LocoRoco hit me in the same way Katamari Damacy did when it first came out: crazy, weird and a ton of fun.
LocoRoco is one of these quirky titles. Originally created on the PDA of Tsutomo Kouno (the game director), the LocoRoco began as cute character sketches. These cute little blobs have a really contagious mood as they sing in their cheerful songs in their own made-up language on your PSP.
The game actually has a storyline. The peaceful world where the LocoRocos live is attacked by the Moja, evil creatures who just want to capture the adorable LocoRoco population and take them away from their blissful land. The purpose of the game is to navigate your LocoRoco through the different levels until they find their LocoHouse.
In this game you don't get to control a character. Instead, you must use the left and right shoulder buttons to tilt the landscape, causing the LocoRoco to roll and bounce, avoiding dangers until they reach their goal. LocoRoco can also split and join back together, which allows them to pass through small spaces.
At first, the goal isn't all that obvious, so if you find yourself stuck it's probably because you have reached the end of the stage. Look around to find two little leaves on the ground, in between some reeds. Stay still for a moment and your LocoRoco will split, sing and their house will sprout.
The controls are fairly simple, which makes this an easy title to pick up and play. However, this is definitely one of those "easy to play, hard to master" games. As you roll your LocoRoco, you pick up berries to grow and pickories (pink little bugs) that are used as currency to play mini-games. There are other collectibles in each level such as the Mui Mui (little men) and LocoHouse parts. The final score for each stage is based on the amount of things you have collected, the size of your LocoRoco and the time used to complete the stage.
Soundwise this game is as cute as hilarious. I loved the little sounds the LocoRoco uttered in different situations, particularly when they were near spikes or enemies (it's a sort of adorable panic) and the "Noy!" screams when they join together. The tunes are catchy, especially the initial title song. More songs will become available as you find the six different types of LocoRoco.
The graphics are quite unique. The 2D visuals are vibrant and interesting, as you pass through narrow tunnels, bounce of squishy grounds and try to keep your balance on moving platforms. The environments can depict anything from jungles to snowy landscapes, spooky grounds with creepy trees, even the insides of an animal that has just swallowed your LocoRoco.
Although the gameplay may seem repetitive, the game keeps throwing different elements at you to make each of the 40 stages worthwhile. There are conveyor belts, secret passages, breakable walls, alternative paths, elastic platforms, switches, vine swings, Moja trying to capture you, spikes, owls that chew you and spit you out in a different shape, cubes to move and use as platforms, wind currents and water wells.
In some occasions you will encounter sleeping creatures that require you to reach a certain size to wake them up. If you have the required size, your LocoRoco will split, regroup and sing, and in return you get a piece for your LocoHouse.
The LocoHouse is a sort of mini-game where you place pieces you have collected to cause chain reactions. It's basically for fun and if you're really into it, you can spend some serious time constructing complicated sets for your LocoRoco to be launcehd into.
There are a couple of other mini-games. One is the Mui Mui Crane (you pick up LocoHouse pieces with a crane), the other is Chuppa Chuppa (the purpose is to get launched as far as possible). There is also the LocoEditor where you can create your own Loco stages and send them to your friends via wireless in Ad Hoc Mode.
LocoRoco hit me in the same way Katamari Damacy did when it first came out: crazy, weird and a ton of fun. It's like nothing you have ever played before. The little smiling faces warm your heart with their singing, the silly lyrics make you giggle and the music will have you humming along after a couple of stages. Some games don't have to be complicated to be enjoyable. LocoRoco shows how a very simple concept comes to life successfully in a fun, quirky title with some of the most loveable characters you will ever meet.
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