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LocoRoco psp Game Reviews
LocoRoco
Critic Score
Metascore: 83 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.3 out of 10
based on 67 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 44 votes
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Rate this game

LocoRoco is an innovative 2D platform/action game available exclusively for the PSP. Featuring unique controls utilizing the "L" and "R" shoulder buttons, players are tasked with controlling via "tilting or bumping" the landscape of the LocoRoco in order to help them navigate through the level and keep them out of harm's way. With more than 40 stages, players control and guide the LocoRoco through vibrant, thriving and lush worlds filled with slippery slopes, swing ropes , and more. Featuring six different types of LocoRoco that include their own voices and actions, players will be enchanted by captivating music that communicates the joyous world of these LocoRoco. In addition, LocoRoco features the rewarding LocoHouse, three mini-games , and wireless features. The peaceful world of the LocoRoco are under attack by the not-so-nice Moja Corps. These evil outer space creatures want nothing but to capture the blissful LocoRoco and take them from their land of blowing flowers, lively creatures and pastel scenery. As the planet where the LocoRoco inhabit, players must tilt, roll and bounce the LocoRoco to safety. [SCEA]

PUBLISHER: Sony Computer Entertainment
DEVELOPER: Sony Computer Entertainment Japan
GENRE(S): Platform, Puzzle, Action
PLAYERS: 1
ESRB RATING: E (Everyone)
RELEASE DATE: September 5, 2006

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

98
Gaming Illustrated
My favorite PSP game. It has beautiful visuals, wonderful songs, cute characters, simple gameplay that’s easy on the go, and a lot of replay value.
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95
Digital Entertainment News
One could blast through the game in a few hours, but that would be missing the point. LocoRoco is meant to be a game where one sits back, relaxes, and enjoys a simple game to unwind with.
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95
Deeko
When I play this game, it feels utterly complete. I don't find myself thinking that they should have had this thing or left out that thing, because every single bit of it just belongs.
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94
Play UK
There is no denying that LocoRoco is the landmark PSP title. The effortless charm and relentless happiness hide one of the most complete games we've ever had the pleasure of playing. [Issue 142, p.72]
93
Pelit (Finland)
A refreshingly original platformer. The levels are magnificent and the physics work perfectly. [Aug 2006, p.43]
93
PSM2 Magazine UK
The happiest game on PSP will cheer you up to no end. It's simple to pick up and play and equally hard to put down. This is the strongest handheld title we've played, well, ever. [July 2006, p.100]
92
Games Master UK
A large part of what makes Loco Roco such a joy is its complete lack of traditional gaming obstacles. Levels are largely squishy, curvy, cushioned affairs with no holes of doom to fall down or bad guys to shoot. [Aug 2006, p.69]
92
Worth Playing
A stunning achievement in modern gaming. It is entirely in 2D and uses only three buttons, but it is one of the best games available on the PSP.
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91
GameShark
A success due to a number of reasons including an inspired artistic style that is simple but strikingly beautiful, characters that are both eccentric and charming, and a catchy soundtrack that you won't get out of your head.
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90
PGNx Media
While the audiovisual presentation is amazing – and to be honest probably worth the price of admission – the actual gameplay can get a little stale after long gameplay sessions.
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90
eToychest
LocoRoco is a bit shallow, but it’s a real treat to play. Earnest and ebullient, it’s tough not to get sucked in by its atmosphere, and equally difficult to stop playing once you’ve figured it out.
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90
Extreme Gamer
All you need to do is spend a few minutes with these little creatures and you'll likely be hooked. LocoRoco is simple, inspiring, original and fun.
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90
GamingExcellence
It’s also the only title I know of that made me happy while playing it. How often can you say that about a videogame?
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90
GamingTrend
Much like Katamari Damacy, the simple goals and controls pulled me in, and the high production values kept me playing.
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90
AtomicGamer
I could only think of one way to share how I feel about it -- mix happiness, cheerfulness, smiles and a heaping spoon of sugar and you have LocoRoco.
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90
games(TM)
The best thing on PSP by some way, LocoRoco is pure fun on a little silver disc. Destined for cult status – buy it now, before everyone else tells you to. [Aug 2006, p.110]
90
Gamers Europe
It's the game that's finally got me using the PSP again, as opposed to just my DS. Unlike so many PSP ports and rehashes, it's perfectly suited to the system and perfectly suited to handheld gaming.
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90
Pocket Gamer UK
Rock-and-roll gameplay to a J-pop beat, LocoRoco is a perfectly rounded handheld puzzler.
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90
Game Power Australia
It's extremely funny but at the same time littered with dark moments as your Locos are attacked by nasty black spikey things from your childhood nightmares.
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90
EuroGamer
Aside from experimental unlocks and silly novelties, the LocoRoco experience is one of undiluted fun. If the tilting, blob moving puzzle-platforming doesn't warm your heart, then the catalogue of alarmingly addictive psychotic J-Pop tunes will have you dancing around the living room.
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90
VideoGamer
You could breeze through the game in a few short hours, but it really doesn't matter. Those few hours will be some of the most joyous of your gaming life.
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90
Official Playstation 2 Magazine UK
A beautifully blended oddball collage of colour, sound and playability. Original and inventive - it's PSP gaming at its best. [July 2006, p.86]
90
Sydney Morning Herald
Gloriously cheerful and refreshingly original rock 'n' roll fun.
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90
Play Magazine
If they gave this game to depressed people Xanax would be over the counter. [Sept 2006, p.66]
90
Cheat Code Central
With gameplay that you would expect to see on the DS instead of the PSP, Loco Roco is easily the most accessible title available to date and is easily one of the best titles to be seen on Sony’s handheld since its debut.
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90
GameZone
So simple and challenging at the same time that it just keeps players coming back for more.
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90
The New York Times
With imaginative levels on snowy landscapes or inside whales, LocoRoco uses charm and simplicity of design to create something near perfection. But it’s a small perfection, charming in its childlike whimsy but as insubstantial as a summer breeze.
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90
DarkStation
Simplistic but addictive gameplay and bright visuals makes this an easy choice.
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90
GamerFeed
What we have here is elementary yet cutting-edge game design, coupled with some of the cutest visuals and music you will ever experience. The game has longevity to spare as well, with numerous secrets, mini-games, and hidden paths to seek out.
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90
IGN
It's vibrant, cheery and serves no other point than to make you smile. But, like candy, Locoroco also ends sooner than you want it to end. Still, it's fantastic while it lasts and just the kind of game you want in your pocket.
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88
Just RPG
One of the most unique games to hit all the systems. Aside from not being very long, everything else in the game works wonders, whether it be the soundtrack, graphics, or controls.
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86
Gamer 2.0
It’s one of the best experiences for the PSP, and if you’re a stickler for perfecting games you will get the bang for you buck as you try to collect everything in each level.
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85
Gaming Target
A breath of fresh air from the remakes and rehashes that appear on PSP from week to week. As unchallenging as it may be to complete levels, collecting every single fruit flower and exploring the environments provides reason to go back into 40 stages of this charming time waster.
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85
Game Over Online
LocoRoco is one of the most original and quirky titles to hit the PSP in some time. The controls are such that both hardcore and casual players alike can get into the game just as well.
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85
Da Gameboyz
With stylized graphics, catchy sound, and great gameplay, this game deserves a spot in any PSP owner’s library.
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84
Game Chronicles
Whether you are five or sixty-five, you are going to love LocoRoco if you give it half a chance. The controls are so simple that anyone can master this game in just a few minutes, and the addictive gameplay will keep you coming back for more wacky action for months to come.
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81
Gaming Nexus
While LocoRoco is guilty of being overly upbeat and adorable, it's also guilty of being a solid 2D platformer that is a welcome addition to any PSP library.
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81
GameBrink
Despite the lackluster gameplay, Loco Roco does have one thing going for it: charm. The flash-looking graphics are extremely impressive in art design and from a technological standpoint as the visuals just look incredible on the PSP screen. [JPN Import]
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80
Modojo
Loco Roco is an amazing game, quite possibly the most charming game I've ever played. It's the kind of game that will automatically make you happy while you play it. As a handheld title its ideal. Its only real drawback is that for many of us it might be over a little too soon.
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80
3DAvenue
One aspect of the game which is a bit disappointing is that it is a little easy to complete. We managed to get through the game fairly quickly, but it does increase in difficulty as you complete levels...A crazy game that really shows when a developer sits down and comes up with an original idea, it can be fantastic.
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80
PALGN
The game proves that the PSP is more than competent enough to handle "pick up and play" titles, which is really the type of games that people want on handhelds. It's an addictive game and i don't think i've ever smiled more whilst playing a game than I did with LocoRoco. It's insanely addictive, and has a unique look that is unmatched on the PSP.
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80
Total Video Games
Brilliant in both concept and execution, LocoRoco is easily the best thing to hit the PSP since Lumines kicked the format off 18 months ago.
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80
Computer Games Magazine
It combines simple controls(you use the shoulder buttons to tilt the world and to occasionally flick your blob into the air, letting gravity do its job)with the pop of color on the PSP's screen and the rich music you can stream from a disc. [Oct. 2006, p.81]
80
Yahoo! Games
The LocoRoco world works perfectly. There are few examples of out of the box game design that are so well put together.
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80
Official U.S. Playstation Magazine
It looks beautifully weird, and almost all of the(mostly)excellent songs--complete with vocal parts that change depending on which of the LocoRoco friends you're playing as--wedged themselves deep into my consciousness for days on end. [Oct. 2006, p.90]
80
1UP
Just as the visuals are perfect for the PSP's display, the mechanics are perfect for the PSP's button configuration, and the game design is perfect for the PSP's portability (it's easy to pick up and play at any given moment).
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80
AceGamez
Loco Roco is a game that PSP owners simply must try; it's the type of unconventional and quirky gameplay that is infectious and addictive beyond rationality, and a game that you will want to keep playing and never stop - you will want to hear those songs again and again, and to see the different levels using different Loco Rocos.
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80
GameCritics
Mechanically, it's not quite as subversive or original as the presentation and some of its over zealous supporters might have you believe, but the chutzpah with which LocoRoco interprets the platform game's basic tenets is entirely its own and, again like the original Sonic The Hedgehog, it is a hugely invigorating and memorably stylish entry into a genre still awaiting fresh ideas.
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80
G4 TV
Those allergic to whimsy may react violently to the saccharine soundtrack and rosy world-view. But they'd be missing out on a rare experience – a game that honors classic game play while forging new ground in style.
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80
Games Radar
The world of LocoRoco is uniquely beautiful, aggressively charming and a lot of fun to explore, and it keeps its load times short. If you've ever wanted a reason to hug your PSP, now's your chance.
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80
TotalPlayStation
It's sadly a little too short to be a really meaty experience, but while it lasts -- and for us non-perfectionist sorts, the first dozen or so levels that you try to get across-the-board perfects on -- it's so charming that you won't want it to end.
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80
NTSC-uk
While it is not 'the' perfect game, it does come pretty close; the visuals appeal and if, by some chance, they don't then the perky toe-tapping soundtrack is certain to make everyone smile.
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80
PSM Magazine
LocoRoco is the kind of oddball/genius game that will be revered and sought out by serious gamers for years to come. [Nov. 2006, p.72]
80
WHAM! Gaming
As adorable as it is eccentric, and as addictive as it is challenging, it still may not be everyone's cup of tea. But if happy, singing blobs navigating trippy technicolour worlds sounds like fun, you need this one in your PSP library.
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80
Thunderbolt
This game is truly as happy as I make it out to be, and the peppy musical gibberish serves as a perfect audio backdrop to the joyful scene.
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79
GameTrailers
Its cute characters, uplifting songs, and undeniable charm have all remained intact, providing an enjoyable portable experience that should be taken in small doses.
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77
GameSpot
LocoRoco oozes charm for days, but the gameplay is a little too singularly focused for its own good.
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75
Game Informer
But there are a lot of interesting ideas here and, hardcores be damned, it's cute-as-a-button attitude is a great asset. [Oct. 2006, p.110]
75
Electric Playground
LocoRoco is an easy-going game. In fact, playing it sometimes feels close to meditation.
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75
Armchair Empire
It can be very difficult when it comes to playing for perfection, but the challenge is not always a deterrent, it can be seen as an opportunity to see if one can do it.
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75
Game Revolution
Oozing bizarre style out of every pore, this is proof that creative design doesn’t require fancy DVD players or burly graphics cards.
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73
Electronic Gaming Monthly
LocoRoco is a simple game, one that doesn't challenge you except, perhaps, in perseverance--pick it up, and you'll be able to blow right through its whimsical, intuitively designed levels. [Oct. 2006, p.114]
70
GameSpy
The action get repetitive very quickly. The game really doesn't introduce any new gamplay mechanics once you learn how to roll and jump, and the levels are far from challenging. It's a solid game, but it feels like one that could have used a bit more attention paid to the gameplay.
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70
Gamezilla!
Loco Roco isn’t a bad game. It starts off strong, but as you progress through the levels you start expecting some sort of twist to the gameplay, but it never comes.
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70
Edge Magazine
There’s little doubt that Sony has pulled out a plum – and given the PSP its first real mascot in the process. [Aug 2006, p.82]
67
Gaming Age
At the very least, LocoRoco proves that there is nothing quite like rolling a giant fatty--err, I mean, it proves that there is still room for innovation in a very traditional genre (side-scroller) even if it's on a more conventional platform.
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60
GamePro
Real talent produced this technology and artwork. So much of LocoRoco is so clever and original that it's almost perplexing when it stops being any fun. The fun does run out, though, long before the game is over -- in that sense, the experiment has to be called a failure.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now! The average user rating for this game is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 44 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Bogdan S gave it a10:
Best. Game. Ever. Not only for the PSP, best game on any console. The fact that i, as a hard-core gamer that enjoys Halo, RPG's and Action games can enjoy this title as much as my 3 year old son says it all. If it was the only title available for the PSP it would still warrant a buy of the system. It's that good. Get the demos out there on the net and try it out for yourself.

Xiaoyan L. gave it a6:
the only reason i'm giving this a six is because the gameplay is not as easy as others may lead you to believe. it was already difficult to get a perfect score on the first level alone. and it's all uphill from there. and when you're already all stressed out from the hard levels, the last thing you want to see is the over-eager smiling loco roco. but in terms of originality, music, character design, and world visuals, i have nothing bad to say about this game.

Tom D. gave it a10:
Finally a PSP game that seems like it was made for a portable system (load time, simplicity, and addictiveness). The DS knows the formula of portable games and this is the only PSP game out there that is any good. The music is the best ever since FFIII.

Isaac S. gave it a10:
What a fantastic game! Simple and addictive, not to mention adorable. Not only one of the best games ever, this is actually one of the best *things* ever.

Beav A. gave it a10:
A bit too easy but the cutest game I've ever played and one of the best!

Sainter D. gave it a9:
I think this game is so hilarious and fun at da same time, it is kinda boring after a few hours but still when you do enjoy it its an excellent game.

Yannis F. gave it a10:
Easily the next Super Mario Bros on the PSP.

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