Remember that post about us having a new author? Well this post was created by the Galaxies new friend Izzy, sent vi e-mail. I will try to get her an account as soon as possible so she can post herself, but Jon never replies to anything Sorry for all the weird symbols in the post, i don’t know what the hell they are and how to fix them :/

Must-Play LittleBigPlanet Levels

Howdy there, sack-people! Waiting for LBP Vita got me thinking that nostalgia is a powerful emotion and one that – as humans we are all susceptible to and the gaming community is certainly no exception to this rule. Typically, nostalgia might come into play when we’re waiting for a new game in a series to come out, when we might dig through our boxes, shelves, cabinets or whatever and wherever else we keep our games, and subsequently splay them out on the sofa table or whatever in all their resplendent glory as we sit their and bask in the magnificence of the games of yesteryear. Perhaps we do it to remind ourselves that a new stage in a particular series is coming and this would be what we’ve enjoyed so far, giving us a reason to look forward to the future. Maybe we do it simply because old games are cool and we just felt like playing them again.

Replay, retrace, reinvent

Whatever the reasons, a simple fact remains: replaying games is great fun; something one would hope we never tire of, lest it indicate that we’’ve somehow lost our zeal and zest for gaming somewhere along the line. So, while we’re all on proverbial tenterhooks and gnawing on the edges of game cases in anticipation of a glorious injection of Vita-based LBP goodness, here’s a bunch of user-designed levels from the first game that should truly drive home just why we came to fall so in love with the little sack dude (or dudette, if you’’re that way inclined).

So, in no particular order:

Libidius.jp
by RRR30000

A timeless classic, popping up on favourites lists the world over; Libidius.jp – the brainchild of a Japanese user –totally transforms the traditional adventures of sackboy into an awesome port of retro shooting game Gradius.  Mainly powered by the trusty jetpack and slightly limited by the laws of physics (although this might have just lent to its charm), the controls might have been slightly awkward at times, but it was nevertheless an awesome endeavour to undertake.

Little Big
Computer/Calculator by Upsilandre

Another mainstay in lists like these, Upsilandre’s calculator/brash show of what might just be autism is truly a testament to perseverance in the face of an overwhelming number of components. Whilst on the surface, the calculator might not actually look like much; Upsilandre lends the player a jetpack with which to explore the “mess” behind the scenes. According to Upsilandre, this marvel contained 610 magnetic switches, 500 Wires, 430 pistons and 70 emitters. Crazy.

Illumina
Garden by ShadowFlareX

Although there were others that came out, why not just stick with the original? ShadowFlareX’s approach to level design here was certainly minimalistic, yet overly stylistic as sackboy races around a level which is primarily veiled in darkness, yet interspersed with dashes of neon and colour. ShadowFlareX certainly illustrates the idea that you can give your audience and incredibly positive experience while making use of very limited (yet still awesome) visual cues.

The Azure
Palace by gevurah22

A level which – evidently – contains much of the titular azure, yet even those averse to the colour would have a hard time not liking this level. An almost sublime experience, the Azure Palace sees our intrepid hero brave the unexplored depths of a hidden temple, making extensive use of jetpacks to aid him with the many puzzles and traps that litter this dungeon, as well as providing a feel of being underwater – due to the jetpack’s slightly slugged movement speed.. A monument to level design skill, determination and creativity, the Azure Palace is most definitely a grand spectacle that deserves to be experienced by all. By no means a short level, the design is such that it will keep your attention rapt not only the whole way through to the climactic scene, but will hopefully remain long after as a delightful memory.

So there you have it, a short – and by no means all-encompassing – list of what the community has decided are some of the most must-play LBP levels of legend. No doubt that the serious players that have been with LBP since the start have played most – if not all – of these levels, yet it never hurts to have a fond reminiscence with your LBP comrades (be they new or old).

Izzy.