E3 2008: First Look at LocoRoco 2 on PSP

Just when you got their song out of your head, they're back for an encore. Earning widespread love for its adorable visual style and memorable music, LocoRoco is getting a full sequel later this year. During E3, Sony Computer Entertainment finally debuted LocoRoco 2, of which we eagerly rolled up any details we bounced into.

When the Moja Troop come back to exact revenge on their nemeses in LocoRoco 2, they come bearing all new abilities and bosses to get the job done. Thanks to new leadership, the Moja have learned how to sing and have used their newly found power to zap the energy out of everything. Naturally, it's up to you controlling the legions of LocoRoco to reinstate everyone's joy. In the course of combating the Moja, however, it becomes clear that another creature is manipulating things behind the scenes, using the Moja to battle the LocoRoco by proxy.

LocoRoco 2 does little to depart from what made the original such a hit. So, using the L and R shoulder buttons, you tilt the screen to roll your LocoRoco in the corresponding direction. Tapping both buttons at once instigates a quick hop, which is useful in jumping past short obstacles and enemies. Momentum is key when tackling the many platforming challenges packed into the game. Sailing across a huge gap or turning a wheel means gaining velocity with your squishy pals by timing tilts of the screen.

Joining the basic ability to roll around are a few new skills. LocoRoco previously had the ability to skim along the surface of water, yet now they're able to dive into a pool. In the first game you were able to bite down on rope to access new areas; better still, LocoRoco can now bite down on a wider range of objects and even pull on things with their teeth. Obviously, this opens up a wide range of possibilities for new puzzles that should vary the experience up significantly.

Not much has changed at all between the first game and LocoRoco 2, which is largely a good thing. A longer game would be at the top of our list of wanted improvements, but other than that we're pleased to see how the game is shaping up. Approximately three-quarters complete, expect to have the LocoRoco song stuck in your sometime this autumn.