LittleBigPlanet Review

Now even littler.

Version tested: PSP

"Play, create, share." That's the official motto - or tagline, depending how cynical you are - of LittleBigPlanet. The idea being you play through a series of platforming levels, create your own (with the option to throw in items collected during the platforming bit), and share them online.

That's the idea, but it doesn't sum up everyone's experience of LittleBigPlanet on PS3. For some of us it was more like, "Play, create, realise game design is quite hard actually, give up." For others, "Play, complain about the controls being too floaty, go back to Resistance." LBP may have earned an impressive set of review scores thanks to the charming central character, uniquely realised artistic vision, impressive level of technical achievement and huge scope for creativity, but some people just want to shoot a monster in the face.

If you fall into that category, the PSP version of LittleBigPlanet won't pull you out. Development duties may have fallen to another studio, SCEE Cambridge, but it's clear the team there has worked hard to stay true to Media Molecule's vision. The result is a game which is just as pretty, inventive and enjoyable as the original, and slightly less floaty. Which is of course good news for those of us who were hooked by LBP first time around.

This is no straight port - LittleBigPlanet PSP has 30 new levels to explore spread across seven different locations. New themes include the Australian outback, the mystical Orient and the non-wartorny bits of the Middle East. Impressively little has been lost in terms of visual quality and fidelity. Environments are packed with detail and painted with a huge palette of colours and textures. As always there are tons of different objects to jump off, ride on, swing from and so on.

'LittleBigPlanet' Screenshot 1

Camels are the new rocket-propelled skateboards, you know.

Every area is packed with collectables such as objects to place in your own levels and stickers to stamp wherever you please. There are plenty of new items to pick up, but some old favourites have returned (so you can still put on those red polka dot pants, pop on pair of bunny ears and fly about with a jetpack).

And of course, Sackboy (or girl, if you prefer) is back. But now he's teeny-tiny - in fact at first it feels like you're controlling an excitable, well-dressed ant. It doesn't take long to adjust to this, however, and it helps that the controls feel ever so slightly tighter than those in the PS3 game. Sackboy still has the spring in his step which makes his movements a little floaty, but it's just a touch easier to time jumps and direct landings with precision. Plus there are now only two planes of depth to deal with rather than three, which means the auto-correct function is less likely to mess you about.

That's not to say there aren't still moments of frustration. Once you've sailed through the opening levels the difficulty curve ramps up significantly, and there are some set-pieces which will challenge the hardcoriest of hardcore platform fans. Such as the section where you must ascend all the way to the top of a series of spinning cylinders, with much potential for mistiming jumps and having to start all over again from the bottom. Here the controls are exposed as still being just a little too imprecise and inconsistent. It takes a lot of trial and error to work out precisely how far Sackboy can jump and how the flinging physics of the cylinders work.

'LittleBigPlanet' Screenshot 2

Now that's floaty.

But then all good platform games have sections which involve multiple attempts and much teeth-grinding before you can complete them. LittleBigPlanet PSP offers enough rewards and surprises along the way to keep you playing even when the going gets tough. It also has plenty of checkpoints, and unlike in the PS3 version there's no limit to the number of times you can respawn at each one. When you die, you lose some points, but even if you get down to zero you're not forced to start the whole level from scratch - which makes the more frustrating sections easier to bear.

In short, the "Play" aspect of LBP PSP is just as good as it is in the PS3 version. In fact it's better in some regards thanks to the tweaked controls, reduction in the number of planes and more lenient checkpoint system. Most importantly, the environments you get to play through are just as beautiful, the puzzles just as ingenious and the difficulty level just as challenging.

So what about the "Create" bit? Well, there's a fully-fledged level editor in the PSP game. You can create a design from scratch or use templates based on the levels you've completed in story mode. The range of materials and items available to play with is huge (wood, metal, cardboard, fabric, flowers, cannons, rickshaws, koalas, lemons... To name but a few). You have total freedom to let your imagination run wild and create whatever you feel like.

The problem is, do you have the skills? And are you willing to put in the time? Creating a level which looks half-decent, let alone one which is fun to play, takes serious commitment. With such a huge number of variables to consider it can feel like hard work. However, the "Create" aspect has also been slightly improved for the PSP. It's now much easier to undo errors and the shortcut system is better. These changes aren't enough to get the truly impatient or unimaginative producing instant masterpieces, but they should enhance the experience for creative types willing to put in the time and effort.

And there are plenty of said types about, it would seem. By August last year more than more than one million levels had been created for the PS3 version of LBP. That doesn't include all the ones which had to be deleted due to copyright infringement or dancing cocks, and that does include a lot of old toss, but as wise reader SeesThroughAll once pointed out - even if 99 per cent of those levels are rubbish, you're still left with 10,000 decent ones.

There's just as much potential to "Share" levels in LittleBigPlanet PSP, happily. You can swap creations with nearby PSP owners on an ad hoc basis, or go online and choose from all the ones users have uploaded. Downloading content is a straightforward and speedy process. The Community Moon is simple to navigate around, and the ratings and heart systems make it easier to gauge what's worth playing.

'LittleBigPlanet' Screenshot 3

Sackboy's lost quite a bit of weight since the PS3 game.

So from platforming to level creation to sharing content, LittleBigPlanet PSP has just as much to offer as its PS3 counterpart - with one notable omission. There's no multiplayer mode in the PSP game. This is a shame as it was a highlight of the previous title, but according to producer Mark Green, it just wasn't possible to include multiplayer in the PSP game.

"It's a trade-off," he told us earlier this year. "The system is physically capable of doing multiplayer, but perhaps not with the full physics system. On the technical side of things you lose a third of the processing power or a third of the system memory just to do multiplayer at all. With those limitations we couldn't achieve it."

Cynics might say that sounds like an excuse for cutting corners, but cynics ought to play LittleBigPlanet PSP first. Then they might see that this is a game which has been crafted with love, care and meticulous attention to detail. Yes, a multiplayer mode would have been welcome - but multiplayer was not the feature that made LBP a triple-A game.

'LittleBigPlanet' Screenshot 4

What's Charlie Dimmock doing now, anyway?

The point about LittleBigPlanet PS3 was that each element stood up on its own. You could enjoy it as a classic, charming platform game without ever going near the level editor. Or you could focus on LBP as a giant toybox, full of tools and fun stuff for realising your own artistic visions. Either way, you also had access to an endlessly updated stream of free downloadable content, created by some of the greatest amateur game designers in the world.

All of the above applies to the PSP game too, plus there have been some neat improvements. The tweaking has been done with a careful enough hand to ensure everything still looks, feels and plays just as it should. SCEE Cambridge has done Media Molecule proud and fans of the original game won't be disappointed. PSP owners who missed out first time around should be sure to give it a go, as LittleBigPlanet is undoubtedly one of the standout titles for Sony's handheld.

9 / 10

Read the Eurogamer.net scoring policy

Comments (51) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • StooMonster #1 2 years ago

    Hurrah, the old PSP might get to see daylight again; rescued from it's drawer of non-use.
  • monkeylite #2 2 years ago

    I was afraid it will be a whitewash port. Now I can't wait!
  • JohnnyWashnGo #3 2 years ago

    I found multiplayer in the PS3 version to be a pain in the ass. Having to find some people to help you out when you found a 4 person puzzle just annoyed me. I am really glad to hear that this game is very single player friendly.

    Why do devs seem to think that people are always connected to the net 24/7 and have access to lots of other people to play with?

    Those stupid sections of LBP PS3 really put a downer on the game for me. Getting all the bonus stickers and stuff became impossible when you saw a section that required more than one sackboy :(
  • youhavenomail #4 2 years ago

    I was expecting a backlash against the little fella. As an owner of the PS3 game, I certainly wasn't expecting to find any reason to buy this one. Eurogamer review, you've changed me.
  • Mkwone #5 2 years ago

    As other have said i was worreid this would be a naff port, seeing as amazon and play etc etc have it at 17 odd quid. But it's like a whole LBP on the PSP.

    Really excited about this now.
  • sandys #6 2 years ago

    Lack of MP is a real downer, personally LBP would have been put away a long time ago if I couldn't of played MP with the missus, in SP half the fun is gone and the levels barely held any challenge and therefore my interest, MP changed the game completely, the missus laughing so hard when playing against me, she had a little pee :D

    Still since the release of Motorstorm, GT, Fifa10 and Soul calibre on PSP plus some of the PSN/Minis stuff I have been really enjoying my PSP again, played it so much in that past few weeks that between that and a bit of Forza on 360, my PS3 hasn't seen any playtime, PSP as a main gaming machine, wow, can't remember the last time that ever happened, probably because it didn't!

    keep 'em coming, I'll pick this up and hope the difficulty level is enough to keep me interested, hopefully F1 will be good on PSP too.
  • beastmaster #7 2 years ago

    Wasn't even on my radar. Fuck. When is this out? Friday?

    ODST is getting traded in.
  • chubster2010 #8 2 years ago

    I've played it. It is indeed all kinds of aces.

    Great work Cambridge Studios.
  • Murbal #9 2 years ago

    Awesome, awesome, awesome. And if I see any comments about 'dusting off the psp' I'll scream. You've been missing some great stuff and you've probably said it at least 5 times this year already :-)
  • Ignatius_Cheese #10 2 years ago

    Congratulations to asphaltcowboy (and everyone else) \o/
  • DFawkes #11 2 years ago

    Might have to invest in a new PSP - my current one dies within an hour (and refuses to charge if switched on), and going by LBP PS3 I'll be needing far more than an hour per session!

    I didn't use multiplayer anyway, I just love it as a big construction set of crazy machinery. I look forward to attemting to build something super-intricate, pressing the on switch and watching it rip iteself apart due to my poor planning!
  • Widge #12 2 years ago

    There are so many PSP games that I want now... but sadly there are so many PS3 ones that I want also!
    My PSP doesn't get enough time recently.
  • Widge #13 2 years ago

    ELLIE: any word on the ability to export created levels to the PS3? That never got cleared up in previews etc....
  • WJF #14 2 years ago

    Good to see another developer from my home town delivering the goods.

    Slightly bitter about selling the PSP now though :-(
  • Frybird #15 2 years ago

    Too...many...Games!

    I haven't even finished Brütal Legend (and a bunch of Wii Games), yet i preordered ultra-timewaster Dragon Age and Assasins Creed II.

    Logic had, till now, prevented me from also buying Rabbids Go Home and LBP right now, but damnit i really want to play them too (and with Mass Effect 2, Splinter Cell Conviction, Silent Hill, Just Cause 2 and Split Second, it does not look like these games are perfect to fill a hole in 2010)

    Gnh!
  • Widge #16 2 years ago

    I've finished Uncharted 2, demolishing Demon's Souls, then will tie up Infamous and Batman. If I can do all that, its not been a bad year of gaming as far as completion goes. I think the only thing I managed to finish last year was MGS4 and LBP.
  • jonsaan #17 2 years ago

  • SeesThroughAll #18 2 years ago

    Pleasantly surprised by this review. I was, in fact, expecting the PSP hardware to reduce the quality of the experience a lot more. It seems that the lack of multiplayer is not as big a compromise in a handheld game.

    \is flattered by the quote.
    Edited by 1 at 09/11/09 @ 11:07
  • Widge #19 2 years ago

    @beastmaster:

    Shopto says in 11 days.

    Motorstorm has had a demo pop up on the US store, I must try that out. I do have an itching for a new PSP game before the year is out. Need to decide which is the one to go for.
  • Eighthours #20 2 years ago

    So why haven't the controls for the PS3 version been patched to remove the floatiness?
  • Syrok #21 2 years ago

    "ELLIE: any word on the ability to export created levels to the PS3? That never got cleared up in previews etc...."

    How would that work considering you have less layers and different physics. Not to mention that all the static objects would just fall to the floor.
    Edited by 1 at 09/11/09 @ 11:23
  • Retroid #22 2 years ago

    \o/

    This sounds bloody excellent. Hopefully it will live in harmony with the emulators I've got running on mine.
  • Widge #23 2 years ago

    For 2 layer levels… hmm how to work it indeed. You couldn’t just move everything to the back as the front layer would let you run through the entire level. Move everything to the front and have the back layer as a big invisible solid block that stops the player walking off into the background.
  • Aname #24 2 years ago

    @ Eighthours

    Because the controls are great as they are. I'd hate it if they modified them.
  • Murton #25 2 years ago

    Must admit that when I saw this on the front page I thought - "here we go, another EG attempt to be "edgy" rather than reviewing a game properly" - but not only did I see a proper review but a good one, and for a platformer on the PSP no less.

    I've been dipping in and out of the pre-release statements for this as when playing it on PS3 I thought it was the type of game that would be better suited to the daily commute with the PSP than in the living room, glad to see that it's not just a copy/paste job but actually a fully fledged PSP game. Unfortunately there are so many good PS3 games just come out and still coming out that this probably won't get a look in until January, but it looks like it'll certainly be worth digging out the PSP for.
  • Ellie #26 2 years ago

    The official word from Sony: "You can't export levels to the PS3 version I'm afraid." Ah well...
  • Widge #27 2 years ago

  • toa_boa #28 2 years ago

    Played a demo version a while ago - Ellie has certainly hit the nail with this review - great stuff! Will buy!
  • Widge #29 2 years ago

    Someone start an online petition. Those always work.
  • clockworkzombie #30 2 years ago

    I am playing LBP on the PS3 whilst waiting for MW2 to be collected. I have noticed the floaty sackboy and I think the difficulty so far added by the restart level after a few deaths is an ok part of the game, a bit painful at the end of a level for sure, as to the floatyness I have played many a platformer over the years that handled the same way and you just get used to it.

    I think some of the platform bits in LBP are harder than the platformy bits in Uncharted 2. I am just starting the junkyard car levels so a lot of fun just had in the African section.
  • Gaol #31 2 years ago

    ""Play, complain about the controls being too floaty, go back to Resistance ... some people just want to shoot a monster in the face. "

    /goes back to slow motion headshots in Fallout 3.

    squish
    Edited by 1 at 09/11/09 @ 12:19
  • owl #32 2 years ago

    this is a must buy, even as simply a support of concept. i really loved lbp, despite not really going back to it once i finished. it was one game my girlfriend and i have played, and enjoyed, all the way through together and that's worth gold to me.
  • Eraysor #33 2 years ago

    I am genuinely shocked that I am actually going to go out specifically to buy a PSP game for the first time in at least a year. Seeing as I have no PS3, I think I'm going to enjoy this one a lot.
    Edited by 1 at 09/11/09 @ 13:17
  • Rubarack #34 2 years ago

    But then all good platform games have sections which involve multiple attempts and much teeth-grinding before you can complete them.

    Are you dissing Mario World here, or were you just no good at it?

    Anyway this sounds excellent, but I've got a lot of excellent PSP games to get through before I get to this. Hopefully there'll be some excellent stuff from the editor by then. Shame about the multiplayer though, every defining LBP experience I've heard of has come through that.
  • rprince #35 2 years ago

    Is there any crossover with PS3? Can you play levels designed on the PS3 version? Can the PS3 play versions designed on the PSP?

    What exactly are Mm doing? They haven't done this port; they're not doing a LBP sequel. Fists of Plastic seemed like a quick and easy cash in. Are they really just twiddling their thumbs?
  • yegon #36 2 years ago

    How do dled levels work exactly? Can you save a few to be played offline later? The only time I use my PSP is when Im away from a net connection you see.
  • Burkey123 #37 2 years ago

    Great review Ellie!

    Absolutely love LBP on PS3 and still play it a lot. I don't have a PSP but am thinking about getting one for Christmas. This has pushed me towards getting one even more:D
  • owl #38 2 years ago

    oh dear, seems the minus retards have been let out again today. . .
  • StooMonster #39 2 years ago

    Murbal: I am thinking about getting GT and GTA:CW too; but the last great thing I played on PSP was God Of War, and nothing else interested me enough to spend money on this platform since then.

    LBP sounds great though, and I know the kids will enjoy it too.
  • drumbaby #40 2 years ago

  • Murbal #41 2 years ago

    It wasn't a pop at you Stoo specifically, I'm just a bit of a closet PSP fanboy ;-)
  • tonynibbles #42 2 years ago

    "By August last year more than more than one million levels had been created for the PS3 version of LBP"

    ...Er, shouldn't that be August of *this* year?
  • Chufty #43 2 years ago

    Why has Ellie done a proper review?

    She even said 'cock' instead of 'nob'.
  • Aname #44 2 years ago

    @Chufty

    Is "cock" more proper than "nob" now? I do like to keep up to date with these things.

    EDIT: Where does "dick" fit in?
    Edited by 1 at 09/11/09 @ 19:41
  • markyHD #45 2 years ago

    @Aname
    "Where does "dick" fit in?"

    In fanny mate
  • Aname #46 2 years ago

    @markyHD

    Ah well done there ;)

    EDIT: Yes that was intentional..:p
    Edited by 1 at 10/11/09 @ 04:01
  • 3william56 #47 2 years ago

    A lot of Americans are looking rather strangely at MarkyHD now...
  • Retroid #48 2 years ago

    My comment got marked down for saying this looks great, I want it but I hope I can keep emulators running on my PSP?

    Really?
  • SeesThroughAll #49 2 years ago

    You naughty, naughty boy.

    People who use homebrew around here are always branded as pirates, remember?
  • Retroid #50 2 years ago

    Even though I don't pirate. :(

    Hmph.

    I just don't want to have to splash out on a Dingoo for emulators when the PSP runs VICE and FUSE so well!
  • calvinliang #51 2 years ago

    @3william56

    I know! Seriously, what nonsense is he sprouting?