Blender Bros.

Blender Bros.
Developer(s)	Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)	Infogrames
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance
Release date(s)	NA April 15, 2002
Genre(s)	Platform, Action
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Blender Bros. is an action/platform game for Game Boy Advance that is developed by Hudson Soft and published by Infogrames.

Story

The player is Blender, the fearless leader of the Cosmo Keepers. He is determined to save the galaxy from the evil, but cute Zooligans. He has a huge set of ears that he can use for sonar (for figuring out where to go in a level), to fly for a short period of time, or to hit enemies with his signature spin move.

In the game, he uses Mini Bros. to help him. They all have special abilities that vary. Some can be used for lighting dark areas, some can heal Blender's life, and some do other things.

Gameplay

Blender Bros. is a somewhat atypical platformer. Blender performs most of his attacks using his ears, generally using the B button depending on context. Pressing down in midair, or pressing A to jump from the crouch position, will cause Blender to flip upside-down and perform a high jump. Pressing B while doing a high jump causes Blender to perform a "downward attack" resembling a drill. Blender can also charge his B spin, to perform a "spin wave". The spin wave is Blender's longest range range attack, not including the extra attack range given by equipping Nuckle (the default Bro that you start the game with).

The levels are nonlinear, and focus on puzzle-solving and dexterity rather than speed (though the levels are timed, and you can track your times for each level). One unique aspect of the levels is the ability to interact with the background. Most levels consist of two layers - a front area and back area - that you can periodically move between. When you are in the front area, enemies and switches can be seen in the back area, forewarning you about the next part of the level. If you have access to a cosmo ball (a red ball that blender can throw to kill enemies or hit switches), you can throw it upward to hit objects in the back area, allowing you to eliminate enemies before having to cross paths with them.

The total game consists of seven worlds - Oasis, Diva, Earth, Shelltarl, Cosmo Heaven, Fo9, and Millitar. With the exception of Shelltarl, which is a single long level, each world is divided into three main stages, followed by a boss. ^[1] Oasis is the only world unlocked at first. You also have access to Cosmo Heaven, but only as a hub at first. After beating Oasis, you unlock Diva and Shelltarl. After beating those, Earth and Fo9 are unlocked. Beating these unlocks Millitar. Upon completing Millitar, Cosmo Heaven is invaded by the Zooligans, turning it into the final world of the game.

Throughout the game, you can collect different Bros. Bros are familiars that give you particular abilities. Nuckle, the Bro you start out with, gives you extra range for your primary attack. Some Bros can also be evolved when you play the right music for them. The records to play this music are available in the shop for ten bones apiece (bones being the currency of the game).

Reception

Tim Tracy of GameSpot gave this a 7.4 and wrote, "If you enjoy good 2D platform games, you can't go wrong with this one."^[2] A common criticism of the game was that it was too short and over too quickly.^[1][2][3]

References