LittleBigPlanet - New Gaming Obsession

So, ever since Sony and Media Molecule announced LittleBigPlanet was coming last year, I've been dying to have a chance to play it. Everything from screenshots to videos that I've seen have only cemented it in my mind as the game that will sell PS3's, and take over my life. Then, it got delayed, and delayed and I was really bummed out and stopped following it for a while.

But then, at E3, it appeared and reminded me why I was so entranced by it again. Now, with the release date a couple months away, I'm trying to get any information I can, and also trying to decide who I'm going to pre-order it from (there are five different offers but only two have been formally announced). I found a cool site that has a ton of info: LittleBigPlanet Central and since they have their official news site: LittleBigPlanet News I'm counting days until I can get this game.

For those who don't know, it's really hard to explain what is so cool about this game, which is essentially a platformer with a level design and share element. But it's the style, charm, and general fun of the game that make it so compelling. I've never heard anyone say anything negative about the game other than it hasn't come out yet. Nintendo tried to get it before Sony snatched it up, and for good reason. My wife is even interested in this game and that says volumes right there.

So, October 21st can't get here soon enough. All I have to do now is make my final decision on Kratos costume, Mini-Guide, or Pouch. :)

Pixel Junk Eden Demo Impression

So, I bought PixelJunk Monsters when it came out on the PSN, and I really enjoyed the game play, although, I didn't finish it (Burnout Paradise took over and Gaming ADD). I'm planning on getting into it again soon, but it may have to wait. I downloaded the PJ-Eden demo on Thursday, and so far, I've played through it twice. It was on my list of games I'm curious about from E3 and I was glad to see a demo.

The game is essentially a platformer that gives you control of a character and lets you loose in a garden (level) with the objective of collection "Spectra". These Spectra help to build your Eden and progress to other gardens. You collect pollen to grow new plants to attach to and climb, etc. The demo only lets you collect 5 (of the 50) spectra, but if you play it right, you can play all the way through Garden 1, or play 3-4 spectra of Garden 2 or 3 spectra of Garden 3. This is a game that is very different than other games I play (shooters, racing, sports, action) as it is very mellow, but it is also a platformer which puts it right in my wheelhouse so that is a cool contrast. The mix of the visual style and the music is really cool as I can't see how the game would have any other music. The only problem with the demo is that you can only play through it once without deleting your save game.

Some cool features of the game include: up to three player co-op locally (too bad I only have two controllers), Remote Play support (haven't tried this yet, but I will...), Trophy support (I can finally get trophies), and the ability to upload captured video to YouTube. With all of these features for a cost of "less than 10 dollars", I'll definitely be buying this game when it comes out on Thursday. So obviously my impression was you should play this demo if you have a PS3 and I think you'll want to download the game too.

E3 Impressions - PJ Edition

So, I finished watching the Sony E3 presentation last night (Thanks to the PSN actually providing it this year), and there were a lot of cool things about it. Here are the ones that I found most interesting:
1. Resistance 2 - I really liked the first game, but the levels they showed were awesome. They kept mentioning scale, and it was really evident in the Leviathan battle. Part of that seemed a little weird though. I'll be interested to see how it measures up in the final game.
2. Sony's commitment to the PS2 - They are bringing out 130 titles for the PS2 this year. That seems really high when they aren't providing backward compatibility on the PS3 going forward.
3. LittleBigPlanet - I cannot even describe how excited I am by this game. I really hope they don't let everyone down and delay it again. Should be the best community game since Burnout Paradise.
4. Video Store - I think this is a really great move to bring the PSN in line with other online retail opportunities. I like how you can move it to your PSP. I don't like how when you delete it to free up space, it's gone forever. I guess I'll be burning anything I buy to DVD or backing up on my portable hard drive (I also really need to expand the drive I have in my PS3.
5. PSN titles - I love the idea of Ratchet and Clank continuing on PSN. I'll be buying that for sure.
6. The many developers touting the PS3 (even notable devs from critics of the platform)

Here's what I was a little disappointed by:
1. No Netflix announcement. This rumor has been going on for a long time, and when the 360 announced it on Monday, I thought it was sure that the PS3 would announce it. Wonder if they are waiting to not compete with the new Store, or if was really only a rumor.
2. No Jaw-Dropping announcement. I'm still waiting for the announcement that they are making a peripheral that will turn the PS3 into a Location Free player or something of that nature. The games looked good, the video store is nice, but nothing blew me away.
3. No Killzone 2 love. I know this conference was about Resistance 2, but Killzone still should have had a little presence... even if it was just a teaser of really in-game footage.

Games I MUST play from E3: (not just from Sony's conference)
1. LittleBigPlanet
2. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
3. Resistence 2
4. Mirror's Edge
5. Prince of Persia
6. DC Universe
7. Resistance Retribution
8. Lego Batman
9. Ratchet and Clank: Quest for Booty
10. Motorstorm 2

Games I'm curious about:
1. Infamous
2. Flower
3. PixelJunk Eden
4. Mortal Kombat vs. DC