Blow Me Up (XBLIG): "An Explosive Experiment In Love/Hate Relationships"

I'll begin by saying that this game is a bit on the 'mature' side of things. Not only does it involve a blow-up doll, but the messages the doll sends you are a bit on the naughty side of things. I wouldn't say it was straight out, in-your-face kind of stuff but it'll definitely be obvious to the older gamers. This game involves a rather odd looking little dude, a pig, and a blow-up doll who have unwillingly been subjected to someone's cruel experiments. There are 30 levels of explosive, and bloody gameplay that invloves the little guy getting blown up from one point to the next. To win you must launch the little dude across obstacles to get him to a pool of water. His pet pig also plays a role where blowing up chickens, and cows is required. The ultimate goal is to reunite with your lost companions, and score a 3 star rating on each of the game's levels if at all possible.


Gameplay in 'Blow Me Up' is fairly simple, and requires the use of a few buttons on your Xbox 360 controller. You will use the 'Left Thumbstick' for aiming where the dude goes, and the 'A' button to charge the character's blast. After you hold the 'A' button down for the necessary amount of time you will release it to blast the little dude across the screen. The longer you hold down the 'A' button the further the little guy will travel. You will also use the 'Right Thumbstick' to look over the levels in search for the nearest way to the exit. The 'D.Pad' can be used to zoom in, and out of the screen.

There are actually a total of 29 levels in this game. The 30th level is your 'reward' which is a secret. Each level in 'Blow Me Up' is a maze-like area with obstacles, and puzzles involving a limited use of blasts/fuel. On the left side of the game screen there is a bomb/blast meter that lets you know when you run out of 'fuel'. The longer you hold down the 'A' button to perform a blast the more the fuel from the fuel meter will be depleted. Using your limited amount of fuel wisely is a must when it comes to making it to the end of each level. For most stages/levels you'll find one true way to the pool of water at the end, but there are some exceptions where different routes are made available. Finding the quickest way can earn you 3 'friendship' stars. In the game 'Friendship' equals stars. Throughout the game's message driven story the relationship between the little dude, and his blow-up doll companion will be affected by these friendship stars. How much they effect the story I'm not 100% sure? I didn't get too many stars during my playthrough, but the ending seemed good. As you play further into the game you will encounter new elements such as red explosive barrels that give the little guy a major boost, and purple puddles that add an extra bounce. All of these added features contribute to the difficulty as you progress through the game.

Half of the levels in the game involve your pet pig. The pig's objective is totally different form the little guy's goals. In the pig based levels you must blast chickens, and cows into chunky meat bits in order to pass. Within each level involving the pig you will have a set number of farm critters to blast. This is complicated by the same maze-like structures, and obstacles that plagued our little hero. The controls, and the fuel meter remain the same.

In the end I found this game to be fun, funny, and challenging. The puzzle-like gameplay will likely have you repeating a lot of the levels. If your a gaming perfectionist you might even find yourself trying to get those 3 friendship stars for each level. I loved the cartoon art style used in 'Blow Me Up'. It added a bit of humor to the rather naughty adult theme that was going on. The blood effects that involved the loss of the little dude's limbs added a further mature feel to the game. Stegersaurus Games the developer behind this unique XBLIG title really delivered quality gameplay. I did however have one issue that involved the 30th level. I understand what the developer was trying to accomplish, but leaving the game open-ended like it was seemed kind of odd. It was ok though. I just wish the game would have closed out properly is what I'm trying to say, I guess? I still think the game is worth the 80 msp ($1) asking price ... if you are adult enough to handle it.