Mega Man Universe Announced

The Blue Bomber returns, confuses millions

What the hell is Mega Man Universe? Just about any theory based on the mystifying teaser trailer is plausible, from a Mega Man-centric Capcom nostalgia-fest to a LittleBigPlanet DIY version of the standard Blue Bomber experience.

Given that it is being developed for download on PS3/360 but NOT for Wii, could it (whisper it) be an Invisimals-style affair for Xbox Kinect and Playstation Eye, using the gamer's lounge as a playing environment, or using real world objects for Mega Man's weapon upgrades? With everything from claymation to cardboard cutouts gracing the trailer, and the tagline 'Your world. Megafied', it's as good a theory as any. Hell, MMU could be a mash-up of every rumour going. Mega Man may not have the status to spark a thousands rumours from one game title alone, but an equally mystifying interview certainly seems to have done it.

Mega Man Universe is due for release on 360/PS3, with a date yet to be nailed down. Expect a preview later in the year.

Preview: LittleBigPlanet 2

It does credit to the community surrounding LittleBigPlanet that, having so thoroughly exhausted the vast resources available to them, a sequel is warranted just two years later. A constant stream of DLC has swelled the enormous arsenal of textures, stickers and other creative pieces that have contributed to almost three million user-created levels, spawning at a rate of almost four thousand per day; LBP must surely rank with Second Life and Garry's Mod for sheer unbridled passion from its fanbase, to the point that a game that didn't seem to warrant a sequel this generation is in sudden need of one.

While LittleBigPlanet aimed to let players create stand-alone platform levels, enthusiasts soon started exploring far beyond these bounds, with working calculators, side-scrolling shooters, musical renditions and a complete recreation of Contra emerging from what is essentially a digital mash-up of Lego and Mechano. With that in mind, Media Molecule have begun removing the limiters from their saccharine marvel; a flexible camera allows for top-down gaming and fully directable cutscenes, logic-based AI makes the fiddly task of programming complex enemies a much simpler task, and new options allow for entire games to be created, not just individual levels.

The core of the game remains unchanged, but as with the original, a myriad of features both great and small are likely to be explored in amazingly creative ways by a community that is hungry for more. The visuals have been given a subtle overhaul as well, with the engine from God of War 3 giving a much smoother and softer edge to the atmosphere, and hopefully eliminating the occasional slowdown issues that an overly-ambitious level could generate. Even in pre-release shots, the game is noticeably prettier.

LittleBigPlanet 2 is set for release in November, and if the last two years have taught us anything, PS3 owners are about to be surprised in ways they never thought they would be, all over again.