	LittleBigPlanet
	Developer: Sony Cambridge Studio Publisher: SCEE Release Date: Out Now Players: 1 player, level sharing online and via adhoc	Words By:
LittleBigPlanet PSP is the first PSP game in the ‘Play, Create, Share’ category and stays true to the PS3 version. Everything that was available in the PS3; story levels, create mode and the ability to share levels made the transition to PSP There are a couple of things missing such as multiplayer and the third layer, but this shows that this was not just a simple port and that Studio Cambridge have worked closely with Media Molecule to build a portable experience of the LittleBigPlanet world from the ground up which is better suited to the PSP’s hardware. At its core LBP is a 2.5-D platform game that consists of around 30 levels which have you playing as Sackboy and travelling all over a heavily-stylised globe, from the Australian outback, to the Orient, to the Swiss Alps, to find out why all the creators aren’t creating anymore and to gather them all together for a carnival. The visuals of the game haven’t changed much from the PS3, with all the levels filled with lots of colour and contraptions. As well as the main storyline each level is filled with prize bubbles for you to collect, many containing contraptions for your own levels, stickers or items for Sackboy to wear. There are also a number of hidden keys in some of the levels which unlock bonus minigame levels, which are as wild and wacky as its PS3 counterpart. One minigame has you catching sheep from the air and throwing them in a shearer, and another has you pulling teeth from an ape! The controls are well suited to the PSP and some subtle changes to the main gameplay, such as instead of having a finite number of lives every time you die points are taken away. This helps to make the game easier to pick up and play for a short amount of time. The game also now only has two layers which make the levels less complicated and easier to play and allowed Studio Cambridge to make the story levels longer. The controls aren’t always 100% responsive so on some of the more difficult levels you might find yourself falling off platforms more as it can be difficult to land exactly where you want to. Sackboy can be customised using the costumes pieces you collect in the story mode and also with the stickers and decorations. This allows you to make your Sackboy unique to you and each person’s can be different. The game still has Create Mode, where you are given a blank canvas level and can create what you like but only to the maximum level of the thermometer at the side. The game has a wide variety of different materials and other goodies for you to use when creating your contraptions and these are complimented by the number of stickers and music available to customise your levels with. The game allows you to create things in the two main layers. The only problem with the Create Mode is that due to the controls it can be quite difficult to make exactly what you want, and things may not turn out right. You also seem to have to always use the grid when creating stuff which can get a bit annoying at times. There is also the community moon. This is where you can go online to download and play other people’s levels and where you can post your own levels. The game also allows you to share your levels via adhoc to other players nearby. There is no multiplayer in the game, which I felt was a shame, but Studio Cambridge still managed to pack a lot into this game. Overall LittleBigPlanet PSP is a very good game, staying true to its console brother. There are a few small problems here and there with the controls and some levels had a few glitches, but most of these have been fixed by patches now. The wide variety of levels and replayability make this one of the best games out on PSP at the moment. So if you liked its PS3 counterpart, or are new to the World of LittleBigPlanet, then this is the game for you.

Best Bits
- Replayability
- Infinitely wide variety of levels
- Being able to share levels via adhoc as well as infrastructure

Worst Bits
- Create Mode can be difficult to use
- Controls can be fiddly


by: coolalien