Game On: 'LocoRoco' sequel stays true to original strengths

ShareThis

"LocoRoco 2"
Platform: PSP
Publisher: Sony
Genre: Action
ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone
Grade: 4 stars (out of 5)

It bears repeating each time I encounter a strong game on a handheld device: When you design and engineer a game to be played in short spans and you manage to deliver high-energy content in brief play, more often than not you will succeed.
The original "LocoRoco" did exactly that, so it makes perfect sense for Sony to release a sequel. Luckily, Sony didn't mess with what worked. Instead, it churned out a game that is quite similar to the original, but has just enough new bells and whistles to make it worth owning.
Shame on those PSP owners who did not thoroughly enjoy "LocoRoco." Much like the infectious fun that deBlob has created for Wii owners, "LocoRoco" was a trailblazer. You control your LocoRocos by rolling around and occasionally jumping. This can be done as singular units or as one gigantic glob, which, I think, is the best way to play most of the time.
The bosses you will fight are not terribly difficult. And besides, they just get in the way of all the colorful levels and puzzles you get to explore. Your LocoRocos have new abilities, like swimming, but even those cannot replace the joy of eating objects and watching your glob grow to enormous sizes. You will hate having your glob run into a spike or something that causes your glob to burst, but it's just a minor inconvenience and setback in the game.
Music plays an ever-present role in the game. Minigames have been incorporated into the play, and the notes you collect can add a new dimension the original didn't have. In all, "LocoRoco 2" expands on an already fantastic PSP title, and should be a must-own for all PSP owners.

"MLB Front Office Manager"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Publisher: 2K Sports
Genre: Sports
ESRB Rating: E, for Everyone
Grade: 1.5

It's about time that sports-management simulations were made for consoles and given a fair chance to succeed. Well, let's correct that -- it's great to see them finally make it to the consoles. The ability to succeed, however, may be unlikely, if you take as an example one "MLB Front Office Manager."
This game is definitely for lovers of minutiae. Much like with previous PC titles such as "Baseball Mogul," you get to control every aspect of the organization (salaries, ticket prices, free-agent signings, drafting new players, contract negotiations, etc.). You start at the top -- just pick a team. From the high-payroll Yankees to the middling Reds, you get the head role, making all the decisions. It's a long laundry list of duties, and some of them you can turn over to the AI to handle if you suddenly feel swamped.
Visually, the game is great, especially when you are watching the action from a manager's dugout position or the owner's box. Plus, upgrading the game from an Excel look that those PC games displayed is also a positive, so 2K gets props there.
But this falls apart in the background elements. This is a sim game, and not one in which you control pitchers or batters -- which means the audience is the stat geek who craves spreadsheets and miles of player data. Yet those details are exactly what "Front Office Manager" lacks. I don't know what the developers were thinking.
Also, menu navigation is a total pain.

(E-mail Chris Campbell at game_on_games(at)mac.com)
Game On