Sequel Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair from Bulbware brings us a new point and click adventure game with visuals inspired by 1990s cartoons, but with a dash of grottesque. Learn more in our Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair review!
Sequel Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair from Bulbware brings us a new point and click adventure game with visuals inspired by 1990s cartoons, but with a dash of grottesque. The boy with a lightbulb for a head is back and ready for a new journey. You’ll be taking control of the titular character after Grandparaffine asks you to visit the creepy basement of the house so that you can hopefully find the jar full of delicious jam that he so desperately needs. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, it’s not going ot be as easy as just walking in there and grabbing the jar. The good news is that Bulb Boy can light up his way through the darkness thanks to his fluorescent nature. That way, you’ll be able to have a chance to defeat the evil monster who wants to take your head to make it its own. You know, the usual for a day in the life of Bulb Boy.
The game has no dialogue and will, instead, use thought bubbles with images that will allow you to get the gist of things as you progress through the game’s story. As you can see from the trailer and screens in this Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair review, the game does feature plenty of weird and quirky monsters out to get you every step of the way. This does mean the game is not going to be for everyone, since the horror side of things meets the gruesome side of things at all times. If you want to learn more about the prequel Bulb Boy, you can check out Tracey’s review.
Once grandpa lets you know that the aforementioned jam jar is of the utmost importance, you’ll be taking control of Bulb Boy by using the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con, the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, or by making the most of the console’s touchscreen when playing in Portable or Tabletop Mode. That way, you’ll be able to quite literally point at and click on something or someone as needed.
If using the physical controls, you’ll be moving Bulb Boy around each area with the left analog stick or the D-Pad. Use the right analog stick to slightly nudge the camera around you. You can press the A button to interact with objects and other characters, so that you can search for clues or useful items to aid you on your mission. Maybe you find a sharp sword from one of your action figures that could be put to good use. Maybe you find a dirty sock and place it in your pocket… only to realize that its smell is quite nauseting.
Useful items will be added to your inventory, which you can open up by pressing the Y button. This will display all items at the top of the screen. You can use items to solve the puzzles that you’ll run into. As not to spoil things for you, allow me to discuss the first puzzle you’ll need to work on. You can just go into the basement right away since it’s completely dark, and you sorta want some extra light sources to help you find your way. After locating the fuse box, you’ll notice that it’s missing two components. With one of the wires ready to shock you if you so much as look at it the wrong way, you’ll need to find something that can take a shock while also closing up the circuit.
Perhaps you could use a small but sharp object you’ve recently collected? That’s right, the small metal sword from your action figure is the perfect item to get the job done! With one spot taken care of, you’ll still need to search for the other one! The good news is that there’s a nearby box full of old toys and useless junk.. and that means it’s the perfect spot for hiding the missing fuse!
Sequel Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair brings us a new point and click adventure game with visuals inspired by 1990s cartoons, but with a dash of grottesque. The boy with a lightbulb for a head is back and ready for a new journey. You’ll be taking control of the titular character after Grandparaffine asks you to visit the creepy basement of the house so that you can hopefully find the jar full of delicious jam that he so desperately needs. Sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, it’s not going ot be as easy as just walking in there and grabbing the jar. The good news is that Bulb Boy can light up his way through the darkness thanks to his fluorescent nature. That way, you’ll be able to have a chance to defeat the evil monster who wants to take your head to make it its own. You know, the usual for a day in the life of Bulb Boy.
The game certainly has some old-school Ren and Stimpy vibes going on at times, which will certainly bring a smile to fans’ faces. As was the case for its predecessor, this one is a bite-sized experience that should take you around 2-3 hours or so to play from start to finish based on your experience with adventure games… and that’s not a bad thing! Not all games need to be dozens of hours long, and this one manages to be fun and charming – in its own peculiar way – without overstaying its welcome. Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair launches today on Nintendo Switch with a $14.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Bulb Boy 2: Jar of Despair review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Bulbware.
