LittleBigPlanet / LittleBigPlanet 2 Recap

I was pretty upset when I heard that MediaMolecule was building a LittleBigPlanet 2. The whole premise of LittleBigPlanet is that it can be anything that you want it to be. The idea was that new features and building configurations would be added to the game as patches, never needing to buy another $60 boxed release again. Unlimited levels from the community, plus great support from the developers. The developers kind of fumbled this one, the updates that were available were not many. They added paintballs in the Metal Gear Solid pack, they added Water in the Pirates of the Caribbean pack, but really nothing that revolutionary, just things that were really missing. Also, each pack was about $6. All of this being said, I still bought LittleBigPlanet 2. I had countless hours of fun with the original and it was so inventive that I thought they deserved the pre-order. I honestly did not expect much from it. LittleBigPlanet 2 is amazing. The modifications to the game mechanics add some really interesting ways of interacting with the game. I honestly cant think of a way they could have done these changes to the core with a patch. I mean, I guess they could have made a 10GB patch and released that. It is nothing like the money-grab that Capcom did with Super Street Fighter 4. These are serious changes, plus the levels from the original still work with the second one. Its really win/win. The story felt very short however. I remember telling my girlfriend to give me a minute while I beat a boss which I was sure would be a story twist, only to find out it was the end. I appreciate the lack of wheel-o-death like on the first game but this was just pretty silly. I feel like there were no "worlds" that were as inventive and detailed as Frida's Wedding on LBP, there were no real challenges like Boom Town, and the little add-ons like the hamster, bee and rabbit are overpowered. Thats it for my complaints. The sharing aspect of the game is highly improved. Finding levels is way easier now. They have a site that you can go to (littlebigplanet.com) and queue the next levels you want to play. Building levels seemed easier, although I have not published one yet. They have included new portals that transport you to a different level, which they use a -lot- during the storyline, and it allows you to build a world as big as you want and if you run out of space, spill into another. Would I have liked it to be a DLC update for $30? Yes. But I also want world peace and free sushi sundays.