LocoRoco 2006

Is it still worth playing?

Sony Computer Entertainment's 2006 platformer for the PlayStation Portable, conceived by Tsutomu Kouno, who wanted a game different from other PSP titles. You tilt the environment with the shoulder buttons to maneuver the LocoRoco, multicolored jelly like characters, through each level, helped by other odd residents while avoiding hazards. There are 5 worlds of 8 levels, and the goal in each is to reach the end, scored on the number of LocoRoco found and the time taken. There are six varieties of LocoRoco, unlocked as you finish levels, and choosing one only changes the songs used. They act as blobs of gelatin, deforming from their round shape when the environment asks, and a LocoRoco can split into several at certain points and merge back into one by holding a face button. Even now, merging and splitting the blob makes tilting a world feel like handling something alive.