Why 2D will never die
Flat gameplay shines on, even on next-gen machines
LocoRoco (PSP)
PSP isn't home to as many 2D masterpieces as Nintendo's DS, possibly because it does a better job of producing 3D graphics and so developers are more likely to go with the most impressive feature of the hardware they're programming for. LocoRoco, however, is a beautiful, colorful, 2D game - and many consider it to be the best game on the system. Ooh, the irony.
The main character's squishy body may be made of warping polygons, but he always rolls left and right as though he were a 2D character. The 3D capabilities of the machine are used to rotate the backgrounds convincingly, but the gameplay does nothing with the third-dimensional capabilities of the objects on the screen. The result is a game where you can forget the tech and just enjoy the crazy, beautiful world.
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Justin was a GamesRadar staffer for 10 years but is now a freelancer, musician and videographer. He's big on retro, Sega and racing games (especially retro Sega racing games) and currently also writes for Play Magazine, Traxion.gg, PC Gamer and TopTenReviews, as well as running his own YouTube channel. Having learned to love all platforms equally after Sega left the hardware industry (sniff), his favourite games include Christmas NiGHTS into Dreams, Zelda BotW, Sea of Thieves, Sega Rally Championship and Treasure Island Dizzy.