LittleBigPlanet

Overview

LittleBigPlanet (sometimes referred to as LittleBigPlanet PSP to differentiate it from the PlayStation 3 game of the same name) is a 2009 puzzle-platform video game developed by SCEE Cambridge Studio and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. It is the second installment in the LittleBigPlanet series, featuring a brand new story mode; it was the first game in the series to not be developed primarily by series creator Media Molecule, who nevertheless assisted on development. It was released on 17 November 2009 in North America and 20 November 2009 in PAL regions. The game's servers have been shut down since 30 July 2016.

The game's gameplay is the same as the original PlayStation 3 version, albeit without the co-operative multiplayer aspect and one of the 'layers' in which the level 'set' is created within. The PlayStation 3 version has three 'thick' layers and four 'thin' layers, however LittleBigPlanet PSP only has two 'thick' layers and three 'thin' layers. Additionally, where the PS3 game allowed Sackboy only 3-6 respawns at each level checkpoint before needing to restart the level, the PSP game has unlimited respawns. The game features an all new campaign with brand new levels, and consists of an introduction, 23 main levels, and 14 mini levels, 2 of which are "Mini Games".

The game's story is a sequel to the original PlayStation 3 game. Sackboy, the main character, decides to take a holiday walkabout around the world. The player starts in Down Under, a theme based on Australia, where they meet Bruce, a helpful character who gets the player started in the game. The player climbs to the Cave of Dreams where they meet the Mystic. It is revealed that there is to be a massive carnival in Brazil, and the player needs to go around the world to find the various creator curators and get them to go to the carnival.

In a February 2009 press release, Sony announced a version of LittleBigPlanet for the PlayStation Portable was being developed by SCEE Cambridge Studio in conjunction with Media Molecule. The game was tentatively referred to as LittleBigPlanet PSP and was first shown publicly at E3 2009 where two Australian-themed levels from the Story Mode were available to play. One of these was a surfing minigame where the goal was to keep Sackboy on a moving surfboard for as long as possible and the other was a full, platforming level. The game's aesthetics are very similar to those of the PlayStation 3 version and many similar gameplay mechanics, such as sticker switches, feature in the PSP game.

The game has received generally positive reviews from most critics, both Eurogamer and IGN gave LittleBigPlanet a score of 9/10 commenting that the PSP version was just as good as the PlayStation 3 version and went on to say that the title was "one of the stand-out titles" for the console, while IGN commented that "The platforming's fun, the create tools are solid, and online's undoubtedly impressive, especially considering that these upload/download features are on the PSP." GameSpot scored it an 8 out of 10 criticizing the short storyline, the limited Sackboy manipulation, and the lack of multiplayer, but they praised the fact that almost everything else was intact from the PlayStation 3 version.

Official trailer

Gameplay Video. Watch on YouTube

Screenshots

Game details

Genres

Platform, Puzzle, Adventure

Developer

SCE Cambridge Studio

Publisher

Sony Computer Entertainment

Series

LittleBigPlanet

Platforms

PlayStation Portable

Age rating

ESRB E10+

Modes

Single player

Yes

Local multiplayer

No

Online multiplayer

No

Co op

No

Age ratings

PEGI

7

ESRB

E10+

Release dates

Space and patches

Space neededAbout 1.3 GB

Playable today

Playable offline todayYes

Single-player only, with no online features.

Online

Plays offlineYes

Credits

Publisher

Sony Computer Entertainment

Developer

SCE Cambridge Studio

Released

2009-11-17

Age rating

ESRB E10+

Region

US

Time to beat

about 8.8 hours