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LocoRoco 2 Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

LocoRoco 2 Review for PlayStation Portable (PSP)

Mui Mui, Bring Down the Moja!

With the return of the evil Moja, Sony had no choice but to make a sequel to LocoRoco, probably the most popular PSP platformer to date. It seems like the first time around LocoRoco left a few gamers hungry and the defeated Moja unsatisfied, so it’s nice to be able to give this series another go.

LocoRoco 2 screenshot

Bonmucho, the Moja’s leader, is determined to cause trouble for the cheerful blobs and their beloved planet. An evil song will do the trick, as its harmful notes will drain life and color out of any living creature in the LocoRoco’s home world. Between the wicked song and the mischievous BuiBui army, our squishy, bouncy friends and their MuiMui allies have quite an adventure ahead of them, so there’s no time to waste…it’s time to fight!

As you know, LocoRoco is a platformer unlike any other. You could call it a mix between Kirby’s Adventures, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Yoshi’s Island, but the truth is, there’s nothing like it. Your mission is to guide the LocoRoco blob throughout the level, overcoming obstacles, eating fruit in order to grow, healing plants, and gathering Pickories (the game’s currency). This time around, you’ll also have to find musical notes in order to combat the Moja’s evil song with cheerful LocoRoco chants. Musical notes are hidden throughout, and sometimes you’ll have to trigger mechanisms to make them show up. Some areas are only accessible if your blob is made up of a certain number of LocoRoco, so you have to try to be conservative and cautious with the dangers ahead. If you reach areas with the musical mini-game, you’ll have to tap the (O) button as the notes pass by the screen. The more notes you collect, the more objects you’ll find and secrets you’ll unlock.

Each stage has a different theme, whether it’s the lush jungle, slippery ice levels, hot volcano grounds, the factory, etc. Some of them will look familiar to those who played the first game but, all in all, LocoRoco 2 offers 25 all-new levels with a few secret stages as well. These levels are filled up with everything imaginable, including rollercoaster loop-de-loops, super fast downhill slopes, pinball-like sections, incredibly narrow descents, tricky mechanisms, and underwater caves (to name a few). Sometimes you’ll have to stop and split up into several mini-blobs to fit within narrow cracks, or to be absorbed by certain characters and reach hidden areas. Other times, you’ll have to catapult the blob from one side to the other, maybe by grabbing a branch or by launching from a vine. As you advance, the MuiMui will teach you new abilities.

LocoRoco 2 screenshot

You’ll also encounter many enemies and dangers along the way. Some dangers, like the Moja’s black smoke, you can easily clear out by hitting them until they’re gone, and others, such as spikes, you’ll just have to avoid them. The Chuppa, Moja, and other enemies present more serious risks, so you should stay away from them or surprise them with a quick and direct hit. The Chuppa will suck you in and launch you in the air, the Moja won’t hesitate to eat you up, the BuiBui will make you suffer with their Machiavellian devices, and so on. As you can see, caution will be your best friend against these dangers.

Much like the first title, players will be in control of the surroundings with just the push of a few buttons. The left shoulder button will tilt everything towards the left, and the right shoulder button will tilt things in the opposite direction. If you hold both L and R, the LocoRoco will jump, bounce against bumpy surfaces, etc. The only other button to be pushed is circle (O). Tapping it will split up the LocoRoco blob into a bunch of little guys, and holding it for a few seconds will join them back together. As you can see, there isn’t much mystery as far as controls go. However, there’s still a small learning curve, as these controls require some adaptation.

LocoRoco 2 screenshot

Based on a first impression, it seems as if this game would be accessible for almost anyone, including children. Alas, the level of challenge found in later levels will only grant access to seasoned gamers with good patience and a basic understanding of physics.

The way the gooey ball bounces, rebounds, and latches onto random plants can sometimes be tricky, undermining the patience of some. On most occasions players will figure things out by themselves, but not having played much of the first game, I found myself stuck a few times, wondering how to launch from a swinging vine effectively, or how to go from a branch to the next without falling into the dangerous spikes. The MuiMui are supposed to help you with new abilities, but they’re not always there when you need them.

LocoRoco 2 screenshot

It’s a given you can’t do it all perfectly the first time around. The goal is to reach the end of the stage with 20 LocoRoco, all fruit, musical notes, and treasures collected, and enemies defeated. Of course, that will only happen with time. At first you’ll only be able to collect a few things, and as you learn all the possible paths in each stage and try your luck with slightly different strategies, you’ll be able to collect more and more. If you really want to take advantage of the game and collect what’s needed to build and fortify the MuiMui’s home, there’s no option but to replay the levels several times.

Like in the first title, players will be tasked with the construction and decoration of a new site. This time around, you’ll be helping to expand and decorate the MuiMui’s headquarters. You’ll be able to create new furniture, rooms, and objects by combining certain materials found throughout the game and paying some Pickories. Some objects are just mere decoration, while others will be interactive. You can make the MuiMui play with them, sing songs, etc. It’s a fun little trinket that extends the goal of the game and, therefore, its play value.

In addition, there are six unlockable mini-games that will become part of the main menu (the globe) as you find hidden pieces and Pickories. Chuppa Chuppa is back with its golf-inspired gameplay, and then others will have you pilot a MuiMui plane while shooting enemies, play a game of LocoRoco-centric Whack-a-Mole, etc. One of the mini-games is also playable locally (ad-hoc) against up to three other players. The goal is to collect objects and push your enemies towards the spikes to make them smaller. These are all fun mini-games, though none of them is particularly addictive.

LocoRoco 2 screenshot

The ingenious presentation, full of vibrant colors, minimalistic level design, and inventive characters is perhaps what stands out the most in LocoRoco 2, other than its daring soundtrack. The originality in the design may remind you of its cousin Patapon, but LocoRoco is definitely a game of its own. It’s interesting to see how such a minimalistic approach can translate into new dimensions like texture. The carefully crafted animations always transmit the right feel at the right time, whether you’re bouncing over a spongy surface, gliding through windy areas, or sliding on ice. Everything in this game is charming; it has a cheery vibe you won’t be able to find elsewhere.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 5.0 Graphics
The overall presentation, just like before, is colorful, imaginative, and very sharp. Characters are cool and funny-looking. 3.9 Control
The controls are very simple, but they do present some challenge and sometimes hamper the flow. 3.9 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The chipmunk tunes are not for everybody, but they are funny and add to the wacky formula of the game. 4.5 Play Value
There’s a lot to do in LocoRoco 2. You’ll find 25 stages in the main game. Completionists will feel right at home with all the item-collecting there’s to be done, and there are a few mini-games too, one of which can be played ad-hoc with other players. 4.2 Overall Rating – Great
Not an average. See Rating legend above for a final score breakdown.

Game Features:

  • 25 colorful new stages, including hidden challenges.
  • Enhance LocoRoco by collecting music notes.
  • Play six exciting new mini-games.
  • Ad-hoc four-player battle.
  • New LocoRoco Actions: Climb inside a shell and destroy thorns, jump from grass blade to grass blade, sing together and collect notes, and swim underwater.

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