LocoRoco 2

Charmed, I'm sure

How on earth do you describe LocoRoco 2? I mean you can start with telling people that it's a kind of 2D platform game where you tilt the world itself left and right rather than directly controlling a character. You could go on to mention how the aim of the levels is to use the tilting of the game world and the rolling, bouncy nature of the LocoRoco themselves to guide the chubby little critters from their start point to the exit. You could even go on to say how beautifully animated the flat 2D visuals were and what a unique look they give the game. The problem is, whatever you say is going to be a poor replacement for the experience of playing what is quite simply one of the most charming and unique games of the year.

The basic gameplay mechanics are the same as last time, you tilt the 2D world left and right with the PSP's trigger buttons making your smiling LocoRoco roll and bounce around the levels while a quick tap on both triggers at once causes them to jump. Each red flower you find will gain you another LocoRoco and you can merge them together into a single larger LocoRoco by holding down the circle button and another tap of the same button will split them up again. From this simple starting point you have to traverse levels brimming with all manor of stuff from deadly spikes, underground tunnels, swooping currents of air that carry you through the sky, not to mention the evil Moja who must be squashed.

One of the nicest things is that at no point does the game feel confined by a set of rules. There's a constant feeling that if the designers felt it'd be cool to have the LocoRoco explode into an aerial fireworks display at the end of a high temps section then they will. If they want to send you tumbling around inside a large rolling afro then they will. Think falling down a hole should be rewarded with a little rhythm action mini game mid level? Why not. There's a real sense of this being gaming for gaming's sake, if it'll be fun or look cool then it's in regardless of if it makes any logical sense.

The levels themselves are generally huge surreally designed areas (one takes place inside a moving body) ripe for exploration where getting from A to B soon takes a back seat behind the desire to simply explore. That motivation to see what is around is one of the key ingredients in the LocoRoco 2 meal, the more time you put in the more you get out in the form of collectables. Collecting enough of the musical notes found hidden in plants or clouds causes the stage to level-up making collection of the standard pickups, berries and pickories that much easier. There are also little Mui Mui men to find, who then vanish into the Mui Mui house and become available for use in a mini game. Other Mui Mui collectables come in the form of furniture for their house as well as weapons to help defend it from the Bui Bui bombers (yep, we know this is sounding odder by the minute). You'll also gain access to other mini games along the way including Wac-a-Rat style offerings, gambling on Loco Races and something very weird that involves having ladybirds spit you around a level while you use the circle button to control the speed needed to navigate successfully through the course.

For all its obvious charm and eagerness to shower you with gifts there are a couple of little niggles that do crop up after a while. At only twenty four levels its not the longest game in the world, especially if you're not tempted by the joys of exploration, and it does get almost unfairly difficult at times which seems a little at odds with its cheery nature. Other than that though there's really not much to moan about here. Graphically its one of the best looking PSP games around, its 2D cartoon visuals looking far more spectacular in motion than any screenshot could ever hope to convey.

LocoRoco 2 could well be the most enjoyable mix of madcap nonsense and simple yet perfectly formed gameplay that there's been all year. The cartoon world and bizarre cast of characters make absolutely no sense but become all the more lovable because of it; while the tilting gameplay is an intoxicating mix of elegant simplicity and fiendish addictiveness that hooks you right from the off. It may not be one of the festive season's big budget triple-A titles, but it's definitely one of the most smile inducingly fun.

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By Paul Newcombe