Karting Around with Little BigPlanet on the PS3

by Lori Cunningham

If you or your child is a PlayStation 3 fan, you may be aware of the cute little Sackboy from LittleBigPlanet.  When LittleBigPlanet first came on the scene of video games, it was highly acclaimed.  Young gamers quickly fell in love with this cute little knitted fella who always found himself in big adventures.

Now, a new version is on the scene, LittleBigPlanet Karting,  rated E for Everyone, where Sackboy finds himself in a cardboard kart, racing through imaginative tracks and competing and combatting with far away visitors known as the Hoard, who have come to steal the keenest prizes from Sackboy’s world, Craftworld.  Sackboy is on the project to ward off these Hoard”ers” and claim all illustrious prizes for Craftworld residents.

The game starts off with Sackboy choosing where on LittleBigPlanet he wants to go,  As you play more games, more opportunities open up.  Playing Story Mode makes the game more fun.  Story mode starts off in each game with a very colorful mini story about what Sackboy’s mission is.  He is often commissioned by the queen of Craftworld on his next mission.  The stories are a bit wacky and help to better explain the races you are about to embark upon.  You can also skip through the story if you’ve seen it before.

Driving the kart is no easy task, as I often find myself drifting from one side of the road to the other.  It takes finesse and a lot of practice to gain more control of your kart.  Each race has an assortment of 8 drivers, many are the Hoard, others are robots that are not your target.

As you drive through very imaginative scenery, you can pick up weapons by driving through them.  Weapons can be used to speed up your driving for a temporary time, to knock off a competitor, or shot against an incoming missile – headed straight for you.

Though there is a bit of violence with the act of shooting other drivers…or getting shot…though there is no blood.  One of the weapons you pick up is a jet activated giant boxing glove that you hop into and it catapults you ahead of other drivers.  It’s very fast and a fun ride.

My kids enjoyed playing the game and feasting their eyes on all the creative cartooning and colors, but they had trouble maneuvering the vehicle which made them lose interest in the game sooner.  In order to  give a more thorough review, I continued onward and was rewarded.  Although I never seemed to do well enough to get past 3rd place (even in the Casual mode – the best mode for kids), I was able to complete a number of levels and move onto more challenges and adventures.

Creative Memories

One very interesting facet of LittleBigPlanet Karting is the option to create your own racing game.  Using simple creation tools, players can build their own race tracks and tricked-out racing karts.  There are so many creative and off-the-wall things you can create in your racing world.  You make numerous race tracks and arenas on your own personal “moon.”  Creating your own track or arena can be overwhelming.  LittleBigPlanet had created 57 different tutorial videos to help you create and add items to your race.  I viewed a couple and then went on my own.

I only created one race track, but you really could go crazy creating tracks and arenas big and small.  Because LittleBigPlanet is such a zany game, you can make as crazy or nearly “normal” a space as you want.  For my race track  I choose a blue jean denim track with a belt for the side rails.  I placed trees and cows around as well as some fans to cheer them on.

I created some greenery (didn’t finish yet) and added objects along the race track that racers could pick up as “prizes” as they raced.

My race track is a work in progress, but you get the idea of how it works.  There are so many things you can do to customize your track or arena.  Honestly, the choices can get overwhelming.  My advice would be to help your child get started with a small track to learn about track making.  S/he can embellish it anyway s/he wants.  Even after your child is done, s/he can always come back later and make changes.  Once s/he gets the hang of it, your child can try their hand at a larger track.

You can then save and play the game yourself or upload it to the online community so others can enjoy your customized adventure.  To continue the adventure online, you first need to “purchase” the LittleBigPlanet Karting Online Pass, which is a free download with the code that comes in the packaging.  Once you add your code and download the pass, you can go online and engage in other players’ unique race tracks.  I choose MooMooFarm, as 15,547 players had “hearted” it, meaning that they liked it.

MooMooFarm was a fun racetrack with lots of cows outside of the track and moles jumping out of the ground to try to make you crash.  Once I entered the race track, I could practice, but the actual race would start in 60 seconds, giving other online players the chance to race against me.  If no one joins you, you play against robots.  It was a fun fast game, but somehow I ended up in last place.  🙁

Little BigPlanet Karting is available through Amazon for $29.98  with free shipping.

A Mom’s Perspective

Initially, LittleBigPlanet took some time to learn.  Fortunately, there are a number training videos you can take to teach you how to take corners faster, pick up objects, and blast your competitors.  Although I still have trouble beating out my competitors, I’m getting better and better.  My kids, however, still struggle controlling the kart.  But one thing I’ve learned is that kids tend to hang in there longer if their parents play with them.  They just need to be encouraged.

Besides a little violence with karts blowing up, it’s a fun game that keeps you engaged.  The Story line really helps to help you understand the race and some of the obstacles you encounter along the way.  There are over 50 levels to play in addition to creating your own race tracks and arenas.  My kids are still relatively young at 7 and 10, so creating their own race track is not something that appeals to them too much.  But I can see how older kids might like the opportunity to make their own race space – it’s akin to creating your own video game.  And judging by the huge amount of creative races online, creating customized tracks is hit.

It’s amazing how today’s games are so multi-faceted.  LittleBigPlanet is much like an onion…it has many layers to it.  It’s definitely a game you need to take some time with, but if you have the time, it’s a great game to enjoy…with our without your kids!

What video games do you enjoy with your kids?

*  I was given a copy of Little BigPlanet Karting in exchange for my honest opinions.  All opinions are my own.