LocoRoco 2
Review
Ready to save the LocoRocos again?
by Professor Layton
reviewed on PSP
Surprising
If someone were to tell you that one of the best pieces of PSP software featured vibrant, pastel colors, you might look at them and laugh. After playing LocoRoco or LocoRoco 2 though, you may regret doing that. It only takes a couple of minutes of playing to know that Sony created one of the most creative and unique titles of the decade.
When Sony first released LocoRoco, they knew they had something special. After the success they had with the game, they decided to take the title and put it on the PlayStation Store for even more gamers to experience. Even less surprising is that they released a sequel, appropriately titled LocoRoco 2. With a ton of new features, gamers will find themselves hooked on the game for hours on-end.
Plot
LocoRoco 2 picks up right where its predecessor left off. After the Moja were sent running to their home planet in defeat, Bonmucho, the Moja’s leader, could not accept defeat from the cute and cuddly blobs of the planet. After doing some serious thinking, Bonmucho devises a brand-new plan in order to get revenge on the LocoRocos and their precious little world. By using a musical weapon that drains the color and energy out anything that hears it, Bonmucho has plans to turn LocoRocos’s world into darkness.
As things couldn’t get any worse, the Moja have befriended the Bui Bui, the evil counterparts of the Mui Mui, who are the LocoRocos’s friends. With the Moja at a huge advantage this time around, the LocoRocos have to work twice as hard to, yet again, restore peace to their once vibrant planet.
Accessible
If you have played LocoRoco, you are probably aware that it was one of the most accessible titles on the PSP. Using only three buttons, players controlled the LocoRocos as they made their way through a variety of different obstacles. The same control scheme returns but the new gameplay twists make it feel brand-new.
The two main buttons used in the game are the Left and Right triggers. They tilt the screen and jump over obstacles. In addition to this, the circle button is used to split your LocoRocos into smaller blobs. The control scheme is still fairly impressive and allows for any type of gamer to pick up the game and jump right in.
Gameplay twists
One of the most frequently used new gameplay twists is the ability to squeeze through cracks in order to gain access to previously inaccessible areas. LocoRocos can also swim through bodies of water and fit into large, protective shells which eliminate the threat caused by spikes and other obstacles. In addition to all these new skills, the LocoRocos will gain access to a large array of other moves. As you make your way through the game, for example, the ability to swing on vines becomes available. Your Mui Mui buddies also teach your LocoRocos new skills that will prove to be beneficial if you want to free the land of the Moja.
Due to the style of the game, one could easily infer that LocoRoco offers little to no objectives. In reality though, the game offers players a large variety of different objectives. Though gamers will spend most of their time avoiding obstacles and trying to make their way through each level, the game also requires players to collect large berries that will add more LocoRocos to your army. By increasing the number of the creatures at your disposal, players can participate in a fun little musical minigame that requires players to match notes of a song to their outlines at the edge of the screen. Gathering notes is also equally important as the other objectives because they will help you combat the Moja’s dark music notes. Besides this, they also provide players with some hefty little bonuses, such as protecting the LocoRocos from spikes.
Replay
In order to collect all the things that the game has to offer, you have to replay stages several times. Though it may not be the best way to unlock the new content, it allows players to experiment with each level and find out things that they didn’t know before. Who knows, maybe players will find a hidden Mui Mui that provides them with a special item, or better yet, collect a rare item that can unlock some new content.
Compared to the first game, LocoRoco 2 is significantly shorter. In the original, there were roughly forty stages, give or take a few. This time around, that number has been drastically reduced to approximately twenty. While some gamers will be vex by this, the amount of content to be unlocked is incredible. Players will find themselves constantly playing the game, trying to unlock everything there is to find in the game. Besides this, there are plenty of secrets just waiting to be discovered.
Stylish
Even with that issue aside, LocoRoco 2 still has a lot going for it. One of the best parts of the game is its unique visual style. Though it may not push the PSP to its limits, the game is still a masterpiece to gaze at. The pastel style look that Sony took really makes the game stand out from the competition. Whenever you find yourself in a depressed state, just pop in LocoRoco 2 and you will be smiling due to the game’s cute charm in no time. Simply put, the game is a visual masterpiece and one of the most artistic titles available on for the PSP.
Equally impressive as the visuals is the soundtrack. Featuring a wide variety of catchy, addictive, and up-beat tracks, you will find yourself humming the tune out loud or in your head wherever you go after playing the game. There’s just something about the music that really gets gamers in a friendly state and helps convey the mood of the game.
Game of the year contender
Whether you want to believe it or not, LocoRoco 2 is a contender for game of the year on the PSP. The game’s quirky style bundled with the addictive gameplay and excellent soundtrack is amazing, and the replay value is through the roof. The route that Sony took when developing this title was very wise, and in the end, everything paid off. What you are getting is essentially an artistic masterpiece with some of the most unique gameplay across any platform. With a price tag of only $19.99, you owe it to yourself to pick the game up. Don’t you want our cute little LocoRocos to restore peace to their world and rid the land of the Moja?
9.0
fun score
No Pros and Cons at this time
