It is currently the only online gaming service on consoles that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming. It was first made available to the Xbox system in 2002...
.
The title of the game is a play on Metal Gear Solid
Metal Gear Solid
is a videogame by Hideo Kojima. The game was developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and first published by Konami in 1998 for the PlayStation video game console. It is the sequel to Kojimas early MSX2 computer games Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake...
, the popular video game series by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
. Originally the lead character of the game was to be a Blob called Solid.
The game is written in C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
and uses SDL
Simple DirectMedia Layer
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform, free and open source multimedia library written in C that presents a simple interface to various platforms' graphics, sound, and input devices....
for its input, graphics and audio control.
It is available for GNU/Linux, Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, Amiga
Amiga
The Amiga is a family of personal computers that was sold by Commodore in the 1980s and 1990s. The first model was launched in 1985 as a high-end home computer and became popular for its graphical, audio and multi-tasking abilities...
, BeOS
BeOS
BeOS is an operating system for personal computers which began development by Be Inc. in 1991. It was first written to run on BeBox hardware. BeOS was optimized for digital media work and was written to take advantage of modern hardware facilities such as symmetric multiprocessing by utilizing...
, GP2X
GP2X
The GP2X is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and portable media player developed by South Korean company GamePark Holdings. It was released on November 10, 2005, in South Korea only....
, PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
, Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
and Dreamcast.
Plot
When a number of his friends become missing in action, Bob takes it upon himself to enter into enemy territory and rescue them. Along the way he infiltrates a number of Biomech strongholds and discovers information pertaining to a number of crystals hidden within several Ancient Tombs. The crystals are said to hold vast magical powers.Bob retrieves three of the four before Galdov beats him to the fourth, granting the alien leader supernatural powers. Bob pursues Galdov to his space station, where he plants a number of bombs and battles Galdov for control of the fourth crystal. Winning the fight Bob flees the space station, leaving
Galdov to be destroyed along with it.
Sequel
A sequel, Blob Wars : Blob And Conquer, was released in 2008.Blob Wars: Blob And Conquer
Blob Wars : Blob And Conquer is a game written by Parallel Realities, the latest produced by the two programmers.It is a 3D action-adventure game and a direct sequel to the 2D platform game, Blob Wars: Metal Blob Solid. Again, the name is a play on a popular game franchise, this time Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer
Command & Conquer, abbreviated to C&C and also known as Tiberian Dawn, is a 1995 real-time strategy computer game developed by Westwood Studios for MS-DOS and published by Virgin Interactive. It was the first of twelve games to date to be released under the Command & Conquer label, including a...
.
Unlike the previous game, this sequel is fully 3D and Bob is now accompanied on his missions by a number of other Blobs, mostly a sidekick known as Teeka. The game features a much more intricate plot than the previous game and contains a number of static and real time cutscenes.
The game was developed over a period of around two years, is written in C++
C++
C++ is a statically typed, free-form, multi-paradigm, compiled, general-purpose programming language. It is regarded as an intermediate-level language, as it comprises a combination of both high-level and low-level language features. It was developed by Bjarne Stroustrup starting in 1979 at Bell...
, and uses SDL
Simple DirectMedia Layer
Simple DirectMedia Layer is a cross-platform, free and open source multimedia library written in C that presents a simple interface to various platforms' graphics, sound, and input devices....
for its input and audio control and OpenGL for rendering its graphics.
Plot
The game begins eight months after the events of Metal Blob Solid.Since the defeat of Galdov, Bob has rallied the Blob troops together and they have begun to fight back to liberate their planet. Bob then plans to strike the enemy bases themselves, but one day one of his close friends, a Blob named Teeka, does not return from a scouting mission. Bob searches for him, but is lured into a Biomech trap. Nevertheless he escapes and rescues Teeka in the process. The pair return home only to find their base under attack by Biomech forces. Bob fights back against the invaders and then turns his attention to the enemy bases.
After destroying the Biomech Supply Depot and the Communications Base, Bob stumbles across a map that is said to reveal the location of a 5th Ancient Tomb and the Life Crystal. Terrified as to what may happen should it fall into enemy hands, Bob sets off to the tomb hoping to get there first. However, he is once again tricked and discovers that Galdov survived the destruction of his space station and orchestrated the entire event. Bob battles Galdov and escapes, before leading an attack against the Biomech Assimilator.
Finally Bob leads a huge army of Blobs to the Biomech headquarters and a titanic battle begins in the tower's courtyard. Bob leaves his fellow Blobs to take out the enemy whilst he ascends the tower in his pursuit of Galdov. Finding him on the roof, the two battle until Galdov lies defeated. The tower, however, begins to collapse and Galdov taunts Bob that this time he has nowhere to run and that the two will perish together. At that moment, Teeka teleports onto the roof and whisks Bob to safety. The tower then falls, taking Galdov down with it.
Investigating the rubble, the Blobs discover that Galdov once again survived, but now the Biomech leader only wishes to talk. He reveals, to the shock of the Blobs and Bob himself, that Bob is over 1000 years old and was charged with protecting the Blobs by the race's Elders. It becomes apparent that the Blobs did not originate on the world they now live on, but fled there many years ago when threatened by Galdov and his army. All this happened so long ago that Bob forgot his charge. Galdov releases all the Blobs from his control before telling Bob that their destinies are intertwined and they are destined to meet for one last time. Galdov then departs the planet, telling Bob that he will "await him at the beginning".
The game ends with Bob looking onward into a cave in an unknown location, the final narrative revealing Galdov to be a fallen god; Bob's destiny to destroy him.
Sequel
Although the ending of the game leaves the series open for another game, the developers have not confirmed whether one is in development.Blob Wars (Flash Game)
Blob Wars, the flash game, is an interesting board game made by KwikGames. It's is a turn-based strategy game, were the goal is to gain control of the board by attacking your opponents blobs and converting them to your own. Blob Wars can be played single player, against the computer, and 2 players, against your friend. It features 6 different boards to play on. A game like Blob Wars takes strategy and patience.How to Play
The rules are very simple... you can spawn a blob into an adjacent space or you can jump into an open space one square away. Select a blob on your team by clicking it with the mouse. Once selected, your blob will be highlighted and the possible moves you may take will be shown with darkenen green tiles. Click on a highlighted space to complete your move.After you make a move, any opponent blobs directly next to your own become captured and turn into your blobs! The winner is the player who have the most blobs when the board is filled.
If you can't make a move, then you have to pass. Empty space will automatically be filled with your opponent's blobs and then the score will be calculated.
Metal Blob Solid
- Blob Wars: Metal Blob Solid Homepage
- Making of Metal Blob Solid Homepage
- Parallel Realities Homepage
- http://homepage.bluewin.ch/Chainsaw/index4.htmlGame tips and cheats menu on the PSPPlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
version] - GP2X port
- Linux.com Article and Interview
Blob and Conquer
- Blob Wars : Blob And Conquer on fossfor.us
- Blob Wars : Blob And Conquer Homepage
- Making of Blob And Conquer Homepage
- Linux Got Game: Blob Wars (Blob And Conquer)
- Blob And Conquer review at Penguin Sightings