LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition Review

09/23/09

Game of the Year editions don't normally surprise the gaming community, although their sales results often surprise people who would normally think "look how many people already own this game; why would this repackaged version sell at all?" LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year follows in those same unsurprising footsteps, as it includes the core content from the original game, all the downloadable content (DLC) released for the game up to this point, and snazzy new packaging. Yet due to the nature of LittleBigPlanet itself, the team at Media Molecule was able to sneak in a few pieces of content that wouldn't find their way into most other GOTY titles.

This additional content comes in the form of never-before-seen bonus levels created by 18 users hand-picked from the same online community that "home brewed" the 1.25 million-plus levels now available for download via PSN. These bonus levels are definitely worthy of inclusion on a retail disc, as they're incredibly fun and showcase exactly what Media Molecule hoped to achieve with LittleBigPlanet in the first place: that the gaming community, if given the proper tools, can create innovative levels just as well as the industry's paid professionals. With that in mind, I hope these creators are getting some cash for their efforts in addition to the "street cred."

It would be incredibly old news to review the game itself here, since the meat of LittleBigPlanet hasn't changed at all, and LBP fans already know what the seven downloadable content packs include. The draw with LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition truly is the excellent bonus levels and a code/key for access to the online beta for ModNation Racers, a PS3-exclusive kart racing game that's coming up soon. The beta access is a boon to the upcoming game's marketing, a nice bonus for PS3 owners, and a perfectly appropriate tie-in to give gamers a taste of Sony's next game that will be fueled by user-generated content. So, if you've ever wondered whether to pick up LittleBigPlanet or are just suffering from a need to "show the world" that you can create games too, LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition is ripe for the picking.

Click this link to buy LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition from Amazon.

Score: 9.2
Still an incredible (and incredibly empowering) game, this GOTY build has extras aplenty of franchise newbies.

-- Jonas Allen

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