The game mechanics are the same as in the past, but LocoRocos can now learn additional actions by visiting a new character, the MuiMui King. This little creature, that looks like a chubbier MuiMui in striped boxers, can help LocoRocos to master different techniques, such as swimming underwater or biting different items on-screen. This will be extremely useful in several situations: LocoRocos can move from one vine to another by biting them, or they can bite dandelion particles to fly high in a stage. These are just a couple of examples, but there's more to be done, such as biting hidden enemies to pull them out of their safe lairs. The 25 stages included abound with mechanical elements, plants and colorful details, and there are even underwater sections that add a different twist to the gameplay.
Kouno and his team did an excellent job at adding new characters to those previously seen. Along with the classic LocoRocos, there will be a new purple one that looks like a punk-girl version of the original pink one. Mojas are back, along with a transformed version of them, Bunyos, that look like black clouds. The little blue MuiMuis will still play an important role in rewarding players with different items and pieces of furniture when found in hidden places in each stage. This time, however, they have to watch their backs, because the new Omoja bosses can turn them into BuiBui, red and evil versions of the MuiMui we know. All these new characters sound interesting, but their role in the game is still not very clear and it is questionable whether they will all meld together in a way that feels natural for the series.
What LocoRoco 2 does well is delivering a beautiful soundtrack, with both new tracks and re-orchestrated versions of the existing ones. The rearrangement has been done to allow for one of the new features in the game: the more LocoRocos a player collects, the louder the music becomes. It's a nice addition that shows the love Kouno has for memorable tunes that embed themselves in your head. The LocoRoco singing to awaken different creatures, a game element that previously only involved players in a passive way, has now became an interactive rhythm mini-game that requires hitting displayed notes at the right time.
LocoRoco 2 will feature twice the mini-games included in the original installment, ranging from a sort of whack-a-mole with Nyokkis (the worm-like creatures that open up new paths) to a shooting game where the targets are the not-so-friendly BuiBuis. The most interesting side activity, however, is expanding the Mui Mui House, an underground tunnel that starts with just one room and soon becomes a giant hive full of cute furniture and leisure activities. MuiMuis wander through the rooms, occasionally playing one of the several music instruments or using one of the furniture pieces. There is even a movie theater where the blue creatures -- and the player -- can watch one of the 45 short movies included in the game. LocoRoco 2 promises just enough to make this new version seem worth a try, but we'll have to play the game for an extended period of time to decide whether it lives up to the expectations fans have for it.
