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"LittleBigPlanet" gives platform game genre a boost

The platform game has fallen on hard times. Maybe it's that name, which came about in the 1980s when Mario was actually jumping on moving platforms in "Super Mario Bros." But the genre needs a catchier title, like "running-jumping-bouncing-super-fun-action-adventure." There has to be a Japanese word that encompasses all that.

Platform games used to represent a huge chunk of the video-game market, but now they're largely restricted to the kiddie market. There's the occasional gem like Nintendo's "Super Mario Galaxy," but platformer addicts usually have to settle for media tie-ins like the new "Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa" game.

Still, a few developers are keeping the faith. Insomniac Games' superb "Ratchet & Clank" series has upped the ante with an amusing assortment of bizarre weaponry. The independently developed "Braid" added mind-bending puzzles. And Sony's "LittleBigPlanet" could inspire a rush of fresh, creative approaches to the genre.

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Nineball2112 - contributor
Published: 398 days 2 hours ago | Article | PlayStation 3 | Xbox 360 | Wii

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WANNA GET HIGH - 398 days 2 hours ago

1 -

To bad sales for this game is not as high as many people tought it would be.Even tho i dont plan to buy the game because i have resistance2 and killzone2 beta(im more of a shooter gamer not one that likes creating levels) i still thik this game is an amazing game and we should have more games like this.

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TheFreak - 398 days 1 hour ago

2 -

Just add some guns, bombs, flying heads, massive amount of blood etc... and the platform genre will be HOT again. These days games are considered gay if they do not have some of these elements. its laughauble.

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Smacktard - 398 days 1 hour ago

2.1 -

I agree, TheFreak. It's a damn shame the GAMRR kids of nowadays.

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Kyur4ThePain - 398 days 1 hour ago

2.2 - Bubs

Bubbles for both of you for sharing my exact feelings.

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Foxgod - 397 days 13 hours ago

2.3 -

quite an insult, what a twisted way to think that liking adult games makes you laughable.

You ever considered the fact that cutesy art direction just isn't for everyone, surely not for the majority.

If you cant accept that, then your at loss.

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LeonSKennedy4Life - 397 days 12 hours ago

2.4 - Foxgod

Some of us never grew out of an imagination...

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Foxgod - 397 days 12 hours ago

2.5 -

Since my order hobby is penceling, and i come up with one satisfying idea after the other, i highly doubt that your imagination statement is valid.

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Armyless - 397 days 10 hours ago

2.6 - Laughable

Anyone that thinks LBP is a kid's game, obviously hasn't beaten it.

Fox... your logic is skewed. Just because something isn't exclusively prohibitive doesn't mean it's therefore completely (inversely) inclusive.

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TheFreak - 397 days 5 hours ago

2.7 - @Foxgod

I like mature games. Thats not whats laughable. Whats laughable is that many gamers today thinks that games with no violence is gay pure and simpel. Not "hardcore" enough.

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Fruit Loops - 398 days 1 hour ago

3 - LBP is gay...

To the narrow minded people that only like to blow things up.
Sad.
LBP rocks

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PirateThom - 398 days 1 hour ago

3.1 -

Funny enough, there's lots of explosions in LBP.

Awesome explosions!

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Foxgod - 397 days 13 hours ago

3.2 -

calling people who play adult games narrow minded is your excuse to justify your frustration that not more people are into games like LBP.

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SL1M DADDY - 397 days 13 hours ago

3.3 - True true.

The boss in my level has two huge cannons on his ship that pummel you with explosives and when you pull the lever under him he blows up violently. No kids, this game is not gay, it is awesome!

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LeonSKennedy4Life - 397 days 12 hours ago

3.4 - ...and

You think Banjo Kazooie sucks too, right? I'm talking about the new one...the 360 exclusive one. Please comment how badly it sucks...because you aren't into those games.

Please.

Also, yes. You are shallow. You don't know how much you'll enjoy LBP until you play it. It's amazing!

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Foxgod - 397 days 12 hours ago

3.5 -

have not played banjo yet, but i can tell you banjo doesnt have much of a building tool, you simply patch cubes.

Hardly any creativity, but maybe the gameplay is fun.

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Armyless - 397 days 10 hours ago

3.6 - FoxGod, I don't expect a response, not that you can since you wasted your bubbles

but why are you always trolling PS3 games, especially Little Big Planet? It's like you have a secret crush on it.

Maybe someone should buy you a bundle for Christmas and get over your jealousy issues?

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DarkBlood - 398 days 1 hour ago

4 -

well what did you expect the kids of today to be like with the way things are different these days i thought of this idea that these kids today wouldn't be nuts if they played the old classics like we did first then experince new gens after that that would make them gamers like most of you guys here but yeah in fact i dont know what im talking about lol

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Dragunov - 398 days ago

5 - Darkblood

Bubble for make me laugh

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PirateThom - 398 days ago

6 -

God, I miss 2D platformers.

Mega Man, Mario, Sonic, Rayman

God, remember Rayman before they ruined it with 3D?

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Xi - 398 days ago

6.1 - what?

Raymond 64 was the best platforming game on the n64, I thought it was better then conkers, mario 64, and banjo.

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LeonSKennedy4Life - 397 days 12 hours ago

6.2 - No

Conker's Bad Fur Day is still some of the best voice acting I've ever seen. The game is just fantastic!

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Xi - 398 days ago

7 - I played this game... then played braid.

And I honestly felt that braid was a better game in every department, art, innovation, and production values. I felt so bad because I wanted to like the game but I just couldn't.

If it's any game giving a boost to platforming titles It'll be handheld games and arcade/psn titles that make good use of the genre.

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Uwe_Boll - 398 days ago

7.1 -

How can you even compare the two, LBP is so much better. Have you even started making a level, its so addictive hours can pass with out realizing.
Dont even get me started on braid it is a huge shovel of pretentious bulls**t, the only reason everyone thinks its good is because its a piece of 'interactive art'? Its not even creative you can run through the whole game by just jumping.
And before anyway says anything YES i have played it and got through it in a couple of hours tops, where as LBP iv got an endless supply of levels.
Please explain how braid is innovative? that word is through around too much
*Rant over*
By any chance have you played the proper version of LBP, i dont think you have.

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Xi - 398 days ago

7.2 - I found the level editor too limiting

and the lack of a full 3d enviroment was annoying, I'm use to making mods and maps for other games, stuff like gmod, second life, maps for tf2, css, other mods, etc. Had the game been more rigidly 2d or open 3d it would have done wonders.

I also find the concept of "working for your fun" a pain, when I buy a game for a console it's to relax and to have fun, not to work.

As for the styling of the game, I hate it, the floatyness, the blurryness and the colours make me want to vomit. It's just so blah and un-inspiring. It's like they took no risk, they said "hey depth of field looks nice, lets use it everywhere!".

As for the levels created by other member, 90% of them are absolute junk that turn me off of playing them even more, so why bother wasting the time to play them?

As for braid, it might be pretentious but it's far far more ingenious then lbp, and it's a lot more thoughtfull and unique.

And you have the gall to ask what's innovative about Braid, (other than it's story telling, and time manipulation?) when lbp is a gmod clone? Sorry mate, but nothing about lbp is "innovative". It erks me when people think user generated content is innovative, this has been around since Bungie first packaged forge with marathon.

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Uwe_Boll - 397 days 23 hours ago

7.3 -

The level editor i not to limiting, have you seen some of the levels, i mean who thought you would be able to create a character or a musical game in LBP. You cant have spent to much time with the level editor because it is so addictive and isn't hard after an hour or so.

Yes the styling is hit or miss some people like it and others hate it.

I wouldn't say 90% if the levels is junk, if you want to avoid the crap ones then play something that's been hearted alot.

What is more unique and ingenious about braid, and LBP might not be
relaxing enough for you but braid is too simple, the reverse time just takes all the fun from the game, can you remember in mario when you would complete a level you couldn't do, you had a sense of accomplishment but in braid its not there. Its like yay i did a level someone with no skill could do. Imagine if all games were that easy.

Because you make mods etc then LBP might just be too simple, i dunno but then again LBP level design can be tricky. I believe LBP has set a trend and we'll see a lot more games with level sharing on consoles.

Edit---

LBP is innovative when you consider it is on a console, they have gave the player tools that are simple to get the hang off and are easy to control with a controller. Can you name any other game on a console like LBP where you can make complex levels and share them with your friends. What is so special about the story telling in braid? The story is different but getting the player to read most of it is not innovative

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Foxgod - 397 days 13 hours ago

7.4 -

Uwe boll, your movies stink :P, i do not think the fact that you like this game is gonna make LBP fans feel good about themselves :P
hehe

Now serious.
Not everybody likes customizing, lot of people just want a good story, good gfx, or good gameplay, or a combination of those.
But dont want to spend hours making something, that isnt really a creation in the end.

Creating something, is to me, penceling something on paper, loading it into photoshop, and turning it into a piece of art.
What you do in LBP doesnt come near that experience.

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Armyless - 397 days 10 hours ago

7.5 - Once again, Foxgod, you are completely uninformed

and dare I say, uninspired.

I love how you determine the exact nature and medium that creativity exists to you... and anything else... any OTHER way of creating is not creative to you...

Silly, you're deluding yourself. Creativity exists where nothing did before it, not on the back of your notebook in math class.

You would LOVE lbp, and I'll bet your lunch money you're not as creative as you think you are... until you learn the tools to go somewhere new.

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Slinger420 - 397 days 23 hours ago

8 -

This guy that's hating on LittleBigPlanet is obviously a fanboy. That Halo statement proves it

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Xi - 397 days 23 hours ago

8.1 - what halo statement?

Oh wait, you have no clue what you're talking about, because I never mentioned it.

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LeonSKennedy4Life - 397 days 12 hours ago

9 - Um...

If you want a hardcore level editor, buy Crysis or Unreal Tournament III. Otherwise, shut up. LBP has a very intricate level editor!

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rmedtx888 - 397 days 11 hours ago

10 -

For a creative mind the so called "limitations" of 2.5D are a challenge that makes the whole experience even better; another element to plan for/deal with in creating a great level. LittleBigPlanet is without a doubt one of the best games ever created. Creative people are like fish in the water with this game. If you are not creative…Well you have an unlimited source of new levels to play. It is true not all of them are brilliant but what some lack on visuals or level planning they compensate by being funny or just plain fun to play. If you ever want to work on the video game industry you should know that you will not always create violent game. You have to work on what ever project the studio is working on. Challenge your selves; Create one of the best levels in LBP and you will know that you are really good. I develop video games as a hobby and my first video game was a 16 bit side scrolling game (I designed this game 3 years ago) and it has open many doors for me.

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IWentBrokeForGaming - 397 days 8 hours ago

11 - It's frustrating to know people cannot enjoy a awesome game like LBP

because it's "kiddy"?. The concept for one is bit too complex for kids I think, especially if you want to create and do your own stuff. Plus when it comes to a good platformer almost all of them are not adult themed, and all are enjoyable. Im 24 years old, but would gladly pay respect to a mario game (or a game like it) any day!

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