Where do all our dreams go? Straight to a place called Little Big Planet?

The traditional platformer goes simple on the Playstation 3 Computer Entertainment System. At first glance, this really cute and basic game created from the minds of Media Molecule looks like many others in the platform genre before it’s time. Little Big Planet changes that entirely when you are introduced to the ever-loveable hero, Sack Boy.

In Little Big Planet, the player runs, jumps, swings and even skateboards through highly innovative and imaginative levels. Perils do lurk about and you and your Sack Boy are always a skip away from the dreaded “Game Over”. Spanning eight stages which are made up of 4-5 levels, our little Sack Boy is set to go on one big adventure. Media Molecule delivers a fantastic game with well thought out stages that are beautifully artistic and fun on the eyes as well as an uplifting soundtrack that plugs you into the game. Staying true to tradition with recent platforming games, up to 4 players can join in on the action allowing for truly fun gaming. Besides being cute and bouncy, mischief is in high spirits as Sack Boy catches rides on flying birds, uses giraffes like elevators, braves stampedes of buffalo for new accessories, and even swings from the tails of monkeys to reach his goals. The gameplay is clever and really amusing with stories uniquely disguised throughout the levels.

Adding to the cuteness factor, players are able to dress up and fully customize their Sack Boy with really awesome items and clothing. You can customize everything, from his hair, to his eyes and mouth and even his expressions. This is done through use of an in-game tool called the Pop-It. The Pop-It doesn’t just allow you to make fashion choices for Sack Boy, it’s also your main interface to the game and the community of Little Big Planet.

Utilizing the PlayStation Network, Little Big Planet puts players in touch with their very own planet through multiplayer gaming. You can challenge players from all over through levels and even compete for ranking in the game’s stages via the leaderboards. As an added bonus, PS3 owners that have a PlayStation Eye camera can take pictures of themselves and plug the photos into the game as well.

If you’ve never heard anything about this game, Little Big Planet really makes its mark on the gaming community by giving the player the power to design their own stages. After you’ve learned the ropes of how to play the game, head over to the MyMoon area, and get started creating. It is here where your imagination takes over. By selecting various templates or simply starting from scratch with a completely blank level, off you go on your own platforming journey. Preset limits govern how big your created stage can be and the game itself does a noteworthy job of keeping areas from becoming overcrowded with obstacles. For those who are extremely obsessive-compulsive, this game provides the challenge of making stages that are both well-balanced and fun. Whether you’re a casual gamer who wants to dabble a little bit or a hardcore gamer with the heart of a modder, who wants to spend 40 hours on a level, the choice is yours. Once finished, your created stages can be plugged onto the PlayStation Network and shared with everyone.

With all this gaming goodness, Little Big Planet has a few hindrances. The physics of the game can be slippery at times and jumping around can lead to more trouble than it’s worth in some cases. Also, pesky camera issues tend to foul up multiplayer games which can result in unanticipated deaths of teammates. Overall, the level design of the original game content that ships with the game makes for a really fun time and the replay value of the game will lead to hours of gameplay with our little hero Sack Boy. Play, create and share is the motto for the game, and it’s one the Little Big Planet does a fantastic job of for everyone from the hardcore to the uber-casual.

SCEA is taking action to rectify the situation and will be shipping the game to retail the week of October 27th rather than next week’s release. The interesting thing about the whole situation though? Retail stores have a Little Big Stash of the game on hand already.

We’ll have more as well as our Little Big Planet review on PopCultureShock shortly.