Sure, you can technically lose if you roll your last LocoRoco into a burr or are attacked, but it is thankfully very difficult to do.įorty levels sounds like a fairly significant amount, but most will be able speed through the game in about six hours. The lack of a life-bar or any real danger is one of the more refreshing aspects of the game. Instead, the collected pickories are added to your total and can be spent in the unlocked mini-games. Collecting 100 of them does not give you an extra life, nor does it have any sort of immediate benefit. Pickories takes the place of coins or gems or whatever your favorite platform pick-up is. LocoRoco features 40 distinct levels, each vibrantly displayed in varying color schemes and with unique details. Otherwise, it may pluck a LocoRoco from your being, which you can only get back by ramming it immediately. Enemies are not as prevalent in LocoRoco as in many other platformers, but if you see a Moja coming your way, be sure to jump right at it to knock it out. Holding and releasing both buttons at once makes the LocoRoco jump, which is necessary for reaching platforms and bounding over rocky terrain. As noted, the shoulder buttons tilt the environment, making your circular LocoRoco roll about. LocoRoco doesn't deviate too much in this respect, but it is the navigation that makes the game a distinct entry in the genre. Like most platformers, the basic premise is to navigate to the end of the level. Holding down the button causes them to combine once more. Eating a berry causes your LocoRoco to expand, though a single press of the circle button will separate your larger creature into its individual parts. Most levels start with just a single LocoRoco on-screen, with 19 red berries scattered throughout, many of which are hidden from plain view. Wait, that's fun for humans too! The key difference worth noting (besides the circular shape) is that the LocoRoco can combine into a much larger being. The LocoRoco are a simple race of blob-like creatures, and according to the instruction booklet, "all they want to do is have fun." Apparently, their idea of fun is smiling, singing, and rolling around. So what's the point? Let me tell you a bit about the LocoRoco. Holding down the left shoulder button tilts the world to the left, while holding the right button does just the opposite. Controlling the world does not require the d-pad, analog stick, or even the face buttons nearly everything is mapped to the left and right shoulder buttons. This concept has been explored before in titles like Super Monkey Ball, but not in a 2D side-scrolling environment. Unlike most platform games, LocoRoco does not task the player with controlling a character, human or otherwise. Like Katamari Damacy before it, LocoRoco charms its way into your heart, then delivers a seriously enjoyable experience to seal the deal. Without the help of 3D graphics or an identifiable main character, LocoRoco redefines the platform genre, taking a simplistic approach that eliminates use of the d-pad. I typically hesitate to begin a review with such a bold statement (especially in early September), but LocoRoco is a bold game and certainly deserves the praise. Barring the release of a sleeper classic in the next three months, LocoRoco will likely be my pick for handheld game of the year.