LocoRoco was one of those rare games that didn’t look or play like anything else on the market. Its unique brand of platforming did not come from side-scrolling gameplay in the traditional sense. Instead, the developers built its originality from the ground up, creating an action/adventure with heavy influence from puzzle designs not typically seen in video games. To top it off, they wrapped this bright, colorful package in a control scheme that would have the player manipulating the world instead of the main character.

LocoRoco was pure, unrelenting innovation. Whether you liked or loathed the gameplay, it was impossible not to value what the developers had accomplished. But as we’re all aware, the downside of innovation is that it only happens once; without drastic changes or an entirely new game concept, the gameplay that once blew minds won’t be as impressive the second time around.

The developers of LocoRoco 2 surely knew this and decided to stick with the same format anyway. But while that means you won’t be stunned by what this sequel has to offer, it does contain several impressive moments. The levels are longer, deeper and less forgiving; berries are hidden more cleverly (unlike the first game, you won’t find a cluster of five in the same obvious area); underwater stages have been added; and you now have the ability to smash through barriers using a LocoRoco-protecting shell.

Of course, the question on most gamers’ minds will be: does the new or enhanced content justify a purchase? Fans of the original will be pleased, so a purchase is definitely justified. But given the similarities between the two games, those who didn’t like the original should pass on LocoRoco 2. However, if you haven’t played the series before but enjoy platformers and puzzle games, skip this review, skip the first game and jump ahead to the sequel.

LocoRoco 2 doesn’t begin with any drastic changes. You’re still in control of Kulche, the always-smiling yellow LocoRoco. The first batch of levels are almost too familiar with colors, windpipes, long crevices and semi-predictable patterns that closely mirror the original game. That changes when water is introduced. By holding the circle button (which is still used to split or connect your LocoRocos), Kulche will sink below the surface. Now you can control him while submerged just as you do outside of water – by tilting the world around him.

Water isn’t a groundbreaking addition but it does present a few challenges. For starters, jumping is not possible. When holding one of the shoulder buttons and pressing the other, Kulche will float upward. Depending on how the level is tilted, you may actually be floating left or right. Spikes and other enemy traps are used to keep things interesting. Upon reaching the surface, Kulche will float on top of the water’s surface as normal and may jump out to reach land.

Pulling a trick out of the bouncy ball playbook, LocoRoco 2 introduces the use of shells. These rock-hard casings have somewhat of an oval shape (excluding the ice shell, which is completely round). Shells bounce more intensely, they are impervious to spikes (and will destroy them!), and can plow through any designated barrier. You’ll know which barriers by the light color and odd speckles placed all over them.

Water and shells gave Sony something to hype, but the best part of LocoRoco 2 is the level design. The twisting and frequently winding levels were to be expected; just how far the developers were willing to go, however, is what’s surprising. In simple terms, these levels are like giant pinball machines – the most complex of their kind yet are still completely manageable (and easy enough to play through) that you won’t have to pull your hair out.

LocoRocos are constantly being pushed, pulled and bounced off each environment, the variety of which includes ice, grass, dirt, wood and various undefined sticky and rubber-like materials. Some levels will send you gliding through the air while others twist you around like food going through a human’s digestive system. There are half-pipes (that you’ll slide up and down), corkscrew trap doors (that will spin you around), creature cannons (back from the first game), and shape-changing objects that will deform your LocoRocos to conform to each scenario.

Toward the end you’ll encounter a stage that takes place entirely on one platform, which is being pulled up to something big (I’ll keep that spoiler a secret). There is nothing underneath the platform to catch your LocoRoco if it falls. Tilting the world tilts the platform, thus making it much easier to fall. At the same time, enemies fly by and drop large boulders on the platform which tilts sharply in either direction.

This exciting level can be as easy or as difficult as you want. If you’re a perfectionist, chances are you’ll want to capture every berry available, which feels next to impossible. That feeling is a common one while playing LocoRoco 2; if you just want to run through the stages and enjoy them as is, the game is pretty easy. But the moment you crave perfection from yourself, the game is all but a nightmare. As with the original, backtracking is only possible to a point – once you’ve hit a certain part of each stage, there’s no going back. Checkpoints are not a part of the LocoRoco 2 experience. In other words, those who want every collectible must play flawlessly.

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As Level-5’s PS3 exclusive White Knight Chronicles makes a sturdy, if inconsequential effect on the Japanese software charts, I started wondering about what happened to Level-5’s PSP tactical RPG, Jeanne D’Arc, in the UK. I picked it up at an import shop but didn’t realise, at  the time, that it never found its way to these shores.

This is rather unfortunate. The game generated a positive reception from critics and is visually among the best on the console, but Sony Europe opted out of releasing it in the UK. In all fairness, it would’ve made little to no difference on the UK charts, but still, on a console that is genuinely starved for decent software, even having on the shelves would do something to boost its reputation.

Still, Movietyme is stocking it for £15.99, so it’s not like it’s impossible to get hold of. I hope that Level-5’s next PSP title, the beautiful Ushiro, receives better treatment from Sony.

By the way, Diner Dash, Ape Escape P and Marvel Trading Card Game are available in the UK. Only one of these is from Sony, but still, when this trio of atrocities are available in Game and Jeanne D’Arc is not, the decisions made behind the scenes deserve some level of scrutiny.

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Coming up this week in new videogames is EA’s follow up to its well received Skate game. Skate 2 will be available for both the PS3 and Xbox 360. Nintendo gamers on the Wii and DS have SimAnimals to play with, as well as some fireworks with Big Bang Mini (see a trailer on that here). The Sony PSP gets a good RPG release this week with Star Ocean: Second Evolution, which has been getting decent reviews. Check out the game releases below for the week of January 19 to January 23, 2009.

This week’s new videogame releases (1/19/09-1/23/09):
(subject to change)

Xbox 360:
Skate 2

PLAYSTATION 3:
Skate 2

Wii:
SimAnimals
Ultimate Shooting Collection

Nintendo DS:
Big Bang Mini
Inkheart SimAnimals
WonderWorld Amusement Park

Sony PSP:
Star Ocean: Second Evolution

Publisher Square Enix has confirmed that PSP exclusive RPG Star Ocean: Second Evolution will be released in Europe and PAL territories on February 13th.

The Star Ocean series debuted in 1996 on the SNES, with this new PSP version being a remake of PlayStation sequel, Star Ocean: The Second Story. A PSP remake of the SNES original was also released last year.

The game boasts a completely revised game engine, and improved battle system and fully voiced, newly animated scenes in full 16:9 widescreen.

“2009 is set to be a landmark year for the Star Ocean series,” Square Enix president and chief executive officer John Yamamoto stated. “I’m delighted that new fans can continue to experience this classic series with the release of Star Ocean: Second Evolution for PSP.”

There have to date been two other Star Ocean outings – 2001’s Game Boy Colour title Star Ocean: Blue Sphere and PS2 hit Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. A brand new outing for the series, Xbox 360 exclusive Star Ocean: The Last Hope, is due out this year.

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Mytran Wars is a round-based strategy game where the player researches new technologies and continues to rearm his mecha, thereby fighting battles in wonderful 3D landscapes – against the AI or other human opponents in various multiplayer modes.

It’s the 23rd century: The earth’s natural resources are virtually exhausted and the ruling multinational conglomerates are searching for new raw material deposits in space in order to avert the impending catastrophe. One planet turns out to be a real El Dorado, full of natural resources. But as the human conquerors in their armed mecha encounter the extraterrestrial inhabitants a dreadful war breaks out.

The player researches into new technologies and continues to rearm his mecha in Mytran Wars. Battles are thereby fought in wonderful 3D landscapes – against the merciless AI or other human opponents in various multiplayer modes.

Developed by Stormregion, known for its strategy games such as Rush for Berlin, S.W.I.N.E. and the Codename: Panzers series.

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Sony are to launch a new range of colors for their PSP-3005, these new carnival colors include “Radiant Red” and “Vibrant Blue.” The new PlayStation Portable colors will only be available in Korea at first, and will cost 228,000, that’s about $173 USD.

The release date for these new colors will be on January 15, 2009, that is next Thursday. Sony hopes that these new colors of “Radiant Red” and “Vibrant Blue will be enough to tempt consumers in to parting with some money.

It is not known if the rest of the world will see these new colors, not sure if they will want them either. PSP fans are not interested in new colors. What they are hoping for is a totally new PSP, so Sony had better think again, gamers will not be fooled into a few color changes.

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It used to be that schoolyard rivalry between the two handhelds meant that PSP owners were obligated to look down their noses at games developed exclusively for the Nintendo DS. But with a massive software drought currently affecting our (arguably superior) handheld, we’re not afraid to admit it anymore: the DS has some great games. Here are five titles that we secretly play at night under the covers with a flashlight. Please don’t tell the headmaster.

1. The World Ends With You
The runaway success of Castle Crashers on XBLA in 2008 showed that the beat-em-up genre is due for a revival. Square Enix took a cue from the brawler genre and mixed it up with some RPG elements in this creative DS exclusive. The World Ends With You takes players on a gothic tour de force of the Shibuya district in Japan, as players must balance their taste for fashion with the need to unleash whoopass on mythical creatures from the netherworld.

2. Dragon Quest Series
The Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior) games are some of the most beloved RPGs in Japan. The series is not officially tied to Nintendo, but their handheld seems to have locked down the series lately with its retro ports and the upcoming Dragon Quest IX. The PSP already has a load of great JRPGs to choose from, notably the first Final Fantasy remakes, but another massive series would be more than welcome on the Sony handheld. The thought of an action-oriented Dragon Quest remake in the same vein as Crisis Core has us practically fainting from loss of blood to the head.

3. GTA: Chinatown Wars
Before GTA III put the violent crime simulator on the map with its open-world gameplay, the series existed in a more humble but no less amazing form. The old 2D Grand Theft Auto games were great in their arcade simplicity and colorful, arcade sensibilities. Rockstar appears to have gone back to its roots with the upcoming Chinatown Wars on the DS. This game uses a cell-shaded top-down perspective to handle action on the top screen, while touch controls are used to manage inventory and map the surroundings. With the recent story-driven direction that the franchise has taken, it is nice to see Rockstar try something different. If everything goes well we would definitely like to see this game come to the PSP, and we remind Rockstar that so far its GTA ports have been the biggest-selling titles ever released on the system.

4. Guitar Hero World Tour
Like an enthusiastic groupie, there doesn’t seem to be any system on the tour bus that Guitar Hero
hasn’t hooked up with: we can rock out with our plastic peripherals on the PS2, PS3, Xbox 360 and even the DS, thanks to a very well-conceived accessory that plugs into the GBA slot and emulates the colored buttons on a regular guitar. For a handheld port, the DS game is pretty amazing – it even comes with a special stylus pick to take full advantage of the touch screen. There is no reason why something this cool doesn’t exist yet for the PSP, and we want it. In fact, we are willing to stake our reputations on the fact that the companies involved already have an early prototype in their possession, but have decided not to release the title on the PSP for their own nefarious reasons.


5. Professor Layton
This game is like crack. Seriously. One part point-and-click adventure game, one part anime, and all puzzle game, Professor Layton is another quirky hybrid that has met with incredible success on the DS. In fact it is so awesome that it even picked up a coveted Spike TV award for best handheld game of 2008. There is little reason why the series couldn’t easily be ported to the PSP. Sure, some puzzles make good use of the touch screen, but in many cases this could be replaced with analog stick controls. What’s even more annoying is that the developer, Level 5, has already created some of the best titles currently available on the PSP.

Sure, it seems unlikely that any of these great Nintendo DS games will ever make it over to our handheld. But we guarantee that in an alternate universe, where the PSP enjoys a slightly stronger following outside of Japan, some or all of these games would be headed to the device.

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This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has come and gone, and hardware manufacturers from around the world have shown us some amazing new technology. Video games featured heavily at this year’s show, and Sony made some very interesting announcements at the event. Here is a run down of all of the Sony-related news that came out of the convention.

3D TV
“What is the Matrix?” you ask. Well the answer is out there, and Sony’s bringing it to you. Virtual reality has been a mainstay of sci-fi movies for decades and now with the announcement of Sony’s 3D technology, expect the virtual to become reality sooner than you think. Last week at the 2009 CES, Sony unveiled its new line of 4K projectors and HD cameras and invited attendees to a broadcast of 3D video of the FedEx Orange Bowl and BCS National Championship Game. Sony trumped up 3D as a revolutionary cinematic event alongside the advent of sound and color. What all this innovation translates to is Sony’s vision of bringing 3D television to households in the near future — a business plan that might culminate in 3D gaming.

CES attendees glimpsed a bit of what the future holds when they were treated to video of a three-dimensional Gran Turismo tech demo, rendered in stereoscopic RealD 3D graphics. Users wearing a pair of 3D glasses could see cars visually popping out of the screen. But Sony’s show floor representatives were quick to point out that this is not an actual game. There’s no denying, though, that Sony is hard at work trying to bring this technology to our televisions and consoles, especially when you consider their recent patent of a 3D controller that responds to hand motion and pressure. Right now, 3D TV technology only exists as a proof of concept, but nonetheless has gamers everywhere getting their Keanu on and gasping, “Whoa!”

PSN
During their CES keynote, Sony boasted 17 million registered users on PSN, 2 million users on Life with Playstation, and 330 million pieces of content downloaded through PSN.

Psst… don’t tell Microsoft but I saw Sony and MTV making out on The Hills. And you can see it too when MTV uploads its 2000 hours of hot and heavy programming on the PSN.

HOME
Don’t look now but EA wants in on the action too. EA wants you to bring it back Home — EA Sports Home, that is. The games company giant is reserving a Home space for all users to visit. Come Spring, their sports arena complex will allow you to race go-karts to your heart’s content, with up to four players head-to-head. But wait! There’s more — Golfing, anyone? And how’s your poker face? Add in clothing prizes and stuff for your Home apartment, and we got a winner. Hallelujah! Finally, a reason to login to Home!

Here’s your front row tickets to the EA Sports Arena Complex

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UK Developer confident Sony handheld can maintain consumer interest

Speaking to Develop, Climax’s head of development Simon Gardner has explained why he thinks the PSP is still viable as a commercially successful, powerful and popular platform.

“We are having a lot of success working on Wii and PSP,” said Gardner, “and have invested a lot of effort in wringing out the maximum performance from the systems.

“There seems to be reluctance from some developers, especially internal teams, to support these formats. With the experience and tools we’ve now developed, we are finding them very rewarding and the quality of the games we’re making speaks for itself.”

Gardner, who believes the PSP is powerful system, also claimed: “It’s still a capable platform, with the right brand and wide-ranging capabilities.

If Sony continues to support it and invest in applications for it, then it can probably retain the consumers’ interest.”

Climax, which has reorganised internally to focus on quality and critical acclaim, has also expressed a desire to move towards development for PSN and XBLA, while continuing to create games for the major console platforms.

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So, we’re back. You may not have ever realised we ever left thanks to our hard work pre-Christmas, but finally all the bit-tech.net staff are snug in their office chairs after an exhausting Christmas break.

We’re back and ready for more; more games, more tech and more ’splosions than ever.

2008 was a mixed year for gamers and while 2007 was undoubtedly one of the best years in gaming that anyone can remember, 2008 didn’t quite manage to top it. There were some gaming highlights to be sure, but for every Braid or Left 4 Dead there was a disappointment to counter it.

Still, at least there was plenty of cheesecake. It wasn’t all bad.

Our hope remains however that 2009 will prove a better, more exciting year for gaming – one not mired in DRM worries and console exclusives. Who knows, with a host of innovative titles on the horizon and an increasingly popular indie scene 2009 may manage to top even 2008.

That said, we know that bit-tech.net readers are busy people who can’t possibly find the time to play all major releases this year. That’s why we’re here; to help you choose. Over the next few pages we take a look at some of the most promising titles of 2009 (and some of the most unlikely to be released) to give you a headstart in your gaming for this year. If there’s something you think we might have missed or glossed over then be sure to let us know in the forums.

Mafia 2

Platform: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Publisher:
2K Games
Expected release: Q3 2009

Almost nothing has us more excited this year than the open-world gangster sequel to Illusion Softworks’ classic game The City of Lost Heaven. Well, nothing except for the release of Ron Gilbert’s Deathspank anyway, but that’s mainly because it sounds like a cool secret move in Street Fighter: Gimp Edition.

Mafia 2 starts simply enough, with players controlling a Sicilian immigrant called Vito Scaletta, who returns to the fictional Empire city (an amalgam of San Francisco and New York) after the close of World War II. Vito, who had only joined with the army in an effort avoid prison, is down on his luck and utterly penniless.

Then, as you can probably guess, Vito begins his slow and inevitable struggle from lowly schmuck to widely respected Don of his own mafia outfit. Moving from local menace to made man is no easy transition though and you’ll have to painfully work your way up from petty robberies and the like, right up to elaborate bank heists. You know, like you’ve seen in the movies and stuff.

What really bowls us over about Mafia 2 though is the extremely detailed open world and total freedom which is graciously handed to players right at the very start of things. That’s something a lot of games, most notably the Grand Theft Auto series, can claim to have – but not many of them base it all in a gorgeous realised 1950s setting.

With a multi-faction gang war going in throughout the huge and an arsenal of period weapons and vehicles for that war to be waged with, Mafia 2 is looking to be a game we just can’t refuse.

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