Little Big Planet Karting Preview

I love karting games. It’s a weakness that stems all the way back from Diddy Kong Racing. Something about the genre brings back fond childhood memories and a feeling of pure joy, with a small sprinkling of competitiveness. Yes, what some have said for a long time was inevitable, Little Big Planet Karting is finally close to being on Internet shelves. I was stoked for this game before I even played it because this a franchise which bring me so much happiness, stepping up to bring me further smiles. However, is it any good? How dare you ask me that. Of course it’s fist-bitingly brilliant. [We provide only the best objective previews – Ed.]

In the most honest, non-ass-kissing way possible, I have always thought that Little Big Planet is the perfect franchise to bring back the karting genre. Sonic, and Thor help us Banjo Kazooie, gave it a respectable attempt but LBP has an edge which no others do at the moment – customisation.

You want to race as Solid Snake? No problem! Slap on an eye patch, some grey hair, and a beard to your Sackboy and you’re ready to roll. Want to do what 50% of all players of LBP Karting will do on launch? Dress your Sackboy and his corresponding vehicle in every colour combination possible and nickname him ‘Skittles’. The options are endless!

You can customise both Sackboy and his vehicle in a myriad of ways, including all the custom stuff you may or may not have downloaded from Little Big Planet 1 & 2, and I’m sure as time goes on there will be plenty more to come. I personally raced as a velociraptor riding inside a giant lemon.

LBP Karting comes with three main modes, as far as I could tell: Racing (duh), Arena (duels/team battles), and CREATE ALL THE THINGS (the online track builder which does not use my very well thought out title). The first two modes are brilliant. The racing feels very Crash Team Racing, which for anybody who ever played that piece of brilliance back on the PlayStation will know what a compliment that is.

You have a wide array of power-ups which vary from fast forwarding yourself in the race, exploding crates, homing missiles, and my personal favourite – a giant boxing glove with a rocket-booster that you ride. In this preview session there was only a single official racing track on show, a beach level. However, all the antics you would expect in a great kart racer were there: secret passageways, insta-kill collision objects, trees right in the middle of the freaking track, and a looming final corner which always has some sort of trap laying in wait for the final lap. It was the most fun I’ve had on my PlayStation 3 since… well, Little Big Planet 2.

Arena mode is nearly exactly what you would expect it to be; an enclosed arena where you battle using only exploding weaponry to destroy the other karts. Whoever destroys the most within the time limit drives home the victor. The official LBP Karting trailer (see below) shows team battles which, I assume, would take place in the arena. If so, then that would definitely help to spice up this mode because as it stands, it appears weak when surrounded by the two other behemoths.

The creation mode looks to be where, as is normally the case with Little Big Planet, the game will truly shine. You once again have all the customisation options carried over from LBP 1, 2, and even Vita to add into your own chaotic track or arena. If by the end of 2012 the community has not completely recreated every one of Crash Team Racing’s tracks in LBP Karting then I am going to be disappointed. I will however offer a dozen Krispy Kreme doughnuts to the first person who remakes Hot Air Skyway – because that track was damned near perfection.

One of the beta users’ levels was on show at the preview day. This level saw you as a robotic dinosaur, chasing and then crushing trucks filled with mines around a mocked-up New York City. That is but one of the levels created by the BETA users alone, using the limited tools which were available at the time. I can’t even begin to fathom what the community will come up with once LBP Karting hits retail stores.

Little Big Planet Karting will be available exclusively on PlayStation 3 from 7th November.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Hqna7-4tu0&w=600&h=338]