Little Big Planet Karting lets kids create their own race tracks!

I received a review copy of this videogame

Like many boys their age, 3Po and Jammy love racing Hotwheels cars.  They love building things with LEGO or K'nex.  And they looooove videogames.  And thanks to the Little Big Planet Karting game for the PS3, they get to combing all three passions.

On the surface, Little Big Planet Karting might seem like any other racing videogame.  Players are put behind the wheel of a go-kart, they race each other on a track, and the one to cross the finish line first wins.  Along the way they can "pop" bubbles that appear on the track in order to pick up weapons or gadgets than can help them finish first:  grapplers, grenades, etc...

As with many racing games, players can customize their racing cart, choosing from a variety of frames, wheels, paint and stickers.  They can also customize Sack Boy (the main character that players race as) by giving him different kinds of hats and accessories.  The more you play and the higher levels you reach, the more customization options you can unlock!

But here's where Little Big Planet Karting differs from the rest:  you can actually build and customize your own race tracks!  Just like with Little Big Planet and Little Big Planet 2, building your own world is half the fun.  My boys spent almost 2 weeks just building race tracks before they even tried a single race!  Players can lay out pieces of track in a variety of materials (i.e. brick, road, etc...), they can make the track go straight or curve it around a bend or go 360.  They can add obstacles like walls or (Jammy's favorite) sheets of lava.  They can drop weapons and gadgets throughout the course, so racers can pick them up to help them go faster, or to slow down a rival racer.  It really appeals to kids' creative side, and being able to actually race on the track they created is icing on the cake.

Little Big Planet Karting has a few other cool features that we have yet to try:

* Once you create a race track or game, you can share it online through the PlayStation Network with other players in the LBP community.

* Up to four players can race against each other locally, and up to eight players can race against each other via the PlayStation Network.

* The game is compatible with the PlayStation Move controllers when used with a PS Move Racing Wheel. (If you have the PlayStation Move system but don't have a PS Move Racing Wheel, don't forget to disconnect your PlayStation Eye Camera off and turn off all your PS Move controllers, or the videogame will forever be looking for them!)

The bottom line?  I love the way Little Big Planet Karting lets kids get creative, develop their "spacial senses" and exercise their "building" urges  in the virtual world  It has given my kids many hours of fun and I expect it will give them many more to come.


Disclosure: As a PlayStation Family member, I received a review copy of Little Big Planet Karting.  I have not been paid to review the product or give my opinions. The views and opinions expressed here are my own.
Tweet this!