Ludography
75/100
Players43 ratings
81/100
Critics2 reviews

Where to get it

LittleBigPlanet cover

2009 · SCE Cambridge Studio · Platformer · Puzzle

LittleBigPlanet

PlayStation exclusive

LittleBigPlanet is a 2009 puzzle platformer video game (with user-generated content) for the PlayStation Portable developed by SCE Cambridge Studio in conjunction with Media Molecule. It is a new entry in the LittleBigPlanet franchise made exclusively for the PSP, featuring a brand new story mode.

Released
17 November 2009
Platforms
PlayStation PortablePlayStation Vita
Genres
PlatformerPuzzleAdventure
Developers
SCE Cambridge Studio
Publishers
Sony Computer Entertainment
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Side view
Themes
Action

About

LittleBigPlanet (LBP; stylised as LittleBIGPlanet) is a puzzle platform video game series created and produced by British developer Media Molecule and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Most games in the series put a strong emphasis on user-generated content and are based on the series' tagline "Play, Create, Share". The tagline represents the three core elements of the series: playing alone or with others locally (on the same console) or online, creating new content using the in-game creation tools, and sharing creations and discoveries online with other players.

Tarsier Studios, Fireproof Games and Supermassive Games also contribute to the development of the PlayStation 3 games, creating in-game assets (downloadable content). Some of these assets will also provide the player tools and gadgets to use in the level editor.

›Story

The game's story is a sequel to the original PlayStation 3 version. 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. The player goes to The Orient in China and meets the Emperor, who has a dragon's egg in his treasure room. The player retrieves it and gives it to the dragon with the Emperor's apologies. The Emperor decides to go to the carnival.

The player travels to the Genie's realm, The Bazaar, set in Persia. The monkey thief king steals the Genie lamp from its owner. The player travels through the realm to retrieve it. It is returned to the owner after the player wins in a game of "Monkey Swing."

The Genie helps them travel to Golden Sands (located in Arabia) on a magic carpet where a prince is building an amusement park and needs the player to build and test its safety features. Once they have that accomplished, the prince wants to go to the carnival.

The player travels to the Alpine Mountains where Clock Hans meets them when part of the roof is destroyed. He promises to go to the carnival if the player finds his children when they are lost while he repairs the roof. The player does so and Clock Hans gives permission to use his teleportation device, and the player ends up in Tinsel Town, which is based on Hollywood. The director has the player act as a stunt-man in his movies: LittleBugPlanet and The Sewn Identity. Once the movies are tested, they are both hits and the director comes to the carnival.

Once in Brazil, the player walks throughout other creators floats and helps them with getting them working. The Director needs a photo with them, Leading Lady and Big Ron. On Clock Hans' float the player helps to fix the clock on the lower deck of the float. Prince Funubis needs to start an oil well on his float.

The Genie gets stuck inside his lamp and needs sackboy to get him out. Emperor Sario needs to set some fireworks off on his float. The Mystic gives the player a final object for his float inside Big Croc. Finally, the player adds the finishing touches to their parade float, and rides throughout Brazil on it as the end credits roll.

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The core mechanics of the series revolve around its tagline, "Play, Create, Share".

5D style platforming and avoiding obstacles to successfully navigate to the end of a level to win. Since LittleBigPlanet 2, the series has included mini-games, including ones that do not follow the platformer genre. Most LittleBigPlanet games involve a player playing solo or co-operatively with friends to navigate through a level whilst collecting various "Bubbles" along the way, which can take the form of either points or collectibles. In-game collectibles can be used in level creation or to customize Sackboy, the player character.

Reception

Most of the games in the series have been well received by critics with the LittleBigPlanet on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable gaining Metacritic scores of 95/100 and 87/100 respectively. LittleBigPlanet 2 garnered nearly as much acclaim as the first game, with an average score of 91/100. LittleBigPlanet PS Vita also received very positive reviews and was the highest-ranked PS Vita game at the time of its release with an average score of 88/100. However, the release of LittleBigPlanet 3 did not receive critical acclaim, garnering a mostly positive average of 79/100.

Critically, LittleBigPlanet Karting is the worst-performing major game in the series so far but still gained a "mixed or average" Metacritic score of 74/100. The worst-performing LittleBigPlanet game overall is Ultimate Sackboy, which holds a Metacritic rating of 57.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

PlatformReleasedRegions
PlayStation Portable17 November 2009North America · Europe 20 November 2009 · Japan 3 December 2009

Games like this

Collections4 collections

Platform libraries

Reception and records

Development status

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.