~Hack~ Just Blob (SNES)
| Info | Answer |
|---|---|
| Hacker | TheDutchLuigi |
| Hacked Game | Super Mario World (SNES) |
| Exits | 6 (one per level, tutorial and credits don't count) |
| Set Difficulty | 4 |
| Set Developer | Bl4h8L4hBl4h |
| Number of achievements | 17 |
| Total Score | 125 (normal points), 165 (RetroPoints) |
| Minimum number of playthroughs needed | 1 |
| Number of missable achievements | 0 |
| Hardest achievements of the set | You Deserve Some Credit and Yolo |
Changelog:
1.2: Added and corrected some info. Also you're now able to access this guide directly from this game's RA page! :3
1.1: Added screenshots for everything that needs it and revised some stuff
1.0: First released version, constantly getting fixed after it
Just Blob is an easy Super Mario World hack by TheDutchLuigi with 6 exits. It features custom graphics, music (can you guess what are the original songs?), gameplay, etc. The game prompts you to save every time you beat a regular level.
The plot goes like this: "Young Blob is the main hero of this game. His friends are kidnapped by the evil Dr. Bloo. Dr. Bloo is hiding in his castle and it's up to Blob to find his way through the obstacles thrown at him."
Blob can jump much higher than Mario, but he cannot spinjump. He can also throw a limited supply of balls that act just like your good old fireballs, found throughout the levels. Blob can store up to 99 balls (otherwise, they would have acted like coins and gave you a 1-up). There are no powerups, (visible) score, Yoshis, secret exits or anything like that. Instead, there is a health system with 3 hearts per life (your hearts are kept if you beat a stage and a checkpoint recovers one, but only if you have one heart due to how the SMW powerup system works).
Blob feels happy throwing his balls.
The collectable balls.
The HUD.
This set was developed by Bl4h8L4hBl4h and the patch can be downloaded here or here. There are two numbers after the achievement names, the former referring to normal points and the latter to RetroPoints (which will be different due to the rarity multiplier, which is 1.31x in this case). Fun fact: this game has been featured in AotW (Achievement of the Week) 2022! :3
1) Progression (Total Score: 10 normal points, 10 RetroPoints)
The tutorial is fully optional but recommended for new players.
Stage 1:
Beat Stage 1 (1)(1) Collect the flag at the end stage 1
The true first level in the game. It features the following enemies:
- Gray blobs (they act exactly like Goombas)
- Blue blobs (they act more like the blue Koopas without a shell, but they can only be defeated with jumps, balls just stun them briefly)
- Gray blobs with parachutes
- Jumping gray blobs (they act like Thwimps but with the properties of the gray blobs)
It also features ledges (which you can fall off from by using the down button)
and wall-jumping blocks (which act just like you'd expect).
There is a heart close to the end of the stage,
and before that is a bonus pipe with balls.
Stage 2:
Beat Stage 2 (1)(1) Collect the flag at the end of stage 2
The second stage. Also very straightforward. It only features the gray and blue blobs, but some of them appear while sliding and a few of the blue ones throw the equivalent of shells at you (this is the only level where they appear).
It also has ledges and wall-jumping blocks. There is a heart right after the checkpoint, but beware of the blue blob that comes after!
There is also another heart before the checkpoint, which is blocked by a new feature, bricks which you can break with your balls.
You can't take the "shells" with you because you have to let go of the Y/X buttons to go down ledges.
Stage 3:
Beat Stage 3 (1)(1) Collect the flag at the end of stage 3
Set in a forest full of trees, this level has lots of death pits. Be careful with the camera!
As usual, you get the gray and blue blobs, as well as the jumping gray ones returning here, but now there is a new blob! The yellow blob essentially acts like a Clappin' Chuck but with the properties of a gray blob, making it much easier to defeat,
as well as yet another gray blob, but this one gets shot out of a cannon, a la Bullet Bill and only appears here.
The slime blocks are also (properly) introduced here with a heart above the first one you'll see in this level.
Stage 4:
Beat Stage 4 (2)(2) Collect the flag at the end of stage 4
The only underwater level in the game. Yet again, the gray and blue blobs are here, in lower quantities, as well as 2 new enemies exclusive to this level. The green blobs swim in the direction they're placed in indefinitely, like Cheep Cheeps.
The lime-ish ones swim in a determined place, either horizontally or vertically, also like Cheep Cheeps.
There's also bricks here. You can get 2 1-ups here by bouncing on all of the land blobs, but it's not worth it because there's no achievement for it. Bummer. There is a heart before the checkpoint, at the right of the first split path (yes, this level features many of them).
Stage 5:
Beat Stage 5 (2)(2) Collect the flag at the end of stage 5
Set in a cave. Yet again, we still have the gray and blue blobs, as well as again, 2 new ones, one of them exclusive to this stage. The brown ones are essentially Monty Moles in disguise,
while the black ones bounce and bounce without changing their direction (and can't be defeated with balls, just like with the blue blobs).
There's also ladders you can climb,
but be careful when you reach the small corner to the left of the first set of stairs, as it has a somewhat buggy collision detection, but it's not that big of a deal.
The ledges make their grand return as well as the bricks. There is a heart that you can take by going to the bottom route after the checkpoint.
Stage 6:
Beat Stage 6 (3)(3) Make it to the cake
The final stage of the game (minus the credits), set in a castle. The hardest level of them by far. Here we get the following enemies:
- Gray blobs
- Blue blobs
- Jumping gray blobs
- Yellow blobs
- Black blobs
- And exclusive to this stage are orange blobs which are essentially Lava Bubbles but they can be defeated just like the gray blobs.
- There's also the big gray blobs, which are basically Thwomps.
There are chains (which are basically ladders),
wall-jumping blocks and also ledges. There are 2 hearts, one at the first wall-jumping section
and the second one at the end of the stage.
SPOILER ALERT: THE CAKE IS A LIE! The cake will take you to the only boss of the game, Dr. Bloo, which only takes 4 hits (by jumping, balls will just phase through him) and just throws "shells" at you and jumps sometimes. There are blocks where you can walljump in the arena but you don't really need them that much.
And that's some information about the levels of this game, now let's move on to the...
2) Challenges! (Total Score: 70 normal points, 97 RetroPoints)
Untouchable Blob 1 (5)(6) Finish stage 1 without getting hit or restarting from the midpoint flag
Untouchable Blob 2 (5)(6) Finish stage 2 without getting hit or restarting from the midpoint flag
Untouchable Blob 3 (5)(6) Finish stage 3 without getting hit or restarting from the midpoint flag
Untouchable Blob 4 (5)(6) Finish stage 4 without getting hit or restarting from the midpoint flag
Untouchable Blob 5 (10)(12) Finish stage 5 without getting hit or restarting from the midpoint flag
Untouchable Blob 6 (10)(16) Finish stage 6 including the boss without getting hit or restarting from the midpoint flag
Just as it says on the tin, beat all the previously mentioned levels without taking a hit or respawning from the checkpoint flag. It might take many tries.
99 Blobs but a Coin Ain't One (5)(5) Get 99 blobs of ammo
This one's pretty easy. You'll probably get this on your first playthrough if you keep enough balls.
Yolo (25)(40) Finish stages 1-1 to 1-6 without any deaths (Save the castle for last)
This one is very hard, you, of course, have to beat all the levels (not necessarily in order, but play 1-6 last) without dying. This will definitely take a lot of tries.
3) Credits (Total Score: 45 normal points, 58 RetroPoints)
This section right here is dedicated to the credits level, where the credits (duh) scroll in the background going down (but with the text in an unusual order) while blue blobs with capes (that act just like the caped Koopas without powerups) attack you. Here are the achievements for this level:
C-C-C-Combo (10)(12) Get 10 or more bounces on the credits
C-C-C-Combo Master (25)(33) Get 20 or more bounces on the credits
Both of these are self-explanatory. Something of note is that for some reason, these appear even outside of the credits (don't worry, the closest I've ever been to that was in the water level, where I bounced 9 times). These may take a few tries.
You Deserve Some Credit (10)(13) Get 50 or more lives on the credits screen
For this achievement, you have to bounce at least 8 times (first time you get an extra life) and keep bouncing as much as you can. It's okay if you stop bouncing and hit the floor, but try to do this as little as possible so you can get more 1-ups.
This is a rather good set from an advanced set developer, definitely check it out. The game itself is a good start for SMW hack beginners.
Here are some tips to make your life easier:
- Using your balls on blue blobs might be a better idea than you think.
- Sometimes slowing down (especially on the 3rd and 6th levels) will help you get through the levels easier.
- Do not use your balls too much in the credits level. You may kill too many blue blobs, BUT it is highly recommended to hold down the Y/X buttons to go faster, including in mid-air.
I hope you have enjoyed my first RAGuide and see you at RetroAchievements! More of these will come soon! :3