LocoRoco was never a game I’ve had under my radar. I’ve always heard such great things about the game, and recently, I opted to play the game, in addition to the dozens of other games I have in my backlog, and keep skipping over newer games. After the first world or so, I completely get why many see this as a gem, and I’m glad I can hop on the bandwagon too.
Just in case you haven’t heard of LocoRoco, basically you play as blob guys, called LocoRocos, who traverse through levels by rotating the world, which you do with the bumpers. The main objective is to save their world from the Moja, an evil alien-like force who’s trying to take it over. Along the way, you’ll find fruits that can make the LocoRocos grow, and help you earn points along the way. As an arcade platformer style game, the story isn’t really present. Other than a few cutscenes, that’s basically it. But as per usual, a simple game like LocoRoco doesn’t need any sort of story for the player to feel satisfied. Luckily, this game offers plenty to the player from making them feel as happy as humanly possible.
LocoRoco provides what is probably needed the most during these historical events happening in 2020-2021, that being a means of happiness. Every time I’ve done a LocoRoco session, its just nothing but good vibes, and a few dopamine hits here and there. Simply from the presentation alone, with its simple graphics that pop with color, good level design that never makes the game boring to play, and a solid length that makes sure it doesn’t overstay its welcome, LocoRoco makes sure that you are in that mood of happiness and excitement. In addition to the solid length of about 5-6 hours, since the game is a platformer arcade style game, the amount of replay value is incredible. Being able to just boot it up, play a couple of levels, and turning it off just makes it perfect for a pick-me-up after a long, stressful day. And of course, nothing tops good vibes off when it comes to music, and LocoRoco has that soundtrack you can’t get mad at. It’ll bring that frown upside down, have you whistling along, and whatever else happens when you listen to happy music. Overall, LocoRoco is an unbeatable gem, and is perfect for everyone.
If I had to say *something* bad that I noticed in LocoRoco, it’s that the controls can take a little getting used to. For me personally, I wished you could have sped up the turning speed. It would’ve been nice if they added that in Remastered (the version I played), but if no one else has had that problem, and since I’m practically nitpicking, then it isn’t too big of an issue. Plus, after an hour or two, I was able to get used to the controls, and it felt second nature to me.
In the end, I can’t recommend LocoRoco any more than I am right now. It’s a great game you can easily beat in a day or two, and you’ll have nothing but a smile on your face the whole way through. Easily a must play on both the PSP and PS4 for PlayStation fans who want to play more exclusives.