Worms. Gambling. Death!!
It's not often a parent introduces their young child to gambling! But, I figured racing blobs was going to be worth the risk of the cops knocking on my door. Yep, you heard correctly, today we are going to be betting on green blobs which is something similar to the horse racing machines at the seaside amusement arcades (and this one won't cost you a penny!)
Developed by Kev Davis back in 1991, Blob was never released for some insane reason.Well, not until 1994 after he saw an unreleased beta on a Menu Disk... Yikes!
You know me, folks, I love Atari ST games but our PD/Homebrew scene is something else. There is so much out there just waiting to be re/played. It's often the place to find hidden gems bursting with innovative ideas from people that loved to experiment. Well, I think Blob Race is just that and I've gotta say Kev has a fantastic sense of humour!
What am I waffling on about? Let's take a look at a screenshot before you should read on...
Ricky D. would be proud of that boulder... until it squashed a blob to death!
Wacky Races
All games are a gamble and we begin with £100 in the kitty. Racing a blob is just like the games from the arcades: pick yourself a likely winner from a selection of six candidates. Each has a name and its own individual characteristics for speed, reactions (how well they can maintain that speed) and the number of tricks they're able to perform.
Oh yes, a blob can possess a bunch of tricks used against competitors such as throwing bombs, riding a bike, and sprouting helicopter wings. If all this wasn't enough, you might see one teleport or explode. Love it!!
The betting system is simple but not like you might expect: come first and you get your winnings at the specified odds. Coming in second allows half of that, whilst third place gets you your money back. Finish worse than that and you receive a big-fat-nothing. This system actually works really well and helps keep everyone playing for longer.
It's time for another glorious screenshot of technically amazing graphics. Well, no, but at least it's a funny one...
One gets crushed by a ton weight and another develops helicopter hair.
High Roller Racing!
That's about all there is to this belting game: pick a blob and watch it squelch across the screen. It's great fun but what makes it extra awesome is its simplicity and superb humour: I loved the falling ton weights, bombs, and lots of other worm-like incidents. Also, the news headlines are funny: avoid cliches like the plague. My only criticism would be the length of each race which is too short otherwise Blob is ace and gets a thumbs-up from both of us here. You'll love it!!
Come on, grab the download and give this stupid game a run for its money. Let me know what you think.
