Introducing the iPhone in 2007, Steve Jobs said: “So let’s not use a stylus. We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world. We’re going to use a pointing device that we’re all born with — born with ten of them. We’re going to use our fingers. We’re going to touch this with our fingers.”
He might has well have said, “So let’s not use a controller.” The “LittleBigPlanet” series has brought the joy of game design to the masses, and the touch-screen controls of the Vita version bring it to, well, even more.
The first “LittleBigPlanet,” released four years ago, was a typical platform-puzzler, except for two things: its cute, fabric-based graphics, and an uncommonly elegant toolset for designing your own levels. Plenty of games had included level editors before, of course, but the folks behind “LittleBigPlanet” went a step further to build an online community so you could share your experiments and try out everybody else’s.
“LittleBigPlanet 2,” released last January, radically expanded the tool set, so you could make everything from “Galaga”-style shooting games to strategy games a la “Command & Conquer.” Now, with the hand-held Vita version, touch controls open up a bottleneck that stopped so many people from trying their hand at game design.
| ‘LittleBigPlanet PS Vita ‘ |
| System: Vita |
| Price: $39.99 |
| Rating: 5 out of 5 stars |
Though this is the definitive “LittleBig Planet,” it’s not a perfect game. The solo experience is too easy, and the developers still refuse to fix the floaty jumping (afraid Mario’s gonna sue?). But it’s the best reason yet to buy a Vita. And that goes even for people who’ve already learned to love the series on the PS3.
