You’ve got to love the PS3. I got Little Big Planet as an early Christmas present and rushed home giddy with excitement. I tidied up the bedroom, made dinner, did the washing up and then was ready to play the game. I believe I even clapped my hands in childish glee as the PS3 sucked in the disc.

And then there was a required update to the game, which took twenty minutes to download and install. And then, before I could get online, I had to update the PS3 system software, which took a further fifteen minutes.

That can’t be right, can it? We’re not really going to put up with this crap, are we?

Yes. We are. We’ll put up with it because, well, we don’t have much choice.

And also because, when you get something like Little Big Planet, it’s worth it.

If you boil Little Big Planet down to core gameplay it’s a 2D platformer. Physics-based, like a lot of stuff is these days. But it’s the most charming, lovely, happy game I’ve played in ages. The Sackboys are wonderful creations, full of personality. Stephen Fry’s voiceover is a like a warm, fuzzy hug. The music is happy, jolly loveliness. The world looks almost photorealistic (if you had a rubbish camera) yet unreal and videogamey to the max. Just jumping around randomly is a joy. It’s full of secrets and stickers to find away from the main paths through the levels. It’s one of those games that makes you smile and laugh in delight. It’s one of those games that has your wife begging to play. It’s one of those games.

And it’s true to its roots, being very frustrating at times. Some jumps are very difficult. It’s possible to mess around enough to break puzzles and have to leave the level and come back. And stuff my wife collected with me in co-op disappeared from her collection. But, hey, it’s a game. Maybe one day I shall be back expressing a hate and loathing for the game as I fail to complete a late level for the fiftieth time. But I don’t think I’ll fall out of love for long.

And if the pre-made levels get frustrating, there a million others out there. I tried out a level called Castling made by someone on the rllmuk forum and it was wonderful. I was in awe of the fact that somebody had made it at home. It was tricky and I failed to finish it before bed time, but I’ve hearted it and will play it again later.

And, by the way, my Sackboy is currently and Elizabethan astronaut.