Loco Roco slammed by nine year old
by Kyle Orland 
{ Aug 15th 2006 at 11:55AM }
Tired of all those positive reviews and previews for Loco Roco that say the game is "fresher, funnier and more satisfying than words could ever make it sound." and "guaranteed to keep you smiling too." Well, all you contrarians out there can count on a nine year old girl to tell it like it is.
San Jose Mercury News reporter (and book author) Dean Takahashi let his daughter Tanya try out the demo version of the game and give her honest opinion on the Merc's gaming blog. Tanya is none-too-kind, saying the game is best suited "for younger kids such as five- or six-year-olds," and that the music (which an older reviewer called "joyful, atmospheric [and] poignant") is "annoying with the baby singing." The final verdict? One out of four stars. Ouch!
[Via GameSetWatch]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
thegrey @ Aug 15th 2006 12:00PM
Kids these days
Eric Von Shpeel @ Aug 15th 2006 12:01PM
yeah at 9 years old she is too old for LocoRoco, however she is the perfect age for Halo 2.
OOOOPs @ Aug 15th 2006 12:08PM
Wow .. i thought Joystiq couldnt get anymore pathetic. Way to go guys, you rock.
BREAKING NEWS: Some 12 year kid in some town in the USA thinks that PS3 is gonna bomb. Is this the final nail in the coffin for SONY?
vidGuy @ Aug 15th 2006 12:09PM
Wait, her name is Tanya Takahashi? Or maybe it's Tricia Takanawa? Ancient Chinese secret, I think not.
Gonzo @ Aug 15th 2006 12:14PM
Of course she doesn't like it.
She's too young to get high.
I already have a blunt specially rolled for this release.
Don't do drugs kids.
Matters @ Aug 15th 2006 12:15PM
Eric Von Shpeel you laugh but I've been seeing this for years now.
Kids don't like to think of them selves as kids.
Kids DO play games like Halo. I see it all of the time.
This is why I use to get a kick out kids (including teenagers) saying the GameCube is for kids.
I find it funny that a 14 year old kid playing an M or AO rated game some how things it makes him mature or less of kid.
Paolo @ Aug 15th 2006 12:16PM
It's funny how fanboys get easily offended for such small things.
Stop being stupid. It's just a corporation that doesn't give a rat's behind about out. Go get a life instead of unleashing your teen angst through th4 int3rw3bz.
Yup. I can't spell.
Ryan @ Aug 15th 2006 12:16PM
I love hearing a review from a 9-year-old's point of view. Every review you read online or in a magazine is done by a 20-something or 30-something-year-old person. And seeing as how I have three tween cousins that play video games a lot (one is 8, one is 12, and the other is 13), I'm sure that children should start having their opinions on video games voiced. And with Nintendo's systems drawing the attention of the older audience, perhaps future reviews should be done by three to four different age demographics -- one child, one teen, one young adult (twenty-something), and an adult or senior (30 and up).
I'm not saying ONLY reviews by kids lol. I'm just saying it would be nice to get a fresh point of view from other types of people that play video games. I know my cousins at least would love to share their point of view. I was the one responsible for getting them their first video game system, the Sega Genesis, then the N64 after that. Now they have a Gamecube, and they want to get a Wii.
Some might think "Why the heck should I take this little kid's opinion seriously?" or "This game is too mature for any little kid to understand." But like I said earlier, it would mean for a fresh point of view, especially since the guys that review games online and in magazines play games for a living, so I am sure that their opinions would tend to be a little obstructed or jaded in a way. Look at all the bad reviews for overlooked great games like Killer 7.
That's my opinion.
Paolo @ Aug 15th 2006 12:17PM
*About -you-. Time-limited comment editing ftw!
watchnj @ Aug 15th 2006 12:18PM
I played the Europe release, I'm 26 and love this game.
I dont know if there are singing in another lanquage or they just supposed to mubble stuff. Its a really nice game. Its very fun , I havent played a game like this in awhil and I hated the cheesey roll up things game. I throw away the first 20 minutes.
.ed @ Aug 15th 2006 12:21PM
@ OOOOPs
you and all of the other "SONY RULEZ EVRRRYTHINGZ DELUXE! JOYSTIQ IS TEH NINTENDOZZZ BABY MOMMY!!" should just give it a rest.
Go to ANY other impartial blog and you'll see everyone else reporting the same news. There is just piles and piles of bad press for sony lately, just live with it. Nintendo fans deal with it all the time. Always being called the kiddy system, etc.. just stop caring so hard about your brand loyalty and understand that joystiq does not make up news.
This is Dean Takahashi's daugher.
DEAN TAKAHASHI.
if you knew anything about the industry, you'd know this definately counts as newsworthy/blogworthy... Dean thought so, too.
Will it have any impact on sales? probably not, because we all know sony fans can't read anyway.
Go play madden.
Agent MOO @ Aug 15th 2006 12:22PM
And out come the sony fanboys!
logikil @ Aug 15th 2006 12:24PM
I thought loco roco was a blast personally. The music is almost gratingly happy which i think gives it something special. And its a perfect potable type game. Frankly, I'm not surprised that a kid wouldnt like this. As mentioned above, kids want to aim for way to high on the maturity mark rather than just having fun...and this game is just pure fun.
Paul @ Aug 15th 2006 12:32PM
In other news:
My cat's breath smells like cat food.
Shad Genki @ Aug 15th 2006 12:41PM
It makes perfect sense. I base every purchase I ever made on the opinions of other people's children.
supadude5000 @ Aug 15th 2006 12:43PM
Hm, somebody doesn't like this game...so? I'm sure not everyone willlove it, but it will get a following, just like Katamari did. Thething I don't like about this is that it assumes that allnine-year-olds have the same tastes. This is generalization in itsworst form. It's as if a bunch of people are going to read this nowand think "Hmmm...a nine-year-old doesn't even like this game, Iguess it must be for really little kids." My nephew (10) plays SanAndreas, but he can turn around and play Wind Waker or Pikmin 2 without even batting an eye or thinking "This is for kids!" Doesthat mean all ten-year-olds are like that? Heck no.
With mostcurrent reviewers, one can read a reviewer's past reviews and get afeel for what he islike and whether or not the reader agrees with thereviewer's tastes, thus entering into how the reader should view thescore and review as a whole.
Oh, and .ed, why does it matter that it's his kid? If it was HIM it would have some weight, but it's his kid...what has she done? I'm sure he put it up just for the sake of abnormality or comedic irony.
Tomas @ Aug 15th 2006 12:45PM
This is the same Dean Takahashi who loves X-Box and Microsoft with all his face enough to write two books on Microsoft consoles and is always ruling for them on his blog. What do you expect? His daughter is a Sony hater!
.ed @ Aug 15th 2006 12:51PM
supadude5000,
because earlier comments made it seem like it was some random kid, when it is the daughter of one of the most outspoken people in the industry (sure, that's still random). and i'm not saying that gives her credibility, but it gives the story a strong tie in to industry players.
i just get sick of the pro-sony-anti-joystiq/Wii/360 comments whenever there is the slightest bit of bad news for sony.
Niel @ Aug 15th 2006 12:54PM
I believe people are attacking this little girl because of her opinion. Sad day for Sony fanboys.
dvddesign @ Aug 15th 2006 12:55PM
@ Ryan.
You have a good idea, but it's not practical. Kids opinions of things, patience of things are not the same as someone who's going to take the time to fully review the game.
Kids also tend not to be as descriptive in their efforts. I mean, I'm sure all kids would love to only have to give a "This game is awesome/stupid" review, but for someone spending that $50, we generally want a better explanation of why we should spend that $50.
Also take into account the tastes of kids. Games like katamari damacy, rez, DDR wouldn't stand a chance in a review because it's "not cool" or "looked gay".
Madden and GTA would rule the land outright and every gangbang thug game would be "f***ing awesome" in their eyes. I need someone who's going to take a practical approach, and potentially ABOVE the browbeating approach teenage marketing takes on kids today.
Games can suck, and if a teen likes it because it's overly violent or features an all new soundtrack by OutKast, or whatever, we get to guarantee ourselves even more inescapable crappy games. It's bad enough to endure the crap that's out there now, but at least honest reviewers will warn us about it.
But, then again, maybe you've already got what you want... Gamefaqs is out there and gladly accepts user reviews.
Brian @ Aug 15th 2006 12:58PM
Do you blame the Sony fanboys for attacking the girl, or the Anti-sony fanboys for hiding behind her?
dvddesign @ Aug 15th 2006 1:03PM
@ Ryan (con't)...
Further proof that your concept is good, but execution is awkward to say the least... Compare the people who scored it low, and their strikes against it. Then look at the people who blindly decreed it the best game ever, and their reasons for doing so.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/review/926686.html
Niel @ Aug 15th 2006 1:06PM
I don't mind standing in front of her and saying Sony is shit to your face.
Jay @ Aug 15th 2006 1:07PM
This game would have been excellent on a DS with a gyro sensor, or the Wii. On the PSP its just 'too much missed potential'. though certainly one of the PSP's better games.
OOOOPs @ Aug 15th 2006 1:15PM
Im attacking Joystiq, not that girl as you morons seems to think.
Back on topic. Now, what is the purpose of this blog entry? Are you guys (you Joystiq) so desparate for web hits that you keep posting crap like this? And, its not just he content, its the cocky-ass fanboyism that comes out with each of these posts. Its done in this fashion to increase traffic .. thus scoring more hits for your advertisers. Either that, or your guys are morons.
benjamin @ Aug 15th 2006 1:18PM
I think the Beetles' 'White Album' is pretentious and I strongly dislike Indian food.
Pal @ Aug 15th 2006 1:19PM
This 21 year old did not like this game that much.
The first two or so levels were fresh and interesting, but it got really repetetive by the time I got to the fourth world or so. The music matches the atmosphere and all, but I didn't find it memorable enough to listen to the game's soundtrack at a later time.
Maybe I was expecting more from all the hype. This is at most a rental; the game in my eyes does not merit a full purchase. Two out of four stars.
JD @ Aug 15th 2006 1:27PM
My 10 year old loves the game. He's always asking to play it on my PSP. He loves Halo2 as well. I think some people are just more open to having a wider range of experiences in their games. Others just want to have the same kind of experience in different ways..
shivr @ Aug 15th 2006 1:28PM
interesting... that games like this might not actually appeal to -children-, but rather appeal to the "inner child" of adults. No need to get all huffy about her opinions, but the concept this story presents is interesting, and that's probably why d. takahashi posted it in the first place.
I agree a wider range of reviewers for games would be more interesting and more helpful in actual purchasing, not just from different age groups but from different genders, races... different levels of game nerd-izm perhaps :p If I bought games based of hardcore's reviews only, half my collection would likely bore me to tears :)
As for kids not being able to write coherent reviews, yah, they would likely need an editor and the review conducted interview-style, but you could still probably get a full review/opinion out of them.
ct @ Aug 15th 2006 1:29PM
can you all just leave sony alone? its getting obnoxious. the game is fun.
[-Z-] @ Aug 15th 2006 1:36PM
I was stunned by this blog. What is the purpose of this blog. Why are we reporting this. You know everybody has a different taste. I can ask a person that don't like platform game to review NSMB and we know what the result is. I think this is completely pointless. I believe most people that comment here love to pull fanboy card as a closing statement and I truly believe those who pull the card are fanboys themself but on the other side.
page @ Aug 15th 2006 1:37PM
"This game would have been excellent on a DS"
Funny thing is, the DS doesn't have the processing power to render it.
blahman @ Aug 15th 2006 1:40PM
"you and all of the other "SONY RULEZ EVRRRYTHINGZ DELUXE! JOYSTIQ IS TEH NINTENDOZZZ BABY MOMMY!!" should just give it a rest."
"And out come the sony fanboys!"
"i just get sick of the pro-sony-anti-joystiq/Wii/360 comments whenever there is the slightest bit of bad news for sony."
"I believe people are attacking this little girl because of her opinion. Sad day for Sony fanboys."
Yeah so everyone gets pissed when the Sony fanboy's come out in force on Joystiq. Sure guys. There seems to be more comments acknowledging the existence of Sony fanboys here on the comment board than actual Sony fanboys. The only blatant Sony fanboy comment I have seen so far is by OOOOps. That's one guy.
Bub @ Aug 15th 2006 1:44PM
What #3 said. Joystiq is pathetic. I guess getting paid by Microsoft is going to have some influence...
deathneo @ Aug 15th 2006 1:53PM
The game is way overhyped. The game is boring!!! It sucks as a platforming game because of the awkward controls. Something so easy in other platforming games this game makes it harder because of the awkward controls. Like jumping on top of flowers thats spaced apart, which causes a lot of frustration when you fall off, and it takes forever to roll back to start over. I don't see how people can enjoy this game because it gets so repetitive after the first world. It looks nice, sounds nice, but in the end it plays like crap. It would have been better if the PSP has motion sensing so tilting the PSP around would be a lot more fun.
Intangible 360 @ Aug 15th 2006 1:55PM
These comments should keep me entertained for the rest of the day. Seriously folks you're getting worked up over a child's review of a game. Children are rarely honest when put in a public setting; they say what they think people want to hear and as someone said will often pretend to not like games to appear more mature.
Hart704 @ Aug 15th 2006 2:00PM
A nine year old doesn't know what a good game is. I'm not going to take notes from her.
Christian @ Aug 15th 2006 2:02PM
In germany, Loco Roco was the commercial that "presented" "The L Word", so I think it is best suited for older gamers.
Loque @ Aug 15th 2006 2:11PM
You know why it was blogged?
Because that review was funny-as-hell.
If it was ANY OTHER GAME SHE RATED, I'm sure Joystiq would have blogged it as well.
...Expecially if it was funny.
....Which it was effing MEANT TO BE.
Goddamn sony fanboys, lighten up. The 9 year old isn't going to ruin your console of choice, Sony is.
gman @ Aug 15th 2006 2:13PM
I think it's HILLARIOUS that arguably the best game on the "ultra mature" psp is a "kiddy" game. If this came out on the DS the Sony Legions would be all over it, saying "this game is shit, it's for babies! what's wrong with you people" (can anyone say Animal Crossing?) So look people, even on the psp, you are allowed to play non-mature-death-blood-kill games...and...wait for it....THEY CAN STILL BE FUN!! wow..I never saw that coming at all! So the next time you fankids go out to bash nintendo and their line of fun(albeit "childish" in nature) games, think of Loco Rocco and remember; games can be fun withouth tearing someone's throat out (though, that can be fun too)
tack @ Aug 15th 2006 2:22PM
First world, cute and amusing.
Worlds 2-5 cute and amusing have worn off, replaced with boring and repetitive.
Over hyped and I fell for it. Seriously, it's labor.
page @ Aug 15th 2006 2:27PM
"If this came out on the DS"
Again, the DS doesn't have the processing power to render it.
bm @ Aug 15th 2006 2:28PM
"This game is for younger kids such as five- or six-year-olds. Older kids might not like it. The music is for two- or three-year-olds. It gets annoying with the baby singing."
HAH! This is very amusing. Now those so called big boys who go to an internet forum to complain about how something is "kiddy" know what they sound like.
PiratePete @ Aug 15th 2006 2:30PM
My kids, (9 and 4) love it.
WizarDru @ Aug 15th 2006 2:32PM
dvddesign said: "Also take into account the tastes of kids. Games like katamari damacy, rez, DDR wouldn't stand a chance in a review because it's "not cool" or "looked gay"."
You seem to think that all kids under the age of 18 are 15 year-old immature teenage boys with the attention span of a gnat. One of the biggest fallacies you're putting forth, unintentionally, is that all games have a solid entertainment baseline for every member of the audience, which is demonstrably wrong.
You don't think kids like Katarmai Damacy because "it looks gay?" Watching my 6 year-old and 9 year-old argue over the controller to play it makes me doubt your assessment. Some games CAN cross age divisions...but different audiences want different things out of some games. A good game for kids does not necessarily provide the same things that a 23 year-old wants. One of Takahashi's points is that Locoroco has been looked at as a 'kiddie game' from some sectors...and he's pointing out that his kid didn't like it.
As for patience and attention spans, that's all relative, too. A game that engages a player will hold them entirely all the way through. My son had to have his Lego Star Wars time rationed, and he wanted to unlock every item and every character and would love to replay different levels. If given a chance, he'd play the Megaman compilations over and over, while my older daughter hasn't the slightest bit of interest.
"Further proof that your concept is good, but execution is awkward to say the least..."
I'm not sure what showing disparate reviews of Bulletproof has to do with anything. I didn't see any age listings of the reviewers there, and that wouldn't say much if it did.
Ultimately, one of the problems of the industry right now is that mainstream games have become marginalized for one primary audience, just like comic books. And right now, only Nintendo seems interested in branching out in that fashion. I think it's pretty telling that the most compelling piece of software on the 360 is Xbox-Live Arcade.
Ryan's point was that right now, reviews are performed by a tight demographic that closely resembles the majority audience...and that sometimes that gives flawed answers. A review Cabela's Big Game Hunter or Disney's Extreme Skate Adventure is most likely going to get poor marks for playing to its intended audience, of which the reviewer may or may not be a member. Sites like gamefam and gamerdad review games with an eye towards what works for a young audience, for example, and usually incorporates their opinions. Just because a 6 year-old can't articulate his thoughts in writing doesn't mean that an adult can't help coax that information out of him or observe his play-style and reactions to see how they enjoy the game.
I don't think we need reviews from every quarter in that fashion, but it would be nice to see it from somewhere, at least once in a while, for a fresh perspective. Most gamers I know started gaming from a very young age...why shouldn't their opinions be occasionally heard?
WizarDru @ Aug 15th 2006 2:36PM
page: "Again, the DS doesn't have the processing power to render it."
And today's winner of the 'missed it by THAT much' award goes to page. The point's over there to the center...you're pulling a little to the side.
tactics @ Aug 15th 2006 2:43PM
really bad game.
-"superfan" tactics.
Jim @ Aug 15th 2006 3:01PM
It's her opinion and Takahashi is a respectable journalist so he won't put anything fishy on his weblog.
It's an opinion and that's it.
Netcruzer @ Aug 15th 2006 3:24PM
I will ususally give up on beating a game if I'm stuck on a certain level or section. I perticularly HATE it when a game throws in a stealth mission that I just totally suck at. I'm thinking of you 007 Everything or Nothing!. I'm also not a 100% collect everything or do every side mission person. I was really into playing Oblivion on my 360, but once I closed the Great Gate and the main story ended I've lost interest in doing the rest of the quests.
abbas @ Aug 15th 2006 3:36PM
#5 Exactly what I was thinking