To get a, how shall we say, more informed perspective on LittleBigPlanet PSP’s create mode, we went to Azure Palace creator, David Dino (PSN: gevurah22). While a great number of us may have tinkered around with the create mode in the original LittleBigPlanet, David’s talent went above and beyond most – to the point where his level was selected to be one of the few pressed onto the Game of the Year rerelease of LittleBigPlanet. He also got his hands on LittleBigPlanet PSP a few days early. Check out his thoughts on the restructured create mode:
Q) With the LBP PS3’s tools more familiar and the audience much wider, I struggled with trying to figure out who would take time to really invest their talents in the PSP’s scaled down create mode. Is making full blown PSP levels something you could see yourself doing or, as you alluded to in one of your posts, do you see it more as a portable test bed for ideas?
A) I feel it’s a little bit of both. Once people play the game, I think they’ll have an understanding of what I mean. It’s nice being able to have the ability to do very similar things in both games, granted the PSP version does not have as many layers, no lighting options, etc. Working from a design standpoint, knowing if it possibly works on the spot helps tremendously which would in turn might lead me to build something significant for the PSP version.
Q) Are the somewhat lengthy loading times a significant impediment? (I reviewed a UMD copy, and rewinding meant the screen would go black and it would take 3-5 seconds to reload, which seemed like it would grate)
A) While it’s definitely not game breaking, I probably consider it to be a bearable annoyance. Since we’re talking about portability, we want quick access to whatever we want. In create mode, the issue does seem to feel a little more pronounced since you do go to a loading screen when you rewind or fast forward, unlike the PS3 version. I look forward to seeing if the PSN downloadable version cuts the load times significantly.
Q) (in your posts at NeoGAF) You sounded impressed by a few of the changes Cambridge made to the create mode. I thought the dynamic/static material designations were awesome, and the grid-based layout being for the better as well. Does a slightly different, and largely beneficial, interface act as an incentive over the PS3 version?
A) For someone like me who plays the PS3 version a lot, I appreciate the changes Sony Cambridge has made in order to accommodate the breadth of create controls with the lack of buttons.
I think if you go into the PSP version expecting the same functionality as its big brother, you might feel disappointed. Yet as with any new tool, it takes time to learn the ropes and some of the shortcuts in the PSP version do offer a good base for the portability factor of the game.
Q) Portable games generally synonymous with shorter gaming sessions, and I’m curious as to how that relates to LBP PSP. With a handheld system, would you be more inclined to create a shorter level, or would you still go all out with something more substantial?
A) It’s something I’ve been tinkering with to be honest, and I feel like I’m more inclined to make shorter levels. I think the tools and the materials lend to that shift in design. I definitely would not half ass my efforts, but something short and sweet is definitely more appealing for players who get this game.
Many thanks again to David for taking the time to answer our questions! If you’re interested in more of his thoughts about LittleBigPlanet PSP, check out his impressions over at NeoGAF.
