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If you've ever played the original Sonic the Hedgehog games, you might have a rough idea of what to expect from LocoRoco's level design. It's relatively easy to charge your through each of the 40 main stages - which include idyllic fields, icy tundra and even the insides of giant (but adorable) beasts - but that's not really the point. Each level is a huge, beautiful 2D affair, and most of the challenge comes in finding all the out-of-the-way nooks and hidden items scattered throughout, as well as gathering enough singing LocoRocos to wake up the sleeping inhabitants.
There's no timer, so your exploration is limited only by each stage's layout and your own patience. But naturally, actually getting to the hidden areas is another story. At first, they're easy to access once you know where they are, but later levels will frequently put you through grueling jumps across a series of small, moving objects before it'll let you at the goodies. And the goodies - usually construction pieces for the "Loco House," which can be visited and built up between levels - don't always seem worth it. At least not until you realize you can also use them to create and share your own custom levels later on.
Hidden objects aside, the stages are just fun to explore. Not only are they colorful, but their terrain varies widely, and they're filled with friendly weirdies who'll help you along. Our favorites are the Chuppas, who look like boll weevils and act like LocoRoco-firing cannons, although we're also partial to the staring brown owls that chew you up like gum and spit you out in different shapes.
