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The upcoming LocoRoco Midnight Carnival features a competitive score-based multiplayer mode. While this sounds like a good idea, this new video from the PlayStation.blog reveals that it's not very competitive. When connected with a friend over wi-fi, you'll be able to see their position on the map, and you'll see who's in the lead. However, you won't be able to interact with them in any way -- at least, not according to this footage.

Midnight Carnival doesn't appear to be a significant departure from the previous LocoRoco games. This video does emphasize the importance of the "Boing" mechanic, which requires players to perform consecutive jumps without taking a break. Midnight Carnival will be available as a PSN download later this week.

LocoRoco Midnight Carnival is rolling onto the PlayStation Network on October 29 -- that's two weeks from now -- for $15. According to the PlayStation.Blog, that means you'll be able to get "16 brand new stages, full competitive and co-op modes, two minigames, and three additional bonus stages" for the price of three foot-longs at Subway.

While Midnight Carnival has very simple controls (only the shoulder buttons are used), we're a bit surprised that the game includes a "Demo Play"-esque feature for the kids. If a particular area is giving you a hard time, go online and connect with a friend that has the "savior mask" on. You'll be able to hold on to that friend and bypass the entire level. We at Joystiq will probably avoid that feature -- y'know, 'cuz we like playing games.

Sony is set to unleash a new Home space to coincide with the release of LocoRoco Midnight Carnival in Japan this November, andriasang reports. The new destination -- which features an island theme and many of the LocoRoco franchise's signature characters -- will sport "gimmicks" that make it feel more unique than any of the other Home spaces available, Sony says. Sounds fine to us, though we think it's going to be tough granted how high the bar has been set by the Ratchet & Clank space.

A recent PlayStation.Blog post confirmed a few suspicions we had after viewing the debut trailer for LocoRoco: Midnight Carnival. Primarily, the post addresses the game's new arcadey feel -- a side-effect from the implementation of "Boinging," the hyperactive bouncing that was prevalent in the aforementioned trailer. You can string your Boings together, boosting your score multiplier in a Stuntman: Ignition-esque fashion. Man, those are two games we never thought we'd be comparing.

No release date or pricing details are mentioned in the post, but considering the game only contains 16 stages, two mini-games and three bonus stages, we're hoping it ends up being easy on the ol' pocketbook.

Only hours after announcing it for Japanese release, Sony has revealed LocoRoco Midnight Carnival for European (and presumably American) release. As Justin correctly predicted, there isn't much to localize when it comes to LocoRoco. Unlike previous LocoRoco releases for PSP, this one will release exclusively through the PlayStation Network. From what we can tell from the trailer, this is a far more arcadey game than the originals, with a stronger emphasis on combos, times and scores. Anyone else reminded of Donkey Kong Jungle Beat?

While Midnight Carnival was originally announced as a "PSP Go game," don't forget that all PSP models, from Phat to 3000 can play all PSN downloadables.

"Midnight Carnival" is more than just the name of our favorite Rock/Metal/Glam band from Sugarland, Texas. It's also, according to Famitsu by way of IGN, the subtitle of a new LocoRoco game available for download only on the PSP this November in Japan (the same day the PSP Go arrives there). Details are scarce, but you can expect a new "Boing" move and more difficult stages with an action focus.

Though LocoRoco Midnight Carnival hasn't yet been announced in North America, we have to imagine it's a safe bet. It's not as if there's a whole lot of localization to be done for singing balls of goo, right?

Anyone who's ever played LocoRoco has been guilty of it. You just can't help but tip your PSP to the left or right, trying for that extra smidgen of incline to get your gelatinous balls of goo rolling, even though you know it has no real effect. But in ngmoco's Rolando, the controls are all about the angle of your system, and it makes for some of the most fun you can have on your iPhone.

After such a tiring localization process (from English to ... er, English), LocoRoco 2 will be available in the US this February. The blubbery fellows are finally coming back to the PSP with tons of enhancements over the original title. Watch for it on UMD on February 10th, 2009.

[Thanks, Alex L.!]

Don't expect to find anything too startling about these LocoRoco 2 videos. We're totally enamored by the upcoming PSP sequel, but the core gameplay experience has remained largely the same. Check out the megaton of videos released on IGN to find out for yourself. One video is embedded, after the break.

Expect more LittleBigPlanet DLC to come in every week. Some of it is free, and some of it is not. This week's free LittleBigPlanet DLC is a costume designed by fan "nebu1ou5" for the "LittleBigChallenge 003- Official in-game SackBoy Costume Contest" held on the official LBP website. It's a Sackboy with a very outdated television set over his head and a remote in his hand. See that after the break.

As for the content which you'll have to shell out some dough for, there are some weird looking LocoRoco costumes to grab. You can see all five LocoRoco-themed costumes posted above. All five come bundled together for $2.99. For us, these costumes are slightly disappointing seeing as there's only a mild resemblance to the lovable LocoRoco blobs, but we suppose those hand accessories (or LocoRoco bracelets?) make up for it.

Strangely, only one thing we reported on at Tokyo Game Show this year was under embargo. And that was this LocoRoco 2 trailer. Why? We don't know. If you read our hands-on impressions, you'll know that we're absolutely in love with this rather substantial sequel. Take a watch and see if you can find all the new gameplay features and enemies.

Strangely, only one thing we reported on at Tokyo Game Show this year was under embargo. And that was this LocoRoco 2 trailer. Why? We don't know. If you read our hands-on impressions, you'll know that we're absolutely in love with this rather substantial sequel. Take a watch and see if you can find all the new gameplay features and enemies.

"Sorry it took so long," LocoRoco designer Tsutomu Kouno told me. In spite of the original's high-profile and well-received launch on the PSP, it's been over two years since we saw these lovable blubbers hit Sony's handheld. The silence around the long-rumored sequel is a bit baffling, as getting our hands on with the upcoming PSP title revealed a disarming amount of new content for the sequel.

It's undeniable that the original LocoRoco charmed hardcore gamers, thanks to its lovable style and rather unique design. However, it couldn't keep the attention of these gamers, as it was perhaps a bit too simplistic. While children and casual gamers were enchanted, hardcore gamers needed substance beyond tilting left and right.

So perhaps LocoRoco 2 is Kouno's attempt at bridging the gap between hardcore and casual audiences. The upcoming PSP-exclusive sequel maintains all the saccachrin sweetness of the original, but adds new gameplay features that add a tremendous amount of depth to the experience. The sheer amount of content found in this UMD/downloadable game is staggering.