My preference: I enjoy action & adventure games mostly. Uncharted, Metal Gear, Infamous, Portal 2, All of the Mario games as well
My Background: I've played Little Big Planet 2 at my leisure. I wasn't committed to it but enjoyed the levels from time to time. I've always enjoyed Karting from way back in the SNES days all the way to the last one on the Wii. Since I recently sold my Wii I figured I'd give Little Big Planet Karting (LBPK) a try.
My 2 cents on LBPK: This is an incredibly addictive and absolutely FUN game to play. Every aspect of this game looks and feels like LBP. So if you love LBP or even just enjoy the occasional sackboy challenge (like in my case) then you will absolutely love the Karting version. The levels are as creative and fun to look as they are in LBP and the craziness related to the classic Karting is present in it's fullest form. One famous reviewer online has rated this game poorly and it's obvious the fat nerd is comparing apples to oranges.
First of all, this is NOT mod racers. Very little resemblance. So if you are coming into this expecting that game or anything related then re-adjust your expectations. As the title bluntly says it shoots more for the Mario Karting experience then the Mod Racers. This is simply the art of LBP with a little Mario karting mixed in. That's exactly what I was expecting (and hoping) and was surprised to see just that. The one thing about Mario Kart series that would bore me was the lack of levels. Mario levels were excellent craftsmanship, mind you, but got old quickly. In addition the presentation and overall feel was very kid-like and immature. I was a teenager when I got into Mario Karting so I didn't care too much but with the Wii days that factor made the game old. The ONLY thing that would make me play Mario Karting is to play with a friend. No friends available then no reason to play with the limited amount of levels since it got old quick. LBPK is an entire different category with endless amounts of levels and different types of levels (not just the regular 3rd person karting look)
In addition, LBPK does have a mixture of kid-like aspects but doesn't over do it like the Mario series. A major aspect in that is the MUSIC. Wow what great music! Very few if at all kiddie songs here but great rhythmical beats that really get you into racing and trash talking with friends. While you still have that cute cuddly look that's well known with LBP it's balanced with Great Music to keep you engaged. The scenery in the tracks also play a major role. You won't be over saturated with the typical Cartoon scenery & goofy 2 dimensional items you always see in Mario Karting. Instead they differ from level to level and are vivid, illustrative & creative.
The levels are also created with imagination. Most of the major levels have 2 versions. One for the campaign and another for the multiplayer. So if you played a level that you really enjoyed then right beside it you can play the multiplayer version with others online or in a split-screen. Sometimes they mix up the multiplayer version (I've only tried playing with 2 players on 1 screen, however, I understand that's the max which could be a negative if you have a household with 4 players and 1 screen.)
In addition, they mix things up by giving you different type of racing levels. Not just the regular racing. This was a big factor for me because as I mentioned I found the Mario Kart series to be boring after awhile. If there were no friends in sight then playing Mario Karting by yourself got old very quickly. LBPK, however, has a great campaign with various levels just like LBP. Like others have mentioned the story makes no sense and I always skip it. But let's face LBP has always seem to have a pot head hippie behind the stories and with Karting this was just a bonus not really a necessity (or a selling factor in my case since all I want to do is race).
While the controls aren't as crisp as I would prefer I think they tried to be innovative with that as well which deserve credit. By incorporating sliding/boost when you take a turn as well as defensive weapons to protect yourself and using the right analog stick to punch your neighbors as a bonus weapon while you are driving all draw in some challenges when maneuvering. It makes it very different from any other Karting game out there.
This game is no Mod Racer nor Mario kart but started with the creators of the former and borrowed small aspects from the later. You can compare and contrast but at the end of the day this game is in a very special Planet on it's own (no pun intended:). The simple fact that this game has the Little Big Planet feel to it makes it a hit in my book and playing it truly feels just as fun if not more fun then Little Big Planet!!
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LittleBigPlanet Karting Trailer
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LBP Karting
I know that some won't like the fact that I am rating this game without extensively playing it. My negative rating is based on my disappointment with the purchase.First, like many others, I am coming from endless family play with the Wii's Mario Kart. (I am with the legions who wish there were a sequel). The big con with LBP Karting compared to Mario is that if you want to use the Move controller in a steering wheel instead of the precision-challenged PS3 controller, you have to buy the expensive PS3 Racing Wheel. You can't buy knockoffs for a few dollars each like you can with the Wii; the PS3 detects whether you have the wheel and won't let you use the Move controller without it. So for four players, that's 4 Move controllers plus 4 Racing Wheels. Too expensive for one game. I wouldn't have bought the game had I known this, and the picture on Amazon of the game box and the description doesn't note it. The actual box I received does state it in small writing on the left side of the box, but not at the top right with the compatibility information.Second, absolutely no instructions come with the game. You only get a picture of the PS3 controller with the buttons labeled. I've never played LittleBigPlanet, so I am not familiar with the interface, Sackboy world, the online options, or customizing. Apparently, some customizing options are won through play, but there is nothing that says that and nothing regarding points earned, items picked up, etc. I've figured some things out, but still don't know how to even change my character name from the default PS3 username. As for the characters, Sackboy does nothing for me no matter how you customize him, and I didn't see a way to customize his face as you can with Mario Kart. And why is there no Sackgirl? I play Mario with my wife and two daughters; at least Mario lets you choose between male and female characters.Regarding actual gameplay, I set the controller as having X as the accelerator, but in play only R2 would do the accelerating. I doublechecked in my settings that X was to be used. The game uses drifting, but I found that holding the drift until the indicated ideal let-off point usually took me off the track.While there are undoubtedly positives to be said regarding gameplay compared to Mario Kart, the dealbreaker for me is not being able to use a wheel with the game.[Update - 1/3/2013] I submitted a product info update request to add "Compatible with PS Move controllers (but only when used with PS Move Racing Wheels)" and received an email from Amazon that my suggestion was accepted and will appear on the product page shortly.
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Cliente de Amazon
Multijugador muy divertido
Reviewed in Mexico on September 11, 2016