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Gelatinous do-gooder de Blob lives by his own colour code

de Blob

DS, Wii

All is not well in Chroma City. The evil, monochromatic I.N.K.T. Corporation has outlawed all colour and fun from daily life. Modelled after its mirthless leader, Comrade Black (just make up your own joke here, please), the corporation’s goal is nothing less than a uniform world peopled with grey-clad drones.

But there is one hope: de Blob. A gelatinous ball overflowing with artistic and athletic ability, Blob can roll, bounce, jump and slide through the landscape, painting every tree, wall, person or poodle he touches with colour and music. Blob also battles I.N.K.T. weaponry (like ink cannons and colour-stealing Leechbots), transforms toxic rivers of ink to clean water and reclaims landmarks, all to inspire the downtrodden citizenry.

Confused? Basically de Blob is a highly imaginative platforming puzzle game with musical elements, all wrapped in Nintendo’s whimsical aesthetic and employing an innovative control scheme. Swinging the Wii Remote or flicking the DS stylus sends Blob ricocheting through the city, where real-world (sort of) physics are at play. For example, as Blob soaks up more paint he gets bigger and can battle tougher foes, but he also becomes heavier and less agile.

And beware bad artistic choices (like mixing purple and green to make brown), and ominous traps that sizzle Blob or turn him black, leaving him to spread killing colours until he can wash off. And while the plot is decidedly goofy, it supports an intricate single-player campaign as our glorious globule leads Chroma City’s rainbow insurgency. Colour is freedom, my blobby brothers!

PURE

PC, PS3, Xbox 360

Racing all-terrain vehicles is definitely an extreme sport, but it’s shuffleboard compared to the PURE version. This ATV racer features realistic bikes, but the action is wildly over the top: riders jump hundreds of feet in the air over cliffs and above cities, pulling off gymnastic tricks and poses. And you’re supposed to finish first, too.

Release Date: September 16   

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

DS, PS2, PS3, PSP, Wii, X360

This action game from LucasArts fills in the lost era between Episode III and Episode IV, but with a dark twist: you play Starkiller, Darth Vader’s apprentice. Using a variety of Dark Side powers plus your trusty lightsaber, your evil mission is to exterminate the remaining Jedi do-gooders.

Release Date: September 16