There are some games that just cry out to be played. Although grand titles such as GTA and Ridge Racer are instantly recognisable and fly off the shelves, titles such as Tokobot get picked up for a different reason – cuteness.

It’s fairly difficult to walk by the Tokobot package, as it has an adorable little robot emblazoned across the front of it and you are immediately made aware that you will get to control these little lumps of loveliness.

Well, in a way at least. You’re actually put in control of a young archaeologist who, in turn, commands the Tokobots and can use them to swing over chasms and order them to link up, turning them into more impressive structures such as samurai warriors and eventually – once you’ve gained enough of the little critters – tanks.

Games don’t come any more pleasant. Working your way through not-really-thatdiffi cult-puzzle-filled-dungeon after not-reallythat- difficult-puzzle-filled-dungeon, finding new abilities and making use of little metallic minions is really as non-offensive as you can get, and the simplicity of it all means that to play you essentially need only thumbs and at least one eye – great.

However, this simplicity forms the ‘shitty end’ of the Tokobot stick. Even for a platform title – a genre that tends to hold your hand pretty tightly as a rule – this seems extremely linear, and it stands out because you immediately realise that it needn’t be the case. The range of abilities available and the way in which the stages are set up actually lend themself to something far greater; some level of free-roaming should really have been attempted. Unlocking new moves will, more often than not, see you being led right to the spot where they are to be used and anything that you may have previously noted as being the access point to a possible secret area will suddenly become a hindrance, as you are told of its location and sent back to deal with it as part of the main story. Don’t get us wrong, following breadcrumbs is necessary in some cases, and these times are present in Tokobot, but is it necessary from start to finish? There could have been a little bit more involvement on our part.

This is still a great little platformer and, as there are very few decent offerings in this genre on the PSP at the present, it’s certainly worth a look if you want to get your cutesy platformer fix – otherwise, you may want to think twice.

Rick Porter