If you don't agree and think that this rainbow of Sackboy get ups is worth your $2.99, they'll be yours for the garish taking starting this Thursday in North America. That's when the five-piece combo meal of brightly colored Sackboys hit the PlayStation Store.

A second option is the Sack-in-the-Box costume, a free, television be-headed alternative. It's creepy enough to get some hard drive space.

LittleBigPlanet Weekly Download Update [PlayStation.blog]

"......"

So...yeah, LocoRoco 2 looks pretty neat, and...uh, Mr. Kouno? Hello?

"......"

So went some parts of today's interview with Tsutomu Kouno. Just a few. And the guy wasn't being rude at all. He's a really sharp, really nice guy. He was just totally into LocoRoco 2. Couldn't stop tapping his feet during the new rhythm-action sections, couldn't stop humming along to the new character's songs.

It's great to see that, despite having done nothing but work on LocoRoco for the past 3-4 years, Kouno can still completely lose himself in the game. It's definitely a lot more encouraging sign for the game than any bullet point or press release could ever manage.

According to details translated by 1UP, LocoRoco 2 looks to stick to the formula of the first pretty closely, with new music, new bosses and the ability to bite more things — that's a bullet point, for sure — topping the list of new features. Following sequel evolution tradition, your Locos can now swim. Amazing how that always seems to take an iteration or two.

LocoRoco 2 Confirmed, Detailed [1UP]

The good news is that it's due this year, at least according to Claire Backhouse, a product manager for Sony Computer Entertainment UK. It was casually mentioned as one of the games that will inspire PSP owners to think "Oh yeah, I own a PSP" in a recent chat with MCV.

With the PlayStation 3 entry in the series, LocoRoco Cocoreccho, little more than a glorified screen saver, we hope that Kouno and team have something interesting planned for the PSP sequel. Perhaps something that takes advantage of all those new PSP accessories?

PS we love you [MCV]

So make with the puns and emo imagery, kids, and let's do this.

E For All Loves Threadless [Threadless]

To start off with, the upper management didn't understand the idea. It was hard to communicate, so I tried to show them what it would be like moving — I created the demo and then they went for it... They liked the concept of rotating the world to move the LocoRocos to the goal, but they didn't understand what I meant when I said I wanted to apply AI to the LocoRoco and put other AI creatures in it — they couldn't see how that would be interesting or fun.

Yes, players will use the SIXAXIS tilt controls. And over 200 characters [read: circles] will be playable in the game. All joking aside, I'll download Buu Buu just to check out the clean animation style on bigscreen HDTV...and to convince my wife that I play something more than games involving headshots. LocoRoco Confirmed for PS3 [PSU]

There are things we want to know about game creators. In a recent interview, LocoRoco Tsutomu Kouno tells us those things we want to know. Things like how he broke into the industry or the kinds of games he wants to make. What's more, he talks about how attitudes among Japanese and Western gamers are changing. We wants a global group of gamers! He also tells us other stuff. Lots and lots of it.

At nine-minutes long, it's fairly in-depth for a Tsutomu Kouno interview. What we learned: His favorite movies are the Back to the Future series ("they're just well thought out!), Kouno's secret dream is to make a Back to the Futureeque anti-gravity bike, snowboarding and drinking are fun, he got glass embedded in his ears as a kid, he likes tribal music, his blood type is A and he plays Capcom games in his free time. Think that about covers it. Next! Brian Ashcraft

Kouno Interview [Gamespot via GayGamer]

So Tsutomu Kouno is working on a LocoRoco sequel. The game isn't too difficult from the original, save for new AI and physic calculations. But will it be for the PSP or the PS3? Kouno says:

I can't really say anything official right now, but... As you'd expect [laughs].

Hilarious. Let's say for a moment that LocoRoco 2 was coming to the PS3. Would it use SIXAXIS motion controls?

I actually tried that, and learned that it's quite tiring physically to do this [mimes twisting a SIXAXIS left and right] all the time. So I'm brainstorming how to use that feature in a different way, I'm still thinking about it.

I think I'll be able to release that [information] soon; I really want to talk about it, but I can't say yet.

Glad Kouno has enough sense not to include standard motion controls. Brian Ashcraft

Kouno Interview [Games Industry]

LocoRoco creator Tsutomo Kouno is only one man. Ask him, he'll tell you. So, even if he wanted to make all the ideas he has for new games, Kouno couldn't. He tells Games Industry:

I have many ideas, but I can't make them all because I am only one person. I have five or six new game ideas either for PSP or PS3, but I actually want to make them for PSP — for the people who bought LocoRoco, or bought a PSP because of LocoRoco, and like casual games... There are too many sequels for PSP, only sequels, so I want to make a new game for PSP.

Kouno is hard at work on LocoRoco 2 for the PSP. Brian Ashcraft

Loco for Originality [Games Industry]

LocoRoco creator Tsutomu Kouno dropped a few sequel hints at the Nordic Game Conference. While saying he was going to get "scolded" if he offered too much info, Kouno promised LocoRoco 2 would have:

...new gameplay based on physical calculation and crowd AI as well as a few surprises.

I just love the idea of some Sony suit telling off Kouno for divulging his plans. Brian Ashcraft

Kouno Drops Hints [Next-Gen]

Live in Japan? Then you can probably relate with a feature game site Gamasutra has up on foreigners working in the Japanese game industry. Things covered include the office culture, learning the language and reasons for moving to The Land of the Rising Sun. The feature gets insight from JC Barnett (pseudonym for Japanmanship blogger who works at unidentified company), Greg Tavares (seven year Tokyo-vet, worked on games like LocoRoco) and Dylan Cuthbert (got his start in the UK, later part of StarFox team, set-up his own studio in Kyoto). All of them has good things to say — Especially Cuthbert who sums up the UK, US and Japanese game industry culture:

The UK is a pub culture — people like to doss and arse about a lot, but they are very good and very skilled at their jobs — when they do them.

The US is a corporate culture, everyone is a cog in the machine, even in a smaller company, so there is far less responsibility towards the company and its finances and people assume that they should have the best wage, best equipment, best software, best everything, even if they don't use them. That said, they have great responsibility to the work itself and there are some extremely clever and diligent people there. Corporate politics, gossip and rivalries can get a bit too much.

The Japanese games development culture is still slightly 'salaryman', everyone kind of avoids responsibility by remaining quiet but they persevere by themselves until they get the product done. Unfortunately, this lack of sharing is hurting the technical development of the games industry here in Japan. The Japanese never give up until all the details are in place and they try and leave nothing haphazard or rough-edged, or oozappa (in Japanese).

Like I said, insightful and definitely worth a read. Brian Ashcraft

Japanese Game Industry [Gamasutra]

Then we got snaps of the latest Edge which pretty much confirmed it. Now, according to PSP Fanboy, the game has shown up on the Sony Trade Marketing extranet with a June 23, 2007 date.

What do you think? Will you rebuy LocoRoco in HD? I wasn't totally sold on the original, but with SIXAXIS support, I could bite. Michael McWhertor

Sony extranet site reveals Loco Roco release date? [PS3 Fanboy]

So what's in store for the next LocoRoco? Don't be surprised if it turns out to be a PLAYSTATION 3 title. As everyone and their mother noticed, during the PlayStation Home Hall of Fame demonstration, the only game not already confirmed for the PS3 to be represented by a trophy was, of course, LocoRoco.

On top of that, series creator Tsutomu Kouno, after doubly confirming a sequel, said during yesterday's GDC snoozefest session "I would like to use a new way of playing the game for the next version of LocoRoco." But after refusing to confirm on what platform it would appear, added "I'm not going to betray your expectations." Good enough to say "confirmed"? No. Good enough for a Kotaku rumor with a question marked title? You bet.

We'll put a fiver on LocoRoco HD showing up in the PlayStation Store with SIXAXIS motion control this year. Any takers? (Please note that bets will not be honored.) Michael McWhertor

You're in Vienna. Your big time PSP game is getting a Christmas touch-up. How do you celebrate? Deface property! And then after that, scribble on small Austrian children. Here's super nice Tsutomo Kouno inking out a scene on a display at Subotron Shop, a retro-gaming and game culture shop in Vienna. Brian Ashcraft

Kouno Goes Drawing Krazy [Fanboy, Thanks newq!]

Starting December 11, Playstation Portable owners will be able to get their LocoRoco game on for free. Sony is making a Christmas-themed level of the strangely mesmerizing blobby game available for free on YourPSP.com

The best part is, you don't need the game to play the level which will feature a new Christmassy tune, snowy enemies, sleighs and reindeers.

I love that game's music, I actually have one of the songs set as my ring tone. Yes, everyone at work hates me. Brian Crecente

Free Xmas LocoRoco download for all [Computer and Video Games]

In Japan, Cameron Diaz sells coffee on TV. So does Meg Ryan. And Tommy Lee Jones. Brad Pitt doesn't sell coffee, but jeans. And Jean Reno? Toyota mini-vans, but I bet he has sold coffee. Somewhere. So it was no surprise when tipster thaKingRocka dropped us this line:

i was at the kawagoe matsuri (in saitama, japan) last night, and i saw the loco roco guy hawking chestnuts in koedo (the traditional part of town). in japan, there is no such thing as "selling out."

Well, at least it wasn't coffee. Brian Ashcraft

Anne Packrat wrote to say that she made these LocoRoco plushes, mostly by hand, in a futile attempt to get the music to stop playing in her head. The plushes didn't stop the music in my head either, but they did make me giggle a little. I would love to take one of these and just bean the crap out of someone in the head with it while shouting the nonsense words as loud as I could. Yes, I have issues. Brian Crecente

Dust off that downloaded copy of Adobe Illustrator and get designin'! You have thirty days and three chances to win. The grand prize is a hefty one, including two PSP's, two copies of the game, free tees and $1500 cash. Nice! Michael McWhertor

Threadless "Spread The Joy" Contest [via Aeropause]

After the LocoRoco interview, game creator Tsutomo Kouno was kind enough to pass along a copy of the LocoRoco Guide Book, which went on sale today. The book features hints and pointers on how to tear through the game. Best of all, there are two pages of LocoRoco stickers! Schweet. Hit the jump for more details. Brian Ashcraft

Overheard: LocoRoco team member says,

We'd love to have made a DS version. We're just gamers. But, we work for Sony.

Hence, the no-chance-in-hell of that happening. Brian Ashcraft

We're a few hours away from a LocoRoco interview here in Japan. Even though the game came out a few months back (and got a huge initial push), Sony is giving the game another big push. While game creator Tsutomu Kouno will be on hand to answer questions, we've got our fingers crossed that the LocoRoco kid will be there, singing that catchy theme song. Stay tuned. Brian Ashcraft

Ah, I love our readers. Knowing my addiction to LocoRoco and its enchanting music, someone sent in a video featuring the song with all of the nonsense words provided for a healthy singalong.

Now I can drive people nuts on my train ride to work everyday. If I get shot I blame you Internet. Brian Crecente

This little girl is partly responsible for that annoyingly catchy LocoRoco theme song. And here she is, singing away, words memorized and everything! It's like when I saw the woman that does Bart Simpon's voice actually doing Bart Simpson's voice. There's one word for this, and that's freaky. (That being said, I did watch this four or five times just to hear the song.) Brian Ashcraft

It looks like LocoRoco, which is now officially available here in the U.S., received pretty decent ratings across the board. The Game Ranking's average was 84 percent, with Gamepro giving it a 60 percent and NZGamer giving it a 95 percent. I gave it a B+ in my Rocky review. I loved the game, but it can get a little tedious over time.

GamePro

LocoRoco belongs to the growing genre of games that experiment with physics. It's a platformer of sorts like Katamari Damacy, but this one explores the properties of gel blobs and gravity. It would be an interesting centerpiece for a programming lecture and it probably belongs in an art museum, but as a $40 video game, it's a little thin.

Grade: Three out of five.

Rocky Mountain News

With its constantly singing jelly protagonists and pastel Little Prince backdrops of anthropomorphic landscapes, it would be easy to overlook the subtle pleasures of LocoRoco for the Playstation Portable. But like the underlying message of this playable allegory, Loco Roco's strength can be found in its inventive take on the typical. Grade: B+

Eurogamer

Aside from experimental unlocks and silly novelties, the LocoRoco experience is one of undiluted fun. If the tilting, blob moving puzzle-platforming doesn't warm your heart, then the catalogue of alarmingly addictive psychotic J-Pop tunes will have you dancing around the living room. Bound together by bite-sized playability, endless secrets and the most charming 2D visuals ever conceived, LocoRoco is the perfect distilation of everything a handheld game should be. It's the sort of quirkily original PSP title that we've been screaming for - buy it and smile all summer long.

Grade: Nine out of ten.

VH1 is having kind of a cool LocoRoco contest. The Loco for LocoRoco contest is giving out a copy of the game, a 3-foot inflatable LocoRoco, a t-shirt and six LocoRoco charms.

To enter you just need to send in a pic of a LocoRoco in "our world (riding the train, in a diner, etc.)." You can use any method to compose your picture, but the end result has to be a jpeg that's no larger than 250 Kb.

Think of all of the bizarre things you could do with that giant LocoRoco. Hit the site for all of the details on entering. Brian Crecente

Loco for LocoRoco [VH1 Gamebreak]

Japan may loathe LocoRoco, but so what? The game still has addictive, cute theme music. Late last week, the title's soundtrack went on sale in The Land of The Rising Sun, featuring all the game's unforgettable songs with jarbled lyrics. The disc is going for 1,000 yen (about US $7.50)—a small price to pay for tunes that'll be stuck in your head for weeks. One, two, three: Bajumbo moi noi noi jecker, Dabatto bunkergait jun jun, Nora juerue-rotto pura-pura petto... Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Akiba Blog]

My interest in LocoRoco diminished significantly when the entire country of Japan decided the game sucked. I kept meaning to buy it, but waffled. Maybe it was as bad as everyone said. Maybe it wasn't. People I trusted and like (well, sorta) bought the game and raved about it. Unloved classic! Yet, the game's price plummeted quickly and copies turned up in spades at used game shops. And like that, LocoRoco fell off my radar.

Sony, showing a Microsoft-like refusal to admit defeat, has decided to give it another go. LocoRoco didn't fail. We failed LocoRoco. A new ad campaign is being launch to bring the game the success it deserves. Rather, the success that Sony thinks it deserves. The TV spots star one of my fav actresses Ryoko Shinohara. And just look at that photo from the commercial's shoot, everyone looks so happy!

Yes, I think it's time that Japan gives this LocoRoco another chance. (And I just might pick up the game in the bargain bins.) Brian Ashcraft

More Images Here [Watch Impress]

It's called LocoRoco.

I've been playing the full build for about a week now and I'm addicted. I'm not allowed to talk about anything beyond the first three levels until the embargo lifts, so let me just say that it's a genuinely fun, portable gaming experience.

I think that's what the PSP has been missing. With a few exceptions (most notably Lumines) most of the decent PSP games have not really been portable games, they've been light versions of a PS2 game. I don't mean that they've all been knock-offs of current franchises, though that is true for some, I mean that they weren't really designed with portable gaming in mind.

I take the train to work now. It's a 40 minute trip or so. I could probably spend the time playing GTA or SOCOM or Daxter, but I wouldn't really get as much gaming in as I would with a portable game like LocoRoco.

It's been taking me about five to 15 minutes to complete a level, depending on how much I suck or sight see. So I can go through a few levels without having to rush. That's what the PSP needs more of, fun gaming that you can experience fully in tiny chunks of time.

If you've played the demo, you've gotten a sense of what the game is like. You use the left and right triggers for most of the action, tilting the world in either direction so your blob of a character slides and tumbles across a level.

You can also leap by holding both in and letting go. Finally, the circle button lets you break your big blob up into a bunch of little blobs so you can get through tiny openings. The controls, which take a bit of getting use to, become quite intuitive over a short period of time.

The level layout, while visually simplistic, become very ingenious as you progress through the game. I almost felt as if I was playing a surreal version of Super Mario Bros. The game has that sort of fun, pure-gaming feel to it. As you continue the lengthy game more and more tricks and twists are introduced to this basic element of rolling from side to side.

While the first and second levels are both basic lands of hills and over-sized purple flowers, by level three the level becomes much darker with some interesting new mechanicsms like a giant blubbery launching pad and spinning levers you have to fall through.

Sony seems to have done everything right with this game. I can see it being used quite well to sell more of their portables. Brian Crecente

Sony has rolled out a giant failure with LocoRoco. Oddly fun, the game was pegged to be the PSP's own Katamari-type hit. The company poured millions into advertising the PSP game, even shifting marketing focus from other titles to LocoRoco. This game, Sony was convinced, had all the makings of a smash.

The game went on sale July 13th, and the entire country of Japan let out a collective "meh."

The buzz online wasn't so hot. Critics pointed out that this isn't a huge, launch game. Rather, the title should've been released quietly and spread by word of mouth, instead of getting the Sony hard sell. The PSP LocoRoco bundle reeked of desperation for some Japanese gamers—as though Sony had to increase the PSP shipped numbers somehow. There are reports of the game's price getting slashed in half and that the title's already hitting the bargain bins. Everyone may love Katamari, but apparently no one loves LocoRoco.

Maybe, a little racism controversy would boast sales in Japan? Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Kishou]

PSP game LocoRoco has rolled into Tokyo's Omotesando Metro Station and has coated cuteness all over the place, including a 30 meter (almost 100 foot) LocoRoco mural. This means that every salaryman and office lady that gets off at this station will have that crazy LocoRoco song in their head all day long. One, two, three, pacchonbo moinoinoi chakaretapatton pankorakettonto n, no ra churere rotton poraporapetton pu rorattantan~ Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Famitsu]

In the blog watch section of this week's (July 11) issue of Newsweek, the LocoRoco racism debate is mentioned. Reader Stephen was kind enough to snap a pic of the blurb, which reads:

A couple bloggers at 1up.com charge that the enemies in the Japanese game LocoRoco are caricatures reminiscent of minstrels in blackface; kotaku.com disagrees vehemently.

The "vehemently" part was pure Florian. It always is. Brian Ashcraft

Newsweek.com [Official Site] Thanks, Stephen!

At Sony's "Play Is Changing" exhibit at the Sony Ginza showroom, the company unveiled its new PSP camera and hinted at its PSP GPS add-on. A poster mentioned that the the GPS receiver could be used as a "Virtual Caddie" with Hot Shots Golf to tell golfers how many more yards there are on real golf courses. This receiver is expected to be on display at this year's TGS and on sale in the Fall. There's also a big LocoRoco display, where Japanese site Game Watch reports many foreign tourists were checking things out. Hit the jump for pics. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Game Watch]

While Ashcraft nervously waves his hands and cautions about slippery cultural slopes, let me issue a more blunt response to Alejandro's claim that LocoRoco is racist: Alejandro's argument is that of a reactionary imbecile.

Please look at the image to the right. Depending on who you are, you might see:

1. A tarantula
2. A black octopus
3. An evil dust bunny
4. Majora's Dreadlocks

But Alejandro sees a leering, big-lipped minstrel character.

So who's the racist here? LocoRoco's creators, who innocently designed some visually appealing character abstractions for a charming game? Or Alejandro — a guy who sees something that just happens to be black and immediately envisions a hideous Gollywog belching between bites of fried chicken and singing about its Mammy. Don't show him the Mr. Men books: his head might explode.

To be fair, I don't think Alejandro is racist, but I do think he is making himself out to be one of those knee-jerk reactionaries who measures his own importance by his ability to be self-righteously offended. Not only is his argument silly and worthy of derision (LocoRoco as a metaphor for white flight? In a game about yellow amorphous blobs?), but it demeans the struggle against actual racism.

Look, it's your God given right to be offended, but let's remember something: even for the most level headed of us, being offended is the natural consequence of walking out our doors every morning. One right you don't have, though, is the right to never be offended. Especially when you see a horrifically racist stereotype lurking in the most innocuous of child's drawings. Florian Eckhardt

Just Plain Loco [Alejandro's 1Up Blog]

That's what Kotaku reader Alejandro says on his 1Up page. LocoRoco looks to be the most interesting PSP game, since, well, Lumines. And while the game's creator might have stated he wanted to make a "happy game because there's too many 3D shooting game", Alejandro says that the game's anatagonists smack of blackface. Dubbed Mojya Corps, these dreadlock-like brown characters attack LocoRoco's peaceful world. He blogs:

Some countries such as Japan (where LocoRoco was developed) do not have significant Black populations and so Blackface images can come about without any criticsm. The images are also then okay to be labeled as the enemy or even serve as representations of Black characters in general, despite the racist images they perpetuate. That and I hear that Japan is just a very racist culture.

That's a big can of worms we're playing with here. Japan does not have a significant black population when compared to many Western countries. And for obvious reasons, the country lacks the same history of racism against black people. Koreans, Chinese and Burakumin, yes definitely, but not black people.

So, putting this in a Western framework can get sticky. Is it offensive to Americans or Europeans? Probably. What about Japanese folks? Maybe not. Those Little Black Sambo type books are still sold in Japanese bookstores, so this kind of character won't raise that many eyebrows. Then again, we're not just making video games for Japan, are we? Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Alejandro's 1Up page]

Funnier than a barrel of monkeys PSP title LocoRoco comes rolling into Japanese stores July 13th. Sony's also bundling ceramic white or black portables with the game, AC adapter and 32MB memory stick—all in a groovy LocoRoco box for 24,800 yen (approx US $225). There's also LocoRoco pouch for 1,575 yen (about US $13). Very cool! Brian Ashcraft

Just Look at this Grooviness [Watch Impress]