2.5/5 ★ – cha0sknightmare's review of Loco Roco.

LocoRoco is a game unlike any other. It’s hard to categorize, but the best I can do is call it a physics-platformer hybrid with an extremely trippy aesthetic. It’s colorful, obtuse, strange, quirky, and unique, pretty much unlike anything else on the PSP, especially from Sony’s first-party studios. The goal of the game is simple: steer your Locos to the exit. That’s it. Mechanically though, this can be trickier than it sounds. Your only method of control is the shoulder buttons L and R, each of which tilt the game world. You can also hold and release both buttons at once to make your Locos jump. The Locos roll around based on how you tilt the screen, falling through holes and gaps in the environment in an almost pinball-like fashion. They automatically eat any fruit they come into contact with, which gradually increases your overall Loco count. At any time, you can hold the Circle button to combine all your Locos into one big blob, or tap it again to split them back into individuals. The levels are designed around this mechanic and will have you constantly shifting forms as you tilt the game world to guide them to the finish. LocoRoco features five worlds (each made up of multiple levels), all introducing new themes, gimmicks, music, and a new type of Loco to play as. The themes are familiar tried and tested (jungle, beach, etc) but still feel wholly original in how they’re implemented, with crazy gimmicks that delicately straddle the line between exciting and frustrating. Levels are also full of secret areas where you’ll find additional Locos or collectibles, and at the end of each stage, you're ranked based on your Loco count and completion time. There’s even a minimal form of combat here, requiring you to slam into enemies with enough force, or risk having them snatch one of your Locos, reducing your count. Sometimes these mechanics will even be implemented into a "boss fight" of sorts. The game also features various mini-games, and a separate “Loco House,” which you can customize by adding stickers or objects found in the levels — then play around with the Loco physics for no other reason than fun. It’s random, pointless, but strangely enjoyable, and shows a real passion from the devs that they were willing to spend time and resources implementing something so purely whimsical. LocoRoco can feel like a fever dream. It’s refreshingly obscure, creative, and packed full of imagination. Sadly games like this feel rarer and rarer — where their niche appeal clashes with the inflating budgets of modern game development. I feel like this is the sort of experiment we just wouldn’t see from the modern day Sony, and while the game does start to run out of steam in it's last third, I would still say if you have the means to give this one a try, original hardware or otherwise, you should!