LocoRoco

LocoRoco is a 2006 platform video game developed and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable. The game was conceived by Tsutomu Kouno, who strived to create a game that was different from other titles being released for the PSP at the time. After demonstrating a prototype of the core gameplay to his management, Kouno was able to complete development over the course of a year and a half. In LocoRoco, the player must tilt the environment by using the shoulder buttons on the PSP in order to maneuver the LocoRoco, multi-colored jelly-like characters, through each level, being aided by other odd residents while avoiding hazards and the deadly Moja Troop, to reach an end goal. Along the way, the LocoRoco can grow in size by eating special berries, and then can be split and rejoined to pass the LocoRoco through narrow spaces. The game's bright and colorful visuals and dynamic music soundtrack were hallmarks of the game, earning it several awards from the gaming press in 2006. While the game did not sell high volumes, its success led to the development of three other LocoRoco titles – two sequels for the PlayStation Portable: LocoRoco 2 and LocoRoco Midnight Carnival, and a spin-off for the PlayStation 3 titled LocoRoco Cocoreccho! A remastered version of the game was released in 2017 for the PlayStation 4.