My videogame prowess amounts to playing Mario Kart on various consoles and not coming in last, and the occasional Rock Band guest vocal. I’m also really good at getting bored and leaving when my friends decide to play videogames. So you can imagine how surprised I was when I found myself so drawn in while watching my friend play her brand new copy of LittleBigPlanet on PS3 that I actually stayed out later to observe. It’s on my Must List this week, and I didn’t even play it myself!
LittleBigPlanet has an adorably handcrafted vibe (my first reaction: ”Is Michel Gondry making videogames now?”) and no annoying aspirations to be ”lifelike"; instead, it creates its own quirkily animated universe, overseen by a comforting British narrator. You can customize your character (called a SackBoy, though I preferred to refer to him as ”little guy”), control its facial expressions, and collect stickers (stickers!) as you go through the levels. It also has some sweet-ass tunes to boot (apparently I left just before The Go! Team-soundtracked level). I’d say that any game that’s as exciting for non-gaming friends to watch as it is to play is going to be on my Must List for a good while.
You know mine, so tell me yours: What’s on your Must List, PopWatchers? List up to three items from current TV/movies/music/books/games/online. Don’t forget your e-mail address, in case we decide to use your submission in the magazine. Deadline is Thursday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m. ET.
More on LittleBigPlanet:
Gary Eng Walk reviews the game in EW’s Holiday Gift Guide
Samantha Xu’s take at the Penny Arcade Expo videogame convention
Comments (1-30) of 44 Add your comment
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–Adam Baldwin on Chuck. This guy has serious comedic chops, and if I can’t have Firefly back, this is the next best thing.
Katey Sagal as Gemma on Sons of Anarchy- a true villian in a lot of ways and yet completely, humanly fascinating. Seems like a woman that Shakespeare would have written.
Hey Ocean!’s new album “It’s Easier To Be Somebody Else”. I’ve been listening to it nonstop for weeks. It’s a fun album that highlights the strengths of the band excellently. The jazz/pop/funk fusion is a perfect way to brighten a winter’s day; every song makes me want to kick off my shoes and dance in the sunshine.
The Walkmen- You and Me
This is what I’d want to hear as my soundtrack walking home after a great night out with friends.
LOST SEASON 5 Sneak Peek. It’s almost here.
The Dark Knight. Period. In theaters, on DVD, the soundtrack. What a powerhouse. Just saw it in theaters again and man is it still epically awesome.
1. Dexter
2. Dexter
3. Dexter
Seriously, how can you guys not be covering the best show on TV right now?
This holiday season, I’m craving Hasbro’s Mighty Muggs lineup of vinyl collectible figures, the all-new HUGE Star Wars Millennium Falcon, and a Blu-Ray player.
The actors playing the Cullens in the Twilight movie. Rob’s Edward may be getting all the media attention, but they bring Stephanie Meyer’s beloved vampire family to life, and look sooo good doing it. The best two scenes in the movie were the kitchen and baseball scenes.
tv show: terminator: the Sara Conner Chronicles. The second season has found the legs of this show and it is now one of the best drama’s on tv with or without robots.
sport: NFL! With Tom Brady out for the season The Patriots are not an autolock for the playoffs! This season has been great.
Role Models: I know it has been out for a month, but I went to it thinking I would get a couple of laughs…I got more then a couple and it turned out to be very funny throughout and a sweet story.
Also looking forward to teh Curious Case of Ben Button. It will be nice to be reminded that Brad Pitt is an actor again.
That’s Stephen Fry (aka the other half of the comedy duo of Fry and Laurie, aka Hugh Laurie’s college buddy) as the comforting British narrator, by the way. I could listen to him for hours.
1. Legend of the Seeker in all its cheesy, fantasy, syndicated, Sam Raimi glory. Ted Raimi has already guest starred and I’m hoping for a Bruce Campbell appearance.
2. Chrono Trigger DS
3. Passive Aggressive Notes: Painfully Polite and Hilariously Hostile Writings by Kerry Miller
Jean, the last videogame I played was “Dr. Mario” on the original Nintendo.
What’s to add, Jean? Looks like you’ve got a perfect Must List pick with LittleBigPlanet, a game charming enough to be made by Nintendo but boasting technological prowess and extensive user-made content that’s only possible on the PS3.
Kanye’s newest album 808’s and Heartbreak. It doesn’t matter if you think he’s an arrogant brat (like I do). The album’s striking cohesion and affecting moodiness are too good to ignore.
With Boston Legal in its home stretch there’s no way I’m missing it, lest I be beaned with hurled pastry, or shot in the bum with a paintball gun. Also, totally in Sarah Connor Chonicles. The music that plays whenever a bad bot is up to no good gives me the creeps, in the best way possible. And how can you NOT love Summer Glau?
1. Summer Heights High on HBO
2. Televisionary (http://www.televisionaryblog.com)
3. Bones
LEFT 4 DEAD. Zombies! Guns! Zombies vomiting on you! Co-op! Zombies strangling you with their tongues! Cornfields! ZOMBIES!
Bolt, for showing that the House of Mouse still has it, even when Pixar isn’t around. Bring on The Princess and the Frog!
1. Ross Blog. [http://blog.nbc.com/ross_blog/]
2. Twilight movie (duh)
3. Re-reading Twilight novel for the 308768599th time. (yes, i’ve counted)
Chinese Democracy by Guns N Roses. Man, I SO wanted to hate this album. It was purchased with Shaudenfraude in mind. I wanted to listen to it, say “it totally sucks” then spend the rest of the year posting nasty comments about how lame and old Axl Rose has gotten. Axl Rose always struck me as a total jerk, and the fact that he’d burned so many bridges making this album made me hope it would be the biggest bomb of all time.
Instead, I was treated to one of the best hard rock albums of 2008. It’s more than a return to form. Chinese Democracy is Axl’s Opus, the album we’d all hoped “Use your Illusion” would be. Who knew such an easily disliked man could be so creatively talented?
Quick note on Passive Agressive Notes: It’s been around for some time now.
1. Chuck
2. Colbert Taking Kanye Down via iTunes
3. the current AT&T commercials– the detonating site edition still cracks me up
To does it matter?: I know it has…but I referenced the book based on the site which was only published last month.
ohhhh, dearest JB, if you liked “LittleBigPlanet”, you ought to glance over my shoulder at a few hours of “Fallout 3″. It’s like “LittleBigPlanet”, except with apocalypse and cussing and extreme violence and getting torn apart, somehow, by mutated naked mole rats (despite wearing police riot gear. hm.)
JK Rowling’s new book The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I love re-reading Harry Potter, but there’s something special about reading one of her books for the first time. I can’t wait!
how many times have you played Mario Kart on “multiple” consoles?– its only out for Nintendo
N64, Game cube, original nintendo…
With all the Twilight mania, I think the most anticipated movie-based-on-a-book-(kinda), is being forgotten. Watchmen! 03/06/09 cannot come fast enough. With Zack Snyder at the helm, it’s a movie that promises to deliver. I mean, the noir-ish Batman: The Dark Knight opened to rave reviews and a crazy amount of box office success, and what’s to say Watchmen (much darker than B:TDK by a couple thousand points) won’t enjoy the same? When a well-written book commenting on the political identity of America as well as providing an amazingly gripping murder mystery comes along, isn’t that already a win? And I haven’t even said anything about the superheroes or “Tales of the Black Freighter.” I mean, a comic pirate sub-story and spandex-clad superheroes? What’s not to love?
David Cook’s debut album. i haven’t stopped listening to it since i got it.
also, anything that ISN’T twilight. i’m sorry but… just no. i’m not a fan, and i’m kind of tired of the mass hysteria.
LittleBigPlanet is AMAZING!!!!
Shaun the sheep. I bought the DVD a few weeks ago and my family all sat around watching it on Thanksgiving. We couldn’t stop laughing!