You could make a pretty convincing argument that LittleBigPlanet Karting is one of the year’s most unnecessary games. After all, the PlayStation 3 already has a perfectly good kart-racing game fueled by an avalanche of DIY user-created content–ModNation Racers. In a way, sticking Sackboy behind the wheel is like reshooting Life of Pi with Justin Bieber in the starring role.

The fact that United Front Games, the shop that gave us ModNation Racers, is also the one behind LittleBigPlanet Karting only adds to the do-over vibe, designed, obviously, to cash in on the ubiquitous popularity of said Sackperson. All I know is that if Sackboy makes an unexpected headline cameo in God of War: Ascension, I’m turning in my Sixaxis.

It may ride on four wheels—some of which may be made of balloons or sushi–but this is definitely a LittleBigPlanet game, with all the trimmings. From the second you see the sunny slo-mo video of people stuck in their cars (complete with Stephen Fry voiceover) you know exactly what’s coming, and you aren’t disappointed. The pod, the globe-like level menus, the popit, the familiar cardboard-cutout environments and characters—it’s all here. Instead of running and jumping around platform levels to collect score bubbles and items to decorate everything in sight, you’re driving around courses to get the same job done. And getting clobbered every other second by the opposing drivers’ powerups.

The LBP vibe is this game’s greatest strength. Even before you collect a massive stack of objects and stickers and begin doing your own thing (more on that in a bit), it’s easy to get sucked into the sheer cuteness of it all, even if you’re an old Sackboy hand at this point. It’s also easy to love the little unexpected touches, like the grappling mechanic you’ll have to master on certain courses. It’s exhilarating and also strategic—blowing the timing is to risk blowing your position. Races in the game’s extensive story mode aren’t the only game in town. Battle arenas and time-trial modes are also waiting to be unlocked, adding a different vibe to the proceedings.

Just like LittleBigPlanet’s jumping physics tended to tilt to the floaty side, LittleBigPlanet Karting’s drive-and-drift physics grind a more forgiving gear. You’re not likely to lose many races because you lost the handle drifting through a curve; you might lose a few because of the odd way the game handles jostling and bumping. Instead of getting knocked backward (or forward) when bumpers collide, you may end up slowly tumbling into the air or watching your momentum evaporate like gasoline fumes on a hot day. Those who groove on sending their kart opponents into the ditch like an out-of-control billiard ball will learn to steer clear—or get used to a sixth-place finish.

LBPK adopts a different approach to powerups and boost than ModNation Racers did, and it rips some of the strategy out of your racing-gloved hands. In ModNation, the power and control was entirely yours to deploy—filling and maintaining your boost/shield defense meter meant you were able to use it to fend off that race-killing powerup attack or, if no missiles or electric fields were incoming, unleash your vroom—a-zoom-zoom to make up needed ground. Here, there’s almost constant pressure to deploy the powerups you collect to defend against enemy attacks—the game even flashes a helpful icon to let you know when it’s time to launch them. Trouble is, if you just used one and don’t have another one handy, you’re screwed. Boost, meanwhile, comes only from driving over speed pads and successfully drifting the corners, just like every other racer out there. In other words, if you’re not clutching a powerup on that final straightaway, heartbreak is probably coming up fast in your rear-view mirror. Drag.

The ability to design your own level (or in this case, courses) has always been the lifeblood of LittleBigPlanet, which is why this game’s convoluted tutorials are so puzzling. Where other LBP games have featured a more intuitive crash course on the basics, letting you watch and learn the complex details from the DIY community, this one couches the essentials in 50(!) video tutorials, exactly none of which are interactive. You won’t have to watch them all to be able to concoct your own courses, but that’s still a lot of time to sink when all you want to do is start creating wicked embankments.

LittleBigPlanet Karting is PlayStation Move compatible, but the target demographic better beware, because unlike Mario Kart Wii, an additional plastic steering-wheel peripheral is required, not optional, to make it work. Stick with the Sixaxis and you’ll be just fine.

Pros:
+ Everything you love about LittleBigPlanet, in a kart-course designing game
+ LBP aesthetic transfers well to kart-racing arena

Cons:
– Drives over some fairly familiar territory
– Defensive powerups & boost/shield meter
– Convoluted level-design tutorials

Game Info:
Platform: PS3
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: United Front Games
Release Date: 11/6/2012
Genre: Racing
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Players: 1-8 (1-4 offline, 2-8 online)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

[nggallery id=2369]

[nggallery id=2491]

Reviewing games has one drawback, especially if you also work full time outside of gaming.  The chance to replay good games of old rarely comes up.  Sure there may be a lull every once in a while that allows for a game to be revisited, but more often than not I am too caught up in playing catch up with new games to have any opportunity to go back to a favorite from the past.

When Portal 2 was released last year, I played through it twice. Partially to hunt for trophies, but also to play a second time with the developer commentary turned on. First off, the game is fantastic so it doesn’t feel like a chore to replay.  Secondly, playing through and listening to what the creators chose to include or not, is a rare insight into game making (and something that more developers should include, in my opinion). But after those initial replays, I put the game aside and moved on to other titles. Now, after more than a year of being away from Aperture Science, Sixense Entertainment has given Portal 2 fans one more reason to once again play through one of the best games in recent history.

Sixense recently released a DLC pack for Portal 2 titled In Motion, which includes 20 new test chambers built around new portal gun functionality, in addition to a free title update introducing Move control support throughout the original game’s single player and co-op campaigns.  The new test chambers gradually introduce all of the new motion control functionality and end with a final quiz of sorts requiring use of all the new tricks.  So how does it play?  In a word, flawlessly.

Using the Move controller is not my typical first choice because some games (especially FPS) don’t quite get the field of view/aiming/moving balanced properly.  This imbalance tends to lead to aiming at something in the outer field of view and instead causing the whole field of view to spin up or right and completely disorient the player or cause the target to be lost from focus. Tweaking motion sensitivity, camera speeds and everything in between simply to use a Move is something I don’t enjoy, particularly when I could simply use a DualShock 3 and avoid the setup hassle. But I have to hand it to Sixense, the game just feels perfect right from the start with the Move controller (paired with a Navigation).  Calibration couldn’t be simpler: one press of the Move button and it’s off to face the test chambers.

On a side note, one great comparison I’ve always attempted to remember during Move calibration is to think of the Move like a mouse.  Don’t calibrate the Move with it hovering high up, but rather close to your lap (or where ever you typically hold a gamepad).  If a game doesn’t require large extravagant swinging gestures, then resting the Move on your leg will help to keep your arm from being fatigued, and also help you keep it centered to where it was calibrated from.  This calibration tip works perfectly with Portal 2 In Motion.

So aside from the typical camera control and “mouse/cursor aim accuracy” what does the DLC add?  The new test chambers provide a custom experience for utilizing the Move as the portal gun. As new functionality is introduced within a test chamber the game pauses briefly to show a tutorial video.  These tutorial videos sort of break the pacing of the game but almost help better demonstrate what is being asked of the gamer.  One downside is the voice work in these videos is not GLaDOS.

Aiming is more accurate than the gamepad, but additionally the portals can be rotated and dragged across surfaces.  With the introduction of being able to rotate portals after they are created, there is a greater sense of control over portal placement.  Dragging a portal across a surface also adds a nice layer of strategy.  For instance one of the later test chambers allows one portal to be placed at the end of a light bridge.  Creating the other portal on the floor causes the light bridge to shoot up and act as a barricade from sentry turrets.  Being able to drag the portal across the floor creates sort of a moving shield to bypass a sentry and avoid getting shot.

An additional function the portal gun now offers is the ability to bring the Move controller closer or further away from the PlayStation Eye and have objects being held move closer or further away within the play space, without risk of falling off a ledge or stepping into the targeting reticule of a sentry turret.  The depth of field movement while holding objects is a great enhancement to the overall experience.

Sixense didn’t stop with better accuracy or depth of field; the scale of an object can also now be changed once it has been picked up.  Several test chambers include only one weighted companion cube, but more than one pressure plate to rest the cube upon.  By grabbing a companion cube and holding down the L2 button, moving the Move controller left or right will stretch the cube into more of an i-beam shape.  This stretched cube can rest on more than one pressure plate to activate a lock or act as a bridge to cross an area that wouldn’t be possible by jumping alone.

Once I finished playing through all of the In Motion levels I couldn’t help but want to play the story proper again to see how Move controls were incorporated with the original test chambers.  Most of the functionality of the Move created specifically for the new test chambers is not included in the Valve story.  This is a little unfortunate, because there are definitely some advantages to being able to utilize the depth of field during the story, but I can see how mechanics like cube stretching could potentially break the balance of existing puzzles.

One thing I absolutely love about the Move integration is the fact that the glowing bulb at the end of the Move alternates between glowing blue or orange, depending on the portal color fired.  This is a nice touch but also helps with the immersion of feeling like you are holding an actual portal gun.  With all of the gun-shaped peripherals out on the market for the Move, I’d love to see a company make one modeled after a portal gun to help complete that immersion.

As a late DLC offering, Portal 2 In Motion is a nice way to revisit a wonderful game, however I can’t help but get snagged on the value proposition.  The patch adding Move functionality throughout the story and co-op missions is a free download, but the new test chamber missions cost an additional $10. I definitely enjoyed the new levels and the functionality that Sixense has created, but I’m not quite sure that price is worth it for just 20 extra test chambers that don’t take all that long to complete. Your best option is to download the update and test out the basic Move controls with the game’s original portal puzzles, then decide if the price is right for you to upgrade to the DLC.

Pros:
+ Fun new test chambers highlighting Move specific functionality
+ Great use of Move without hyper camera controls
+ Free Move support now works for the original story and co-op missions

Cons:
– New test chamber levels don’t take too long to finish
– Move specific functionality found in new test chambers doesn’t carry over to story or co-op

Game Info:
Platform: PlayStation 3 DLC
Publisher: Sixense Entertainment
Developer: Sixense Entertainment
Release Date: 11/6/2012
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB Rating: E10+
Players: 1-2
Source: Review code provided by publisher

Sixense, studio behind the recently launched In Motion DLC pack and PlayStation Move control integration for Portal 2, has just announced the start of a giveaway promotion that’ll have half a dozen PS3 owners thinking with portals this holiday season.

By liking Sixense on Facebook and sharing this page and/or following @sixensemotion on Twitter and retweeting this message within the next six days, you’ll be entered to win one of six Portal-tastic prize packs that are up for grabs. Each prize pack includes the following:

– Digital download code for Portal 2 on PS3
– Digital download code or Portal 2 In Motion DLC
– PlayStation Move bundle including Move controller, Navigation controller, and PlayStation Eye camera
– Replica Portal gun model

Now that is one sweet giveaway bundle; don’t act like you don’t want one. Point your internet portal device, better known as a web browser, to the appropriate contest pages to enter before it’s too late!

Portal 2 In Motion Giveaway [Sixense]

The Games of the XXX Olympiad begin across the pond this weekend after what’s sure to be a spectacular opening ceremony tonight. In videogame sports land, Sega has been building towards this fortnight of summertime Olympic competition for a while, beginning this past holiday season with Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games for the Nintendo Wii, followed by a new and improved Nintendo 3DS version earlier this year, and now culminating with the release of the officially official game of the Olympics

Ditching Nintendo and Sega’s loveable mascots for authentic Olympic events and lifelike athlete avatars, London 2012 – The Official Video Game of the Olympic Games brings close to 50 summer sports to PC, PS3 and Xbox 360, and in the process does a solid job capturing the international sportsmanship and grandeur of the real event.

Across arcade multiplayer Party Play, Online competition and single-player Olympic campaigns in lengths of 12, 20, or 28 events, London 2012 gives those gamer thumbs a work out by having you tap buttons and twitch analog sticks to lift weights, sprint down the track, swat ping pong balls, paddle kayaks, throw javelins, launch arrows at targets, backstroke through the Aquatics Centre’s pool, and compete in a variety of other summer sport disciplines. Motion control options are also available for console players, but they are relegated to a dozen party events so you probably shouldn’t consider the chance at a full-body Olympic workout as a strong selling point to this game. (Full disclosure: I didn’t receive the PS3 version to be able to try the PlayStation Move controls and I don’t own a Kinect so I couldn’t test the 360 version’s motion controls either.)

The gamepad-based controls are accessible and effective, never becoming too complicated or going overboard with gimmicks and tiresome finger movements—easily understandable tutorials are only a button press away at the start of every challenge if you do need some training. Sprinting, for example, requires that you tap the ‘A’ button at a rhythmic pace to keep a colored bar within a designated zone on a meter to maintain speed; it’s not just mash the button to its breaking point in order to run faster than everyone else. Swimming events similarly get you into an enjoyable rhythm of alternately pulling the left and right analog sticks to propel through the water.

Many of the other events combine the two methods of control, such as the shot put and javelin throw which both have you tapping ‘A’ to build power and tilting the analog stick forward to set launch angle and direction. Diving and trampoline are more like standard QTEs in that you have to perform certain button combinations before hitting the water/ground, with the complexity of the prompts determined by the difficulty of your chosen routine.

Despite a few flameouts and the overall simplicity of design, the mini-games are enjoyable and challenging, in some cases surprisingly addictive as you start gunning for the record books. I found aquatic races particularly nail-biting, paddling down the main stretch with other swimmers in pursuit and red and yellow “ghost” lines dangling the Olympic and World record times in front of me like a carrot on a stick. However, the main issue you’ll encounter in London 2012 is one of redundancy. Very minor variations set certain events apart, but in general the swimming, sprinting, diving and throwing events all play pretty much the same way, and those sports make up the bulk of this game. Over the 45 or so events, only 20 at the most stand out as individual, and of those games like archery, skeet shooting, rapid fire pistol, canoeing, table tennis and beach volleyball are the only ones you’re likely to want to replay multiple times over.

Making matters worse, gymnastic sports are barely represented. Two events—trampoline and men’s and women’s vault—are all you get. Hey Sega, what happened to rings, parallel bars, uneven bars, pommel horse, etc? These are important Olympic events, yet they’re not here. Huh?

Online play also stumbles short of the medal podium. The prospect of competing against others and earning National Pride points to boost your nation’s global ranking with each medal won adds a patriotic sense of duty and motivation, but sadly the online performance leaves a lot to be desired. During my time with the game, not a sprint or bicycle race went by where I didn’t see an opposing runner or cyclist latently stutter back and forth on the track, making it virtually impossible for me to know if I was ahead or behind. Table tennis was even worse. After nearly every shot, the ball would appear to pass my opponent for a winner, but then a second or two later the game would suddenly show the opposing player returning a ball that flew by them just a moment earlier. It would seem that this game runs on the same shoddy net code that has crippled recent Virtua Tennis outings. About the only good thing to come from the online interaction is the leaderboard, which gives you a constant stream of real-player world records to aim for.

Looking deeper than recycled mini-games and sloppy online play, the real problem with Olympic sports games, including this one, is the tiny window of relevance they have to work with. In NBA, MLB, NHL or NFL games, the continuous excitement of following your favorite team through a lengthy season keeps you engaged for months at a time. The Olympics come around every four years and only last a couple weeks; is anyone really going to be playing this game a month or two down the road after the final medal count has been tabulated? Sure, some will, but probably not very many. Sorry, but unlockable golden gear, like javelins and table tennis paddles, and a few alternate nation kits hardly constitute a worthwhile replay incentive.

London 2012 is good for cheap patriotic thrills as you play along with your nation’s athletes in spirit and pile up fake gold (or silver or bronze) medals. The events range from addictive beat-the-world-record fun to outright dull after a round or two, meaning there isn’t a whole lot here to hold your attention for long. You’ll be entertained for the duration of the Games, but once the closing ceremony passes and the Olympic fervor dies down, you’re likely to forget this game ever existed.

Pros:
+ Quite a few truly enjoyable Olympic events
+ Presentation effectively captures the magnitude and spectacle of the Olympic Games
+ Satisfaction of topping a World Record never gets old
+ Simple yet clever controls with pre-event tutorials

Cons:
– Event roster padded by numerous repeats
– Only two gymnastics events? Seriously!?
– Not a whole lot of lasting appeal
– Laggy online performance

Game Info:
Platform: Reviewed on Xbox 360, also available for PC and PS3
Publisher: Sega
Developer: Sega Studios Australia
Release Date: 6/26/2012
Genre: Sports – Olympics
ESRB Rating: Everyone
Players: 1-8 (1-4 offline, 2-8 online)
Source: Review copy provided by publisher

[nggallery id=2619]

• Free $20 Target GiftCard with the purchase of Madden NFL ’11 for Xbox 360, PS3 or Wii and any one of the following titles: Splinter Cell Conviction, Aliens vs. Predator, UFC Undisputed 2010, Final Fantasy XIII

• Free $10 Target GiftCard with the purchase of Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days on PS3 or Xbox 360 (available August 17)

• Free $5 Target GiftCard with the purchase of a $1 reservation card for Just Dance 2, Halo Reach, Xbox Kinect, PlayStation Move (GiftCard redeemed upon future purchase of game or product)