LittleBigPlanet

LittleBigPlanet is a puzzle platform video game series created by Media Molecule (with several contributors/collaborators) and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment on multiple PlayStation Platforms.

Overview

The series takes place in a world known as LittleBigPlanet, sometimes referred to as Craftworld. Each curator is in charge of a part of LittleBigPlanet and they govern them independently. All games in the series follow the main protagonist Sackboy, a small, brown, anthropomorphic, humanoid creature made of fabric with a zip fastener and button eyes. Sackboy can be customization to their liking using items like clothes, costumes, stickers, and decorations that are either earned in the game, or purchased/obtained via Downloadable Content (DLC).^[1]

Gameplay

The series follows the many adventures of Sackboy and has a large emphasis on gameplay rather than being story-driven. All of the games in the series put a strong emphasis on user-generated content and are based on the series' tagline "Play, Create, Share": ^[2]

• Play

The gameplay originally consisted primarily, but not entirely, of traditional two-dimensional platforming like jumping and avoiding obstacles to successfully navigate to the end of a level to win. Since LittleBigPlanet 2, gameplay has expanded to being a "platform for games" with the introduction of numerous mini-games and other genres into the game, diversifying the game from being strictly a traditional platform game.

Most levels involve a player playing solo or co-operatively with friends to navigate while collecting various "bubbles" along the way. These bubbles come in two types: Small ones, known as Score Bubbles, which constitute points and larger ones, known as Prize Bubbles, that contain new costumes, stickers, or other types of collectibles. These collectibles can be used in Create Mode or to customize Sackboy.

• Create

The Create component primarily refers to level creation in the game, places a major emphasis; Players can create their own levels with the built-in level creator. Many items that are collected while playing Story, Community and DLC Levels.

These levels can remain as the original LittleBigPlanet platforming gameplay, or they can be expanded to many other game types, such as racing, fighting, shooting, sports and nearly any other game type that the player can think of. The player can also make non-gaming creations such as music and films.

• Share

the Share component relates to sharing creations with the game's community by uploading levels to the PlayStation Network. Since the release of LittleBigPlanet 2 and LBP.me^[4], the Share component has also had a strong emphasis sharing discoveries. Players are encouraged to share levels they find with other players by writing reviews and comments in-game and by sharing links to creations' LBP.me pages via social networks. Community Levels is also backwards compatible within the mainline games.

Main series

LittleBigPlanet

The first game in the series, it was released on the PlayStation 3 in October 27th, 2008.

Player controls Sackboy as he travels around LittleBigPlanet, helping the eight creator curators of LittleBigPlanet with their problems in their own respective realms as he tries to stop The Collector, one of the eight creator curators who, unlike the other seven, has gone rogue, kidnapping the creations of LittleBigPlanet.^[5]

LittleBigPlanet 2

LittleBigPlanet 2 is a sequel to the first LittleBigPlanet and was developed by Media Molecule for the PlayStation 3 and released in January 2011.

The sequel saw a major shift in the direction of the series, going from a primarily traditional platform game in the first two installments to a more varied style of gameplay called a "platform for games". The second game gave players a wider variety of options when it came to level design, which saw the creation of levels other than platforming such as racing, puzzles, and fighting games.

Following the events of the first two installments in the series, the game takes place when an antagonist known as the Negativitron invades LittleBigPlanet and begins to suck up all its inhabitants. Sackboy must then team up with a secret organisation known as "The Alliance", led by Larry Da Vinci, to save LittleBigPlanet from the Negativitron as they travel around LittleBigPlanet battling the Negativitron.^[5]

LittleBigPlanet 3

LittleBigPlanet 3 is a sequel to both mainline games and was developed by Sumo Digital for both the PlayStation 3 & PlayStation 4 consoles and released in November 2014.

A wormhole appeared while Sackboy was exploring Craftworld, the wormhole sucked Sackboy in to another world called Bunkum, where he is then greeted by Newton. he asks Sackboy to help him stop the "evil" Nana Pud from releasing The Titans. however, Sackboy was tricked by Newton, revealing that it was his plan to unleash the evil titans to make Bunkum more "creative".

Newton proceeds to release the Titans, but unwittingly getting possessed by the three Titans. Sackboy and Nana Pud joined forces, Nana suggests that they reawaken the three heroes of Bunkum: OddSock, Toggle and Swoop, who are new playable characters. Joined by the trio, the gang must stop Newton from releasing the rest of the Titans.^[6]

Handheld

LittleBigPlanet (PSP)

LittleBigPlanet (PSP) is the first portable entry of the series. it was developed primarily by Guerrilla Cambridge in association with Media Molecule, it was released in November 2009

Although, it shares the same name as the first installment, it was not a port of the PlayStation 3 game, but rather a new entry in the series. It boasted an entirely new story-mode with new levels and still featured many of the same mechanics of its PlayStation 3 counterpart, such as customization, albeit without the multi-player component of the game. Also notable are a few restrictions such as only having 2 layers instead of 3.^[12]

After the events of LittleBigPlanet, Sackboy goes on vacation to many exotic locations. They start in the Down Under, where they learn about the controls and their immenent journey, which is about the Carnival of Creators, where every Creator Curator is invited to it, however some have not responded to their invitation, so Sackboy is sent by The Mystic to see what's going on with these non-responders, and make their way to the Carnival of Creators.^[7]

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita is second portable entry of the series. it was developed by Double Eleven, Tarsier Studios & XDev for the PlayStation Vita and was released in September 2012.

The game features the same core mechanics from LittleBigPlanet 2, with the focus being on a "platform for games" rather than a platformer like previous entries in the series before LittleBigPlanet 2. The game utilities the unique controls of the PlayStation Vita by using its multi-touch touchscreen and its rear touchpad to navigate through various obstacles in stages as well as for level creation by users.^[12]

As Sackboy arrives in Carnivalia, he sees a circus tent. At first he wants to go in, but then Colonel Flounder shows up an warns him not to. They leave, and Colonel Flounder explains the situation with The Puppeteer: He was once a happy entertainer, but after hearing the "Dreaded Boo" from his audience, he threw his puppets away and disappeared. Now he's returned, and is using the Hollows to cause mischief throughout the land Sackboy and the Colonel then arrive at La Marionetta, where he takes Sackboy the basic training he'll need to defeat the Puppeteer.^[8]

Spinoffs

LittleBigPlanet Karting

LittleBigPlanet Karting is a spin-off which involves kart-racing. It was developed by United Front Games and SIE San Diego Studio. both studios are best known for their work on Modnation Racers.

This game takes place immediately after the events of LittleBigPlanet 2. Sackboy was out standing in The Gardens, when The Hoard showed up on their karts and started to hoard everything. The Hoard wants to do is to keep everything, and to not "create, play, or share" with any of it. Suddenly, a member of The Hoard crashes his kart into the tree next to Sackboy, and falls to their death in a pit of flames, so Sackboy takes their old kart and chases after The Hoard with it.[9

Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves

Sackboy's Prehistoric Moves is a LittleBigPlanet spin-off and a Standalone game, developed by Supermassive Games and XDev, which can be played with two to five players and requires a PlayStation Move controller and a PlayStation Eye Camera. it was released in December 2010 and was included with LittleBigPlanet 2 Blu-ray disc.

In November 15th, 2015, All Assets from the game has been released as a Free DLC for LittleBigPlanet 3.^[10]

Run Sackboy! Run!

Run Sackboy! Run! is a free-to-play endless running game that was released on iOS & Android on 30 October 30th and December 17th, respectively 2014. the game was later released for the PlayStation Vita on 31 March 31th, 2015. The game has no real plot, except for Sackboy running through Craftworld from the Negativitron.^[11]

Players can collect stickers to unlock "Run Sackboy! Run!" T-shirt for Sackboy in almost every LittleBigPlanet games and Costumes for Sackboy, OddSock, Toggle and Swoop in LittleBigPlanet 3.

Reception

The Series has received wide critical acclaim from both critics & users for its focus on Gameplay, Story, Level design, the Music and User-generated content. The game has also received several accolades & awards.

The Main Games has critical and positive reception from Metacritic^[13][14][15], GameRanking^[16][17][18] and OpenCritic^[19]. The first installment, LittleBigPlanet has the highest score in the main series (Metacritic: 95^[13] – GameRanking: 94.75%^[16])

Online Presence

WORK IN PROGRESS

Throughout the years, User-generated content plays a significant role in LittleBigPlanet series. As covered in the "Create" section, the community has created several different types of level, short films, collectibles, tools, and even more. Here's are the level highlights:

As of July 2nd, 2018, 10,368,862 Community Levels has been created across the mainline LittleBigPlanet games

Meanwhile in Social Media, the series has a subreddit^[20] with over 3,640 subscribers, a Twitter account^[21] with over 55,543 followers, a Facebook page^[22] with over 1,059,032 likes and a YouTube channel^[23] with over 73,700 subcribers.

Search Interest

External References