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First off, I've been playing kart racers for years (since the N64 days). Nothing will top Mariokart because it was (and still is) the cornerstone of this kind of game. That said, if you go into LBPK with an open mind and not expect some sort of revolutionary experience, you will have a ton of fun. The charm of Little Big Planet is all here with the cute visuals, the bubble popping, the unlockables and the character customization. Everything is nearly identical to the LBP games, all the way down to the home hub, the planets etc. Racing is quick and the controls are responsive. The game is built on an altered version of the Modnation Racers engine which was already very solid. Story mode is very long and yes, there are some challenging (OH MY!) parts but it has great lasting appeal. The in game track customizer/builder is amazing but they definitely could have done a better job at teaching you the in's and out's of using it. A little trial and error and you'll eventually be creating some killer tracks (just like in LBP).
The reviews I've read of the game seem to be harping negatively on factors that I don't quite understand. IGN complains about the menus/interface not being as easy to use as ModNation Racers. Seeing as the game runs and is created exactly the same way as all the other LBP games, I'm not sure how this could be a complaint. You have your hub, you click on the planets and you race. Not that difficult. They also complain that the game focuses too much on defense, again, not sure how this is such a big deal when the majority of your time in Mariokart, you are trying to avoid being hit with shells etc.
For me, a guy who has a small child, I can tell you, for a family game, this is excellent. He can play along and it's not so complicated that he gets frustrated. My wife plays, my family enjoys the music and the racing and I really like all the customization. It's a game that will continually grow with official tracks and user created content. What more can you ask for?
If you're looking for fun kart game, this is a no brainer. Don't listen to the negatives who are looking at this as something other than what it was intended to be, a Little Big Planet racer. It's great.
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I picked the game up this a.m. & have now completed 71%, so have a fair idea of what the game comprises. It's levels are vibrant & creative, the soundtrack matches the mood & level themes beautifully; which range from western themes to futuristic flying ... the grapple hook, bounce pads & weaponators have all found their way into the charm & whimsy of this offering. They provide a diversity of challenges from battle arena levels to hold & keep egg captures. This game is neither a pure karting or LBP experience, but rather a hybrid blend of what makes each so enjoyable. The customization features are bountiful & deep ... right down to your engine & horn sounds. I have already over 80 skins for my sackboy, endless kart pieces, & my goodies bag over flows with a bounty of choices.The game is a 2.2gb install & provides 71 levels. Story mode provides variety & replayability is endless between collecting the loot from each level, placing in the top 3 for each level, which then opens the vs. level for online MP & continues the player through story mode. You can set your controller to either the R2 or X acceleration scheme to allow the player control over how they play, it also supports move control & steering wheel.
The possibility is limited only by the player ... the create function & level editor awaits the brilliant & imaginative community who will create the UGC ... offering a fresh & innovative karting experience with each new published level.
My 8 yr. old son came home from school & had to be repeatedly prompted to leave the game ... he was creating karts & costumes & racing through levels with glee. This game should not be missed !
*Edit*
I spent a couple hours playing online against other players & it was a lot of fun the players cast a vote for the next level to be played & then 1 level is the winner I didn't notice any lag, was never dropped from the race, & thought it looks to be a pretty flawless interface.
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I have been a fan of kart racers, and racing games in general, since I first fired up the family's N64 back in the day. (My family would only purchase multiplayer games for the longest time, to ensure every one of my siblings and I would get a chance to play)If it's a racing game, you name it and I've played it. Everything from Kirby Air Ride, to F-Zero, Need for Speed, Sonic Riders, Wave Race, Myth Makers Super Kart GP, Crus'n USA you get the idea. When it comes to kart racers, a few have alway stood out in my mind (besides Mario Kart). The two I look back on with affection would include Diddy Kong Racing and Crash Team Racing.
Which brings us to LittleBigPlanet Karting a racer brought to us by the team responsible for ModNation Racers. Let me be frank, I'm not a big fan of ModNation. I find the load times grating, and although I respect the creative freedom it allows I feel that, as I've become more of a casual player, those features are just 'timewasters' that hold little value to me. That didn't bode too well for me. I also was concerned since I had read some rather shocking negative reviews on LBPK (namely, IGN's review that rated it a 5/10).
However, I am a fan of LittleBigPlanet (at least what I've played of it), and you already know I love racing games. I saw LBPK on sale this Black Friday, a cool 25 bucks. I figured, eh, what do I have to lose? If I don't like it I can sell it on Craigslist.
Well folks.... I LOVE IT! How on earth could anyone give this game a bad rating? Seriously. First of all, the controls are superb. Very tight. Very natural. Some modern racers make it feel like you're shifting the world around you instead of driving a car (I'm looking at you Sega Rally... and Sonic & All-Stars Racing). That's not the case with LBPK. Secondly, the graphics. Like ModNation, the graphics are gorgeous and I would wager stylistically the designs and art in LBPK are much more realized and exploited for eye-candy goodness here than they were in ModNation. Also, load times are reasonable.
This racer also brings back a more fluid racing experience, complete with weapons you can use against your competitors a la Mario Kart. The weapon system here is integrated very well. I think a lot of kart racers outside of Mario Kart have a hard time making the weapons feel natural to the game, and striking a balance with weapon usage. The genius thing here is, like Mario Kart, you can choose to use your weapon offensively to attack others, or defensively to protect yourself. Good call. Although, like Mario Kart, you probably will have a few moments of frustration when somebody out of nowhere knocks you from 1st place but I would argue this is the nature of the kart racer. It's the great equalizer so if you're playing against your mom or a younger racer they have at least a tiny chance of winning or finishing in a respectable place.
That's not to say you won't be rewarded if you are a more skilled player. Obviously there is some strategy involved, and certain tracks have 'shortcuts' to exploit if you take the time to research the landscape.
Also, unlike ModNation, I felt that the creative aspects of LBPK like building your own karts, racers, etc seemed much easier to swallow and less daunting. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying ModNation was rocket science, but LBPK does simplify things which is great if you'd like to experiment but don't have the time to get too crazy. The interface even seemed more streamlined.
I guess the driving point here is that everything feels right with LBPK. No, it's not groundbreaking but is it supposed to be? It's a kart racer! And a really good one at that.
My only complaint is that the choice of racers is limited unless you've purchased a lot of costumes in previous LBP games. And even then, you're pretty much always playing with a version of Sackboy so it's not like you can pick and choose your favorite character based off their stats or anything. This sometimes makes the racers feel generic. Then again, you can always create your own. And luckily, Sackboy is a pretty charming character to begin with.
Also, similar to that complaint, is the track selection. Many of them are simply gorgeous. A lot of them are well-designed. But, like some negative reviews have pointed out they're not as memorable as other racers. They all do the job, but only a few stand out. And it' weird to say that, because while you're playing you probably won't notice it, as the tracks really do look great and it's really fun. It's just probably going to be hard to look back on it later and remember a specific track.
Either way, don't let that scare you. This really is a good purchase. Is it worth $60? Um. No. But I honestly don't think any game is worth $60. If you can wait for it to hit the $40 mark (or lower), it would be a good investment and nice addition to your library. I had too much fun with this to give it anything less than 5 out of 5 stars. Subtract a star or two if you're not a big fan of the genre.
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Little Big Planet Karting (LBPK) is a karting game developed by the same studio as Modnation Racers (MNR), and it brings a kart racing experience to the Little Big Planet universe.For background information, MNR is a karting game for the PS3 developed in May 2010 for the Sony Playstation 3 (PS3) and Little Big Planet is a series of 2 dimensional platformers for the PS3. Both titles focus on play, create, and share, where users can develop their own content and share it with everyone else online. Personally, I spent far too many hours of my life playing and creating tracks on MNR and have tons of experience with the editor. I have also created in Little Big Planet 2 and feel that I have some competency with the editor.
LBPK is a game that sits awkwardly between a 3 dimensional platformer and kart racer. If you go into the game expecting a solid racer like MNR you will be disappointed. However, if you accept the game as what it is, a "Karting Adventure," there is much fun to be found. On normal difficulty the game suffers from relentlessly aggressive AI creating some frustration (easy difficulty is supposedly much more accessible). LBPK forgoes the boost/shield system of MNR for a standard block using your current weapon, similar to Mario Kart. The speed of the karts is reduced from MNR and the handling feels "floaty". The handling options and kart speed options are not readily adjustable (they can only be adjusted based on the confines of a specific track). The track design is fantastic, even without the user created content. Load times have been much improved over MNR. Online play is functional but limited thanks to some strange game-flow and interface decisions. It follows the LBP formula where you choose a level and start online play from that level. This relies too heavily on other people playing the level, and doesn't necessarily work as well for a racing game. Overall, the racing experience is average when compared to other kart racing games.
In addition to placing in a race (actually racing), LBPK offers bubbles and prizes that can be found and collected on each track. There is also a wealth of different mini-games and play modes to compliment the racing experience including a battle mode. I find that bubble collecting and playing the mini-games are far more enjoyable than the racing aspect of the game.
Finally, creating is perhaps this game's greatest strength. LPBK has a deep and versatile track editor. However, character and kart editors are limited (it is worth noting the developer promises to carryover most character costumes from previous LBP games, but this feature was not available upon launch). Unfortunately, the track editor can be dense and overwhelming with boring tutorials. Laying a track is simple enough, but creating objects, logic items, and moving parts quickly becomes a complicated affair. The editor doesn't limit the player to just creating races, the player can create weapons and mini-games as well. All created content is also readily shared and easy to find online giving this game endless possibilities if the community supports it.
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Kids will enjoy this karting game more. this karting game has its own unique taste.Pros
1. Its not just about racing. game has a story mode and as you progress driving skills has to get better if you want to keep winning first.
2. lots of customization, you can customize your character, Car, Planet, and even Create your own track which is a big plus.
3. Lots of visuals, Colors and graphics
cons
1. Cut-scenes are in alien language, would of been more interesting in English, I skipped most of it because I wanted to play not read.
2. you can only play two players online, that's a big downfall, how can a karting game not be two players.
Graphics 5/5
Controls 4/5
Sound 5/5
Gameplay 4/5
Multiplayer 4/5
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