feel good right now. That kind of warm and fuzzy good you usually only get after having a long laugh with a close friend. I can’t remember the last time a game – let alone what is essentially a game demo – lifted my mood in such way.

Now…after admitting that I have a LBP afterglow, it would be silly to say that I am anything but smitten with the title. However, I feel that this is one instance where praise is well deserved. Read on to find out what you should expect from this mini-dose of Sackboy and his sickeningly cute fantasy world.

Beta
The beta started in a fashion that set the tone for the rest of the experience. It seems that Media Molecule couldn’t help but infuse their personality in every little detail of the game. The first time I got my hands on Sackboy was through an interactive credit reel. As I navigated through the level, staff pictures popped up along the way. Many of the pictures were snapshots and the employees were addressed by first name only. There were no posed headshots and no job titles; the studio hierarchy was intentionally missing. All that was shown were photos of individuals united by their passion for LittleBigPlanet. It says something about Media Molecule – and the game itself – that the first thing they wanted to highlight in this huge endeavor was the heart and soul of the operation.

Character Customization
After the credits rolled, I was greeted by the narrator. The disembodied voice had a highbrow inflection akin to one heard on a BBC nature program – but somehow managed not to sound patronizing in the least. His first instructions were to make myself “stylish and sexy… magic or tragic.” Through the Popit menu I was able to pick out clothing and customize my Sackboy. The customization options were a bit slim at the very beginning, but new clothing and accessory items became available in little time.

After infusing my Sackboy with some flavor, I was then introduced to my Pod. The Pod – which is described as a mix between a bedroom and a shed – is essentially the main navigation screen. Here I learned a bit more about controlling Sackboy. Using the D-pad I was able to change his expression from happy to sad, angry or even scared. In addition, I could choose the degree of each individual emotion. I kept things positive – rotating between a slight smile, toothy grin and tongue-lolling smirk. I also learned that I could control the head, hip and arm movements of Sackboy via the analogue stick and tilt functionality. It was a ridiculous amount of fun to simply sit and make my character head-bang wildly or do a hula hoop style dance.

Single Player
Once the basic controls were under my belt, I was instructed to launch the single player campaign. Through four levels I was taught the basic gameplay elements. Whenever a new skill was needed to progress farther, my omnipotent narrator would sound off – teaching me how to run, jump, ride vehicles, push and pull objects and grab onto moving obstacles. I even had a chance to check out the PlayStation Eye and make stickers in my image. Each of these lessons were delivered through a cardboard TV cutout, where I was given all the information needed. The lessons were delivered in record detail – even taking the time to demo the correct way to move the analog sticks. Even though the majority of the controls were simple and intuitive enough not to need the intense training, the lessons were given in an enjoyable manner.

In each of the levels collecting score bubbles was key. Collecting more than five score bubbles in succession resulted in a combo that would multiply the total level score. I also encountered prize bubbles, which were full of fun items such as costumes and stickers. At the end of each level I was given a total score for my efforts and rewarded with new items to customize my Sackboy or Pod. The score screen at the end of each level also highlighted other top scores around the world – in order to keep the competitive juices flowing.

Although checkpoints were liberally placed and the levels were simple in nature, it was still possible to lose a life. If – lets say – you repeatedly fell into a water trap, you would simply respawn at the nearest activated checkpoint. However, die enough times and the checkpoint will deactivate – leaving you high and dry to start the level over. In addition, if for some reason you find yourself stuck in a poorly designed user level, you can choose to make your Sackboy self-destruct. But don’t fret – he respawns unharmed at the nearest checkpoint. Dying in any fashion subtracts from the final score, so as expected, it is best to avoid falling victim to a perilous trap.

Co-op
As with many great games, LittleBigPlanet was taken to a whole new level of hilarity when I was joined by a friend. Co-op plays much like single-player, but it is a bit easier to navigate levels with two brains at work instead of one. If you die while playing in tandem, you are revived – pending you have lives remaining – at the next checkpoint your partner activates. The only downside to co-op play is that you will loose a life if left off screen for too long. So don’t run ahead of your partner or take off on a rocket without them – unless your intention is to steal all their glory. At the end of each co-op level a winner is chosen based on score bubbles and items gathered – so a competitive element is still prevalent.