Blobbit Dash

A tomato, which we think of as a vegetable, is actually a fruit. So is an avocado. What is it with vegetables masquerading as other objects?

Looking like an escapee from the Munch Bunch, Blobbit Dash's titular star claims to be of the animal part of the animal/vegetable/mineral triumverate. However, Blobbit does bear a striking resemblance to an avocado, so much so we found we had a mild craving for guacamole after playing.

Whatever his origins, Blobbit's in a spot of bother – he's been asked to rescue his Blobbit Babies from an assortment of menacing goons, each of whom also bear worrying resemblances to fruit and veg.

Of course, he's not alone; he's dragging you in to help him rescue the aforementioned infants (who, incidentally, look like various berries). As such, it's up to you to guide Blobbit around a grassy arena, avoiding the wandering (blackberry-esque) Vernimb and the occasional appearance by Count Grabula.

Rescuing the babies by walking over them, the challenge arises when the Vernimb and Grabula get in your way or you come up against the in-game time limit. Get caught out by either and you'll lose one of your three lives.

Circumnavigate both successfully, however, and you'll be free to collect all of the missing minors before escaping from the level via the magical portal that opens. It won't open until you've gathered up all the babies though, so if you get stuck on a particular level, you could be there some time.

Given its simple dynamics, Blobbit Dash is actually a fairly entertaining game. It's an ideal no-brainer, requiring very little thought. You move Blobbit around using your thumbpad or the '2', '4', '6', and '8' buttons, and that's all there is to it.

A sense of timing comes in useful, particularly with the Vernimb that pace a set path, as does a sense of derring-do (you'll experience a few close scrapes). But this really is a game that your grandmother could play.

The looks and sounds are equally simplistic and you certainly won't need a high-end handset to get the best out of the game. The characters have a certain vegetable charm about them, and the presentation as a whole is very polished for a game that was developed by one man – a chap called Mark, we're told.

There's a sense of down-home wholesomeness that permeates Blobbit Dash that's no doubt a by-product of Mark's passion and enthusiasm for the craft (a former PC game designer, it's one of many games he's developed and is publishing himself). It's like visiting the local farmer's market to buy your groceries instead of visiting a money-grabbing, exploitative supermarket; you get that same self-righteous glow that you're helping out the little guy.

That's not intended to be a criticism by any means, but it does highlight a potential rotten tomato: if you're after something that's full of flash, official movie licence tie-ins or big bucks branding, you'll be disappointed. Blobbit Dash won't grab you by the lapels and insist that you stay sat on that bus to play through another level; it'll take you aside quietly and politely ask if you'd like to stay a little longer, and perhaps enjoy a cup of (Fairtrade) tea?

It all comes down to what you're looking for. If you want a game that's easy to pick up, relaxing to play and that won't contribute to third-world poverty, then Blobbit Dash will be your bag of organic onions. If, on the other hand, you've a hunger for something a bit more daring, edgy and potentially hazardous to your health, look elsewhere.

For a chilled out summer afternoon, lazing in the garden or allotment, Blobbit Dash is top banana.