Blender Bros.

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Blender Bros.
Developer(s)	Hudson Soft
Publisher(s)	Infogrames Piko Interactive (Windows)
Platform(s)	Game Boy Advance Windows
Release	Game Boy Advance NA: April 15, 2002 Windows August 25, 2020
Genre(s)	Platform
Mode(s)	Single-player, multiplayer

Blender Bros. is a platform game for Game Boy Advance developed by Hudson Soft and published by Infogrames in 2002.

Plot[]

The player is Blender, a futuristic dog-like animal and the fearless leader of the Cosmo Keepers. He is determined to save the galaxy from the evil, even from the 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, etc.

Gameplay[]

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 attack, not including the extra attack range given by equipping Nuckle (the default Bro that players start the game with).

The levels are nonlinear, and focus on puzzle-solving and dexterity rather than speed (though the levels are timed, and players can track their 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 a back area - that players can periodically move between. When players are in the front area, enemies and switches can be seen in the back area, forewarning them about the next part of the level. If they have access to a cosmo ball (a red ball that Blender can throw to kill enemies or hit switches), they can throw it upward to hit objects in the back area, allowing them 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. Players also have access to Cosmo Heaven, but only as a hub at first. After beating Oasis, they 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, players can collect different Bros. Bros are familiars that give them particular abilities. Nuckle, the Bro players start out with, gives them extra range for their primary attack. Some Bros can also be evolved when they play the right music for them. The records to play this music are available in the shop for ten bones a piece (bones being the currency of the game).

Reception[]

Blender Bros. has received mixed reviews, averaging a score of 73/100 on Metacritic based on 10 critics' reviews.^[2]

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."^[3] A common criticism of the game was that it was too short and over too quickly.^[1][3][4]

References[]