LittleBigPlanet (LBP) is a puzzle platforming video game which is based on the series main tagline “Play, Create, Share”. The tagline characterizes three elements of LBP: playing alone or with friends, creating new content, and sharing creations. LittleBigPlanet was developed by Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2008 for PlayStation 3,4 and 5, Windows, PlayStation Portable and Vita.
LittleBigPlanet‘s Exciting Features
LittleBigPlanet spends some time platforming through levels, with an eclectic backdrop of all manner of manipulated worldly items set in front of a larger than life, pseudo-realistic backdrop. Whatever the final story ends up being, it will undoubtedly have the player solving many platforming puzzles. Even adding some minigames along the way. But as anyone who’s played past entries will vouch, this is no ordinary platform jumper. The new controls on the Vita will only separate it even further from the mainstream.
Offers More Playability
Although this will not be Sack boy’s first foray into the portable arena, there are so many more input variations in the Vita than in its predecessors. From official trailers and gameplay footage, just a fraction of one level is seen involving many different control styles. The player will still physically move their character with the control stick but spend a lot of time touching the front screen as their turning gears, moving items, and launching Sack boy via a slingshot—just a few of the hundreds of possibilities.
Controls Beyond this World
The rear touchpad will truly make the world feel like it’s in the palm of the user’s hand, pushing objects and platforms into the foreground to progress through the stage. LittleBigPlanet‘s system Sixaxis motion sensing will also be used liberally, tilting the system to help Sack boy across chasms (among a myriad of other uses).
The Controlinator will still be the main design implement, with the Touch Sensor and Touch Tweaker able to fine-tune the touchscreen and rear touchpad inputs. The Motion Recorder replaces the Move Recorder from the PS3, but functions the same way, simply using the touchscreen instead. Layers are also being given an interface overhaul, making it easier to adjust how thick or thin the objects are.
Fun New Features of LittleBigPlanet
Finally, there’s now a Sticker Scrubber that will remove all the stickers from an object at once without making the player peel away each one individually. There are also new materials, such as the Rain Material, letting the user add precipitation to their levels and adjust the size and speed of the raindrops, and the Invisible Material that lets the player place insubstantial boundaries instead of having to slap on a wooden board or brick wall.
Ample tutorials are also available, allowing dedicated gamers to make the most of their designs. It’s a system that thankfully hasn’t been watered down from past games but looks to have a slightly more user-friendly interface.
LittleBigPlanet‘s Social Aspects
Using the camera, the real world becomes an endless series of portraits the player can cut and paste. Anything photographed can be cropped and applied to game, either as projectiles for Sack boy, part of a monstrous boss at the end of a level, or any set piece in between. Levels can be easily saved and uploaded to the community, and right from launch the player will have access to all the previously built creations.
As usual, there will be a comprehensive sorting and ranking system for all the user uploaded content, and the user will be able to favorite the ones that keep them coming back. Keeping the sandbox content robust is one of the main reasons LittleBigPlanet is considered more of a social engagement than a game.
Final Words
It is exciting to explore every inch of the story levels, partly because they look stunning, but mostly to get our hands on every sticker, material, and costume piece, which are used to create our own stages. This is where the meat of the game lies, an aspect that has truly sparked the imagination of every LittleBigPlanet owner. LittleBigPlanet for Vita like all the other games in the LBP series is well worth the time and money.