E3 2011 Impressions: Little Big Planet (Playstation Vita)

Sackboy and the world of Little Big Planet are as close as Sony has come to a Playstation mascot since Crash Bandicoot. So it’s logical that there would be a version of Little Big Planet for the Vita, and E3 2011 didnt disappoint.

The graphics seemed indistinguishable from the PS3 version, super crisp, detailed and colorful on the Vita’s screen.

The version shown off at E3 2011 had a complete level with nearly all types of control possible with the Vita hardware.

At first, Sackboy appears and is controlled as normal, with the left analog stick, using X to jump. Sackboy can travel into and out of the screen on three planes as is tradition, and using the right shoulder button grabs onto environmental objects.

As the E3 2011 demo progressed, the player was exposed to a variety of additional gameplay mechanics.

There are objects in the level that can be touched and dragged. In one area, Sackboy had to jump up to a ledge he couldn’t reach. A block was to the left on the screen, and could be touched on the front touch screen and dragged into proper place.

Later, when grabbing onto a circular wheel, the player could use the touch screen and drag the circle, sending it spinning and moving Sackboy to a higher level.

In addition, the VIta’s gyroscope was in use to “tip” Sackboy in a direction, sending him sailing down a steep incline. While some of these seemed gimmicky, it will be fun to see how they are integrated into both the gameplay and the creator. Note that the creation tools were not on display in our demo.

In video, the camera is also shown in use for creating items, which is another great way to expand the scope of the Little Big Planet creator community using the new features of Vita.

It’s not a surprise that Sony would have a version of Little Big Planet for the early days of Vita, and they are not mailing it in, adding new gameplay mechanics and creator features exclusive to the new portable.

More of my PSP Vita Impressions:
10 Thoughts on PS Vita
Little Deviants
Uncharted: Golden Abyss
Virtua Tennis 4
Sound Shapes