LOCOROCO SCEA, PSP, $39.99

You have to love the Japanese. While American game designers act like graduates of military academies–obsessed with blowing shit up–many of our Asian counterparts never left the coloring book behind. Or perhaps they simply enjoy the effects of mind-bending narcotics more than we do. Case in point: LocoRoco, Sony’s new puzzle platformer for the PSP. Players assume the role of the LocoRoco, a yellow glob with an unnaturally pleasant smile that rolls and jumps through vibrant, PeeWee’s Playhouse-esque environments. Your goal? To absorb other LocoRoco from plant pods you encounter along the way, thereby fighting off the Moja, an alien race that took over the world while your blob was napping (eh, it happens…). The easy-to-remember-and-execute controls will satisfy both kids and those intimate with the finer strains of Buddha. The R and L triggers tilt the screen so your globule can flow in the direction you want it to go, and pressing them together helps your LocoRoco bound merrily around the screen. When the space gets tight, you may need to break apart your LocoRoco into smaller globs to squeeze through the cracks, only to reunite your blubbery team on the other side. After 40 fairly short levels of trippy visuals and catchy Japanese-schoolgirl sing-alongs, you may not even need that last hit to keep your high going. Consider this a strong contender for stoner game of the year. Matt Bertz

www.us.playstation.com

Love: Colorful, psychedelic worlds, ease of play

Hate: The game’s brevity

Final Word: A smiley stoner platformer done right!