LOS ANGELES — Here we are at E3, a magazine from Boston. And from Boston, there are some amazing developers of video games.

The biggest local question: Can Harmonix keep it going with Dance Central 2, or have we seen the end of the music video game?

Four local game makers had big news to unveil at the show so far this year, including Irrational Games, of Quincy; Turbine Inc., of Needham, Quick Hit Inc., of Foxborough and of course Cambridge’s own Harmonix Music Systems Inc.

Harmonix has the most riding on the expo. The music game maker is on troubled waters. In February, Harmonix, which created the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises, announced nearly 40 layoffs amid slumping sales figures that spurred parent company Viacom/MTV Games to unload it in a firesale.

At E3 this year, Harmonix showed off the sequel to its latest project, Dance Central, an Xbox 360 exclusive title that was one of the first games built on Microsoft’s Kinect motion capture technology.

Dance Central 2 continues the trend of completely controller-free, full-body motion capture which has made Kinect different than Nintendo’s Wii and Sony’s Move technologies.

The sequel adds real-time multiplayer, allowing two people to bust their moves at the same time. And if you get tired, another friend can jump right in mid-song without penalty.

“We just wanted to get people dancing together,” said Kasson Crooker, senior producer at Harmonix. “The game really shows off Kinect really well. Whenever people talk about Kinect, they talk about our game.”

Dance Central was developed parallel to Kinect, and released around the same time.

“Harmonix adapted and embraced Microsoft’s Kinect peripheral, making Dance Central the system’s first killer app,” said Will Tuttle, a video game industry expert and editor in chief at GameSpy.com. “While this week’s announcement of multiplayer dancing in Dance Central 2 wasn’t earth shattering, you can bet that fans of the first game will snatch it up.”

Dance Central 2 will include more than 40 songs, including music from Rihanna, B.o.B, Usher, Nicki Minaj, and Far East Movement. AL CQ

Harmonix introduced Dance Central here at E3 last year. The game was a success when it launched, selling about 2.5 million copies so far, Crooker said.

Tuttle thinks the company will come out of this year successfully.

“No matter what they do next, I think Harmonix has shown that they know music games far better than any developer in the game industry,” he said. “More importantly, the musicians themselves now respect Harmonix enough to work closely with them, ensuring a finished product that is more polished than competing games.”

But a change was obvious for Harmonix at the show this year. In years past, the company was a larger-than-life presence at E3. In 2009, during the Beatles Rock Band hype, the company erected mock concert stages and had one of the largest booths at the show. Last year’s was 100,000 square feet, with Dance Central. Harmonix had dance floors created to show off the game. This year, Harmonix, under new ownership, was relegated to sharing space with five other Kinect games inside Microsoft’s booth.

The problem for Harmonix has been the plateauing and quickly declining popularity of music games. Sales problems resulted in conflict with Harmonix parent company Viacom/MTV Games, which put Harmonix on the block. In December, Harmonix was bought by New York investment firm Columbus Nova LLC for $50 in cash and the assumption of $100 million in liabilities.

Elsewhere around the Bay State’s presence in LA, tiny Quick Hit actually busted out of the gate first, with the announcement Monday that it would be essentially bought out by Majesco Entertainment Co., of New Jersey.

Quick Hit produces a free online football strategy game which received a coveted NFL license last year.

Majesco paid about $800,000 for nearly all of the company’s assets and will hire all of its employees, CEO and founder Jeffrey Anderson who will join Majesco as its Senior Vice President of Social Games.

The move makes sense for Majesco, as the company is focused on casual and social gaming and is trying to make a big move into sports this year. Majesco also announced Monday that it would develop an NBA licensed basketball game that uses casual elements combined with motion capture technology. That game is due out next spring.

Irrational, the Quincy-based arm of 2K Games, is the studio behind the Bioshock video game franchise. It did not exhibit at E3 last year, but this year it showed off a new game and hinted at a second new title in the works.

At a Sony press event Monday, Ken Levine, Irrational’s creative director, announced that the PlayStation 3 version of its upcoming Bioshock Infinite game would be compatible with PlayStation Move for motion capture. Levine also said that he had a “pet project” in the works – a Bioshock game for Sony’s new PlayStation Vita handheld system. He did not give the project a name or release any other details on the game.

The barebones announcement still set off fuses of excitement in the gaming community.

“That’s all we know. But like, isn’t that enough to pique your interest? It’s enough for us,” blogged Justin McElroy, the reviews editor at Joystiq, who was covering the Sony event.

Another consistent local success story at E3 is Turbine. After being purchased by Warner last year and taking its popular online role playing game The Lord of the Rings Online from a subscription model to a free play model, Turbine now runs the number 3 and 4 online RPGs in the world, in Lord of the Rings and Dungeons and Dragons Online.

At E3 this year, Turbine announced the Rise of Isengard expansion pack, which adds three new regions for players to explore as well as expanding the leveling-up ability to 75, and adding a 24-player cooperative mode as players explore and save Middle Earth. (more on that later this week)

Also at E3, Immerz Inc., with an office in Cambridge, showed off a new and improved version of its KOR-fx device, which places an audio peripheral on the user’s chest, allowing them to actually feel what’s going on in a game or a movie. The company sees applications for the device in movie theaters, theme parks, and now with video games. Inventor Shahriar Afshar CQ announced yesterday the company’s first partnership for a video game built with KOR-fx technology, High Flyer Death Defyer, upcoming from Game Mechanic Studios, which also makes the Resistance franchise on the PlayStation.

The newly designed version of the KOR-fx was a brilliant move. Immerz waited until the product was ready in order to set a release date. Blast checked out this product at E3 last year, and it just wasn’t ready for shelves. There were too many wires, and it felt like you were being hooked up to some kind of polygraph by the time you turned on your movie or video game. The new version can be used wired (with fewer wires) or wireless, so that it does not get in your way. It was a smart move that will help the product when it launches this fall, especially in its near $200 price point.

So you’re done with Kinect Adventures and trained just about your last cat in Kinectimals; what is there to do with shiny new Kinect? Why learn the fine art of wrestling showmanship from one of the sport’s biggest icons of course!

Today, Majesco and Panic Button LLC announced Hulk Hogan’s Main Event, exclusively for Xbox 360 and Kinect. In the game, players will create their own superstar and ”learn the ropes from the man himself,” develop a wrestling persona and learn how to put on a show by “emulating famous Hulk poses and performing more than 30 punishing combos.”

“Hulk Hogan is much more than a wrestling star; he’s a sports entertainment icon with a huge personality, a massive following on Spike’s IMPACT WRESTLING, and immediate recognition across generations of fans,” said Jesse Sutton, CEO Majesco Entertainment.  “Partnering with the Hulkster for Hulk Hogan’s Main Event is a dream come true and we’re looking forward to releasing a no holds barred motion-based experience that offers a full suite of over-the-top moves.”

Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a quote from Hulk Hogan himself. Oh cool…

“Listen up, people! You will feel the power of Hulkamania when you step into this game,” said Hulk Hogan. “Whether you are taking the damage or selling the pain, this game will let you unleash your inner wrestler as you hype up the crowd while putting the hurt on anyone that stands in your way!”

No release date has been given, but Blast will be training, saying our prayers and eating our vitamins with Hulk Hogan and Kinect at this year’s E3.

Greg Hastings Paintball 2 is an interesting departure from the typical shooter. It’s a strictly team-based title that is designed to be a hardcore, real-world paintball sim. There is a single player campaign that takes you through a series of real paintball tournaments and allows you to build a team of up to 10 shooters, while consistently unlocking new equipment and upgrades with money earned from the various events.  There is also a robust, highly customizable local multiplayer mode – and a map editor for folks who want to design paintball scenarios from the comfort of their couch.

It was a new experience for me to play a shooter where your opponents don’t get traditionally “killed” but are rather eliminated by taking a paint spec. What is not immediately obvious about this detail before you get into GHP2 is that it affects play by allowing users to periodically “cheat” and wipe paint off when they’re hit. It is a calculated risk to try, and best to do in deep cover. If the refs see you, the team loses two players instead of just one. Do it too many times in a match and you’ll be hitting the pine in hurry.

The other interesting game mechanic introduced here is the ability to slide. GHP2 features 3 vertical positions like CoD: prone, crouched or vertical. If players are vertical and hit the crouch button while on the move, they’ll perform a slide that stays low and puts them right up against cover if performed at the right distance. It certainly adds to mobility and can be used effectively to avoid danger in certain situations.

Screeshot is from HD version

When I agreed to review GHP2, I had the choice of either Xbox 360 or Wii. I decided on the Wii version because I wanted to know if a game like this could really handle itself with the Wii’s motion controls. If indeed that were true, it might be really fun. Several shooters, like The Conduit and Red Steel 2, are amazing on the Wii and I was hopeful this would also be the case with GHP2 – especially since it is one of the few to incorporate online play. Unfortunately, these hopes were quickly dashed.

First off, the Wii Zapper controls are so bad. Having to reach up to the Wiimote position and tap A to zoom from the Nunchuck position is a ridiculous chore – a deal-breaker really. You can’t win playing this way because you don’t have easy access to the whole host of game controls. Using the Wiimote/Nunchuck combo without a Zapper is slightly more manageable (although you should keep Zapper controls on), with easier access to the A button for zooming in and out. You will still have to hunt for buttons, however.

Unfortunately, all forms of motion controls in GHP2 are just entirely too spastic to provide any sense of real accuracy or room for effective strategy. Your slightest movements outside the field of view and most snap-back reactions will send you spinning wildly out of frame. If this happens while you’re running, diving or otherwise maneuvering, you’ll typically end up leaving yourself exposed in the worst of possible places. I gave the motion controls my best shot for a day or two. I really did. Ultimately, they were just too unforgiving for what is basically a stealth/ cover shooter though. You can widen the Wiimote’s dead zone so that aiming in the corners of the screen is more possible without the whole view changing – but it is still extremely frustrating to use.

Once I strapped up the Classic Controller, I started to enjoy GHP2 a little and understand the game of paintball. I have never played in my life, so a level of education was necessary.  Although GHP2 does not do a tremendous job of explaining the mechanics of the real game step-by-step, especially when it comes to equipment considerations and game types, it is really the best way to learn about the sport I can think of without actually going out and doing the real thing. After playing the GHP2, I feel like my first couple of moves on a real paintball field might not be all that terrible.

Screenshot is from HD version

GHP2 offers an absurd level of customization in both single-player and local multiplayer modes, and the incorporation of  real-life players, locations, equipment and even crowd noise all go a long way toward making the experience feel authentic. Fans of the sport will likely be at home with the title and have natural instincts on how to best cover territory and with which loadouts. Another interesting equipment wrinkle introduced here is the weight factor. You can pimp your gear out to the gills if you want, but it will cause you to suffer in the mobility department. It would literally take months to master all the various loadout options in GHP2, as you work to equip your team of (ultimately) 10 players with all the right stuff.

Blast Factor: While I did have fun with this game, there was rarely a moment when I didn’t wish I was playing something else. I liked the environment and gameplay variety. The sad fact here though is this is just not a good title for the Wii platform. It becomes playable and somewhat interesting once settling on a Classic Controller, but this is really just an argument for playing the game on another platform. If you have a 360 or PS3, don’t even think about this title for Wii. First off, it’s virtually impossible to find a game online, so that aspect of it might as well not even be there. Second, the graphics on the Wii version are really limited and present functional problems when trying to track your shots. You account for wind and gravity in GHB2 – which is cool and relatively original – but it doesn’t add much when you can’t see where the paintballs are going and the splotches you do see vanish almost immediately. The AI is nothing to sing about either. Your teammates are straight garbage.

For real fans of paintball, I might recommend this title on 360 or PS3. But definitely rent it first. If you do end up buying, you will get a free paintball pass for two that is valued at up to $300. If you use the voucher, I suppose you could say the game pays for itself.

Let’s be clear here: Cooking Mama is a great franchise.  Most titles for the Nintendo DS are hit-or-miss, and it’s rare to have something to consistently look forward to.  That said, it’s not a title I would normally pre-order or spring to buy, because I fear that the series has very little room to grow.  But Cooking Mama 3 has put my fears to rest by keeping the core elements intact, making them more challenging for seasoned players, and adding a whole new set of gameplay features to keep the series fresh.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” is a hard axiom for most developers to follow, but Majesco has done admirably little to change core gameplay.  You’re still playing catchy mini-games to cook food with Engrish-speaking Mama, and these games still have enough charm to appeal to casual gamer and veterans alike.  They’ve only been improved by streamlining the process to keep frustration at bay; there are some points where rather than starting over, you’ll be given the option to save yourself and soldier onward.  A cookbook full of new recipes will make you feel like you’re actually able to make creme brulee, but don’t let it go to your head–you can’t.  I checked.

The biggest new feature is Shopping.  You must battle your way through frustrated salarymen, women with screaming babies, overeager salespeople to capture your desired ingredients.  If you’re too slow, you’ll have to play a mini-game to escape.  It’s a very cute feature, though it isn’t well-integrated with the game as a whole, and sometimes employees are particularly difficult to escape, and repeating mini-games is not my favorite thing to do once I’ve mastered them.

Blast Factor: This game is so charming–and has such a high replay value–that I can’t help but give it an excellent review.  Mama always manages to defrost the icy leftovers of my heart, and this may in fact be my favorite installation in the series.  If you’ve ever panned this title, now is the time to reconsider.

Cooking Mama 3: Shop and Chop is available on the Nintendo DS for $29.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

A Boy and His Blob was always more of a good concept than it was a good game; this was true back when it released in the late 80s, and holds to this day. Wayforward (Shantae, Mighty Flip Champs) realized this, and decided that a re-imagining of the now 20-year old title was in order, one that would bring A Boy and His Blob into the minds and living rooms of those who wanted to give the series a second chance, as well as to introduce the ideas of the game to brand new gamers. In doing so, they finally crafted a game that was worthy of the wonderful concept behind the boy and his blob and their jellybeans.

The game is a bit light on story, but here’s the short of it: the Blob lands on Earth, and he needs help to save his planet of Blobolonia. The titular boy finds him, and they set out on a journey full of danger, puzzles, jellybeans and hugs. Yes, there’s a button specifically used to hug Blob, and it’s as adorable as it sounds. Don’t laugh, you’ll catch yourself using it.

The game is presented via beautiful handrawn artwork in a 2D style. It’s 2D, but it isn’t simple–think of Wario Land: Shake It! as this game’s closest kin, presentation wise. The game animates very well, and the real star of the show is Blob, as he morphs into loads of different shapes throughout the game, fluidly and impressively. This morphing process occurs when you feed him jellybeans–different beans give you different abilities, like the jack, for lifting objects and enemies, a trampoline, a bowling ball, a rocket–the list goes on and on.

In the original game, you had a limited number of jellybeans, and the game was a bit more open-ended. In this update, you have unlimited jellybeans, and the game is broken into levels–there are 40 of them, plus 40 bonus levels. You are given a few specific jellybeans for each level, which is basically simple platforming combined with puzzles that grow in difficulty the further you proceed in the game. There are also three treasure chests in each level–they are easy to spot and pick up at first, but this grows more difficult as time goes on as well. You will not find all of the treasures on your first playthrough unless you scour the game world for each and every one, but you can return to a level at any time to replay it as well. Picking up all three treasures in a level unlocks a challenge level for you to visit (more on that later).

These puzzles are very satisfying to complete, especially as you progress through the game. Eventually you will need quick reflexes and to do more than just toss a jellybean anywhere in order to proceed. You can throw jellybeans by holding the B button and checking the angle at which it will land and bounce, and Blob will give chase. You can call Blob back if you miss too, using the C button. This also works if Blob is stuck off screen; the Blob’s AI works most of the time, but for the odd time when he (she?) doesn’t follow you when they are supposed to, you can press the C button a few times to start an automatic return process.

Just because you have a specific set of jellybeans for each level does not mean there is just one way through many of the game’s puzzles or enemies, either. Lots of enemies charge at you from a distance–you could try to peg them with the bowling ball if it’s available, drop an anvil on their head if there’s a ledge above them, drop a hole in the ground, or jump over them as they charge with the trampoline. Oftentimes your jellybean inventory will be full or close to it, so these options are close at hand assuming the environment cooperates.

Even boss fights are puzzles, kind of like in Braid. Once you figure out what to do, it’s very simple, but until you do you may have a bit of a problem. It’s nice to combine action with the puzzle every now and then, so these are satisfying moments in the gameplay.

This slow-paced, puzzle-based gameplay is something you need to be aware of before you throw money down on this game. If you’re looking for a fast-paced platformer where you can run and jump around, then this isn’t the game you’re looking for. The boy is basically helpless without the Blob–he doesn’t run very fast, doesn’t jump very high, and needs the Blob to get around even some of the most basic looking levels. That’s not to say it isn’t a great experience, because it is, you just need to be aware that this is, first and foremost, a puzzle game with platforming elements, not the other way around. My one complaint with this setup is that the hint system–signs with painted Blob objects on them–detracts from some of the satisfaction of solving the puzzles. There are fewer of them as you play, but an option to turn off hints would have been nice.

Then again, Wayforward may have just been saving the bigger challenge for the post-game play. When you complete the initial 40 levels, which takes more time than you think it will–levels extend in length as the game goes on, and as they rise in difficulty the amount of time you spend completing them will also rise–you can play 40 challenge levels, assuming you’ve been discovering the treasures in each level along the way. If you’re unfamiliar with Wayforward games, let me tell you that they don’t kid around when they say “challenge”. These levels will require your reflexes and quick thinking in order to complete them, but once you do, you can unlock concept art and storyboards–this is a great looking game, and you get what you put into the story, so those are two fun additions outside of bragging rights. I played through some of the challenge levels for this review, and they are aptly named–I’ll be happy to pick up the rest of the treasures and complete as many challenge levels as my brain and thumbs can handle now that this review is done.

Blast Factor: Wayforward and Majesco’s A Boy and His Blob is what a remake or re-imagining should be–it keeps the core concept of the original, but improves on enough that the game feels fresh and new. The artwork is gorgeous, and shows off just what the Wii can do with inspired art direction and capable artists, and the gameplay is worthy of the excellent concept of shape-shifting puzzle solving, something the original game has a harder time claiming.

A Boy and His Blob is available exclusively on the Wii, and retails for $39.99. A copy of this game was given to us by the publisher for reviewing purposes.

A Boy and His Blob is a sharp looking game from a developer known for making quality titles. It is also one of the rare instances of a franchise reboot that looks to surpass the original due to the quality of gameplay, instead of just relying on improved looks. We talked to Sean Velasco, the Designer and Director of A Boy and His Blob, about Majesco and Wayforward’s upcoming platformer for the Nintendo Wii.

BLAST: A Boy and His Blob is a property that has not seen the light of day in years–it hasn’t even been released on the Nintendo Wii’s Virtual Console. How did the idea of a re-imagining of the franchise come about, and what appealed to you about working with it?

Sean Velasco: It was actually quite random. A Boy and his Blob has been one of those games that I would play occasionally due to the bizarre factor. On top of that, it has always been a great concept for a game, but the original is just not that fun to play. I talked about it among my peers at WayForward and got the go-ahead to develop a pitch. We wanted to retain the transforming alien toolkit and weird world of the original game, and pair it with modern design and technology. Once our Art Director Marc Gomez created the soft look of the characters, we knew we had the beginnings of something special.

BLAST: For those who have never played the original NES title, let’s hear a bit about the premise and the how the game plays. What similarities and differences are there between the two, just from a gameplay perspective?

SV: Well, let’s start with the similarities. Both of the games have a similar premise; playing as the boy, you feed your alien blob friend jellybeans, which turns him into useful objects. Each jellybean flavor yields a different transformation; tangerine trampoline, root beer rocket, licorice ladder, etc. You use these transformations to navigate the world, solving environmental puzzles and collecting treasure.
As far as differences go, there are many. The new game is split up into levels, whereas the original was an open world. This helps us focus the experience and change the jellybean loadout for each stage. Our game is also much more user friendly than the original; the player has totally redesigned control, infinite beans, and infinite lives. However, this has opened up our level designers to be more fiendish than the original game. Many puzzles require fast reflexes, quick thinking, and multiple transformations in order to solve. Finally, there is a layer of sweet visual polish and a beautiful soundtrack.

BLAST: There are forty standard levels and forty challenge levels in Blob. How are these different from the main levels, and do they exhibit the same kind of difficulty we are used to seeing from Wayforward?

SV: The challenge levels are shorter and more focused on single transformations than the regular levels. And they get hard! The purpose was to let us use the transformations in ways that might be too weird or too hard in the regular levels. Also, the challenge levels must be done in one run without checkpoints. Kudos to whoever can finish every challenge level; it’s quite an accomplishment!

BLAST: The art style is eye-catching, and on its own has gained attention even without knowing how the game plays. What influenced the art direction, and how did you decide this was what a Blob reboot should look like?

SV: We wanted to make the game look like an animated film. Since WayForward is all about great characters and animation, it was an easy decision to take it in this direction. The character designs are all soft, friendly, and hand painted and animated. The background art is also lushly hand-drawn. On top of that, there are many programmatic effects like advanced lighting and moving trees. We wanted to echo the look of Miyazaki or Disney; to create a timeless aesthetic that is instantly appealing.

BLAST: The original A Boy and His Blob was difficult, but not in an intentional way–it came off as frustrating because of some of the game designs, like running out of jelly beans. What would you like to say to those without fond memories of the original, in regards to why they should give the series a second chance?

SV: This game aims to give you everything you remember fondly about the original without the sour bits. There is so much to love; it’s a very complete package. A Boy and his Blob for Wii is a totally new experience, so please check it out!

Majesco, publisher of the impending Boy and His Blob for Wii, today released concept and box art for the project.

Developed by Wayforward Technologies, makers of Shantae, “A Boy and His Blob” is the latest in the Blob line which began in 1989 with “A Boy And His Blob: Trouble in Blobolonia” for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the NES.

The 2009 version stays true to the original in terms of gameplay, as you’ll still feed your blob jelly beans to morph him into various objects needed to solve the game’s 80 levels, but doesn’t make use of the Wii’s motion-sensing technology.

A Boy and His Blob comes exclusivley to Nintendo Wii October 13.

Final Boxart

Remember when I said that A Boy and His Blob, as great as it looks in screenshots, looks better in motion? Here’s some visual proof of that statement. This trailer looks like it belongs in the 80′s, prepping audiences nationwide for the next big animated hit in theaters. Since the original A Boy and His Blob landed in 1989, I’ll take it.

Today we have a few new screenshots for you, straight from Blobolonia. While the game looks excellent in motion–think something like Wario’s outing on Wii, except much, much cuter–the stills have plenty going for them as well.

A Boy and His Blob is adorable, there’s no way around that fact. It’s hard to imagine how the franchise went straight from this to what you see below, but that’s what happens when there aren’t any entries in a series for two decades.

These screens highlight some of the different environments the game’s 40 levels will take place in, as well as a few different shapes and forms you will get to use the titular Blob in. My personal favorite is the Blob Trampoline (Bloboline?) at night in front of a full moon; I kind of wish we had a video of that happening instead of just a screen.

We’ll have more information on A Boy and His Blob for you soon, courtesy of Wayforward. Check back for that and more assets as next month’s launch approaches.

LOS ANGELES — Majesco is primed to make a run for the money with two potentially huge platformer games coming out in A Boy and His Blob and Flip’s Twisted World.

Flip takes a platform concept we saw a bit of in the latest Paper Mario iteration and just blows it out of proportion. This is a very, very difficult looking game. Even the demoer had a difficult time staying alive in the game and not plummeting to the character’s death.

In Flip’s Twisted World “It started as an ordinary boring day for Master Fulcrum’s apprentice, Flip, when he messed with the wrong magic artifact and got sucked into the crazy universe inside. Now he must fight and puzzle his way through five topsy-turvy worlds to return home and put everything back before The Master returns.”

This is a game that literally forces you to think outside the box, since the entire game world is one big cube that you have to flip around to your advantage. The goal is to get through fully 3D levels by manipulating the world. By flicking the remote, a wall in your way becomes a path to freedom and a bottomless pit becomes a useful corridor.

There are also two play styles. You can use the Wiimote and nunchuck or plug in the Gamecube controller for more traditional play. Each gives a unique challenge.

There is something very “Mario” about this game. Maybe it’s all the coins, castles and lava?

The only downfall to Flip’s Twisted World is that it’s not scheduled for release until January. It would be the perfect, wholesome holiday season gift.

LOS ANGELES — A Boy and His Blog was one of the most frustrating in a long line of frustrating NES games. That’s not to say it was a bad game. It was a great platformer designed by Pitfall!’s David Crane, but it was a game that was nearly unwinnable. If you missed one thing over the course of the game, you couldn’t beat it at the end.

“Blob” turned 20 this year, and nobody has touched the franchise since the original until now. Majesco and WayForward are developing a brand new Wii title due out this fall.

Majesco is known for taking something small and turning it into a big deal, (ever hear of Cooking Mama?) and they are poised for a real winner with ABAHB.

Story goes that when Blobolonia is threatened by an evil emperor, the blob comes to earth looking for help. Instead, he finds a young boy. Help the blob dethrone the evil Emperor that’s terrorizing Blobolonia and establish a friendship with the blob that will last a lifetime.

The Wii version, which we got to demo at the Majesco meeting room, looks and plays very true to the original. You feed the blob special jellybeans which turn it into a ladder, a hole, a canon, an anvil, etc, to creatively help you get though the platforms and enemies.

The result is 40 levels of classic video game play.

This is a totally new game, with a totally new development staff, but we talked to Sean Velasco from WayForward during the demo, and he really seems to have kept true to the original. Even the artwork feels retro.

With their surprising success in the crowded casual games genre, Majesco looks poised to continue their winning streak by offering up simple, addictive titles at E3 this year.

Major Minor’s Majestic March (Wii, Holiday Season) turns the Wii Remote into a "magic" baton that bandleader Major Minor uses to keep tempo, recruit new band members, and pick up valuable items. Created by the team that brought us the renowned PaRappa the Rapper franchise, players can add up to 15 different instruments to their dynamic procession—including brass, woodwinds, and percussion—to alter its composition and resulting performance. The band even keeps tempo to more than 25 popular marching band songs from around the world, composed into original medleys for each stage.

In Cooking Mama World Kitchen (Wii, Holiday Season), Mama and friends have a whole new look given the game’s upgrade to full 3D graphics. By utilizing the Wii Remoteas a universal kitchen utensil, players can simulate actual cooking by chopping, grating, slicing, stirring and rolling their way through all new recipes that range from parfait to shrimp au gratin. Best of all, kitchen mistakes during meal preparation result in comedic mini-game surprises; for example, if you flip a burger too high, you can control Mama as she rushes in to save the day by catching it in her apron. Finally, a new game play mechanic integrates traditional Wii Remote utensil play with additional rhythm and motion that makes cooking easier and more enjoyable.

Our House (Wii, Holiday Season) is the only game that lets you build and remodel your home as your own unique customized creation. Players will use their Wii Remote to hammer, saw, paint, tile and much more as they assemble and decorate their family dwelling. Compete with friends in the four-player "build-off" mode while Wii Connect 24 lets players share their creations with others via the literal community-building feature of Neighborhood Mode. If you dream it, you can build it!

Zoo Hospital (Wii, October) is the first game of its kind that lets players experience a veterinarian’s job by using the Wii Remote in surgical procedures to eliminate parasitic pests, perform dentistry, X-ray organs and remove foreign bodies like gallstones to restore the health of 48 ailing zoo animals, including dolphins, gorillas, macaws and camels. Zoo Hospital features a 3D zoo environment and enables up to 2 friends to treat animals together in cooperative multi-player mode. Aspiring vets can also unlock new animals, enclosures, medical mini-games and plaques by successfully performing procedures and raising their "Zoo Rating."

Babysitting Mania (DS, July) puts players in the caregiver’s shoes as they progress through more than 100 levels of fast-paced challenges. Feed, entertain and clean up after rambunctious kids by using the Touch Screen to manage every aspect of the household with speed and precision in 20 chaotic houses. Players also follow the children through the various stages of their lives–from babies to toddlers to teens. Only the ultimate babysitter will survive the frenzy!

Majesco Entertainment announced Wednesday that they will be marketing Air Traffic Chaos for Nintendo DS.

“Developed by Sonic Powered Co., Air Traffic Chaos thrusts players into the hotseat of an air traffic controller whose job is to safely manage a myriad of takeoffs and landings at busy airports around the world,” the company said in a statement.

“Air Traffic Chaos means fun is taking off from Terminal A,” said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. “The game’s frantic pace set against the backdrop of an already high-stress job will challenge fast-fingered Touch Screen gamers in an entirely new way.”

In Air Traffic Chaos, players use the Touch Screen to safely manage takeoffs, gate assignments and landings for all incoming and outgoing airport traffic for 14 different airlines in varying weather conditions. Outstanding performance will earn players 16 different merit badges, including “Veteran ATC” and “ATC Legend.” An in-depth tutorial teaches players the basics of managing the busy skies while three difficulty levels with five stages in each offer plenty of challenge. Players can also share their high scores with up to 7 friends while Rumble Pack support makes the experience more realistic for aspiring air traffic controllers.

Game features:

• Use the Touch Screen to efficiently and safely manage takeoffs and landings for all incoming and outgoing airport traffic
• Keep track of 7 unique types of airplanes for 14 airlines at once in varying weather conditions
• Test your mettle in 3 difficulty levels with 5 stages in each
• In-depth tutorial teaches you how to handle takeoffs, landings, gate assignments, and more
• Earn 16 badges awarded for your actions like “King of Stress,” “ATC Legend” or “Ruler of the Skies”
• View and share your high scores with up to 7 friends in the ATC Library
• Use the Nintendo Rumble Pak to feel the pressure in your hands

Expect the game this summer.

Babysitting Mania has been downloaded more than 7 million times since the release of the popular online PC game.

Now Majesco and Gogii Games are bringing the sequel to Nanny Mania to the Nintendo DS this fall.

“Babysitting Mania brings the fun and excitement of this universal teen occupation to the DS,” said Gui Karyo, Executive Vice President of Operations, Majesco. “This dynamic task management game will keep even the oldest babysitter on his or her toes.”

In Babysitting Mania, players progress through more than 100 levels of fast-paced, overlapping challenges as they feed, entertain and clean up after rambunctious kids in 20 chaotic houses. Players use the Touch Screen to manage every aspect of the household with speed and precision, from strategically employing “timeouts” to overseeing bonus birthday party levels that add neighborhood party guests to the mania. Players must also care for children in various stages of their lives–from babies to toddlers to teens. Only the ultimate babysitter will survive the frenzy!

Zoo Hospital is a plot-driven collection of mini-games that makes you a summer intern at your aunt’s zoo

The adventures unfold as you learn how to treat 40 kinds of animals including mammals, reptiles and birds. It’s your job to diagnose and treat the creatures and return them to their habitats healthy and well-adjusted.

Features:

• Explore the amazing world of animals and learn about animal care, and endangered and exotic species. Budding vets can become experts on their favorites!
• Use the Touch Screen and stylus in medical mini games to treat varied illnesses. Administer injections, apply ointment, pull teeth, remove deadly microbes, X Ray organs and much more!
• Treat 40 different patients from the bird, mammal and reptile families. Start with 10 unlocked animals including: eagle, kangaroo, jaguar, zebra, chimp, panda, hyena, male lion, fossa and cobra.
• Discover how best to calm stressed species through soothing touch.
• Develop new skills via observation, problem solving and motor control that help you successfully decipher a patient’s body language, perform a thorough examination and then determine the most appropriate treatment.
• Consult the Doctor’s Observational Computerized Clipboard (DOCC) to learn what’s ailing your patient while checking vital signs and statistics.
• Get help from, or help a friend in, 2-player cooperative multiplayer!
• Earn award plaques for your trophy room as you become an expert vet.

Get to work from tigers to mearcats as Zoo Hospital tests the DS’ touch screen capabilities in this fun-for-everyone title.

Quick hits:

Publisher: Majesco
Developer: Majesco
Platform: Nintendo DS
Genre: Strategy/Mini-game collection
Players: 1-2
Launch Date: October 23, 2007

Playability: 4 out of 5 stars
Learning Curve: 4 out of 5 stars
Sound: 4 out of 5 stars
Graphics: 4 out of 5 stars
Overall: 4 out of 5 stars