LittleBigPlanet 2 Starting Up Guide

New to lbp2? Check out this guide before playing!

Item Bubbles
Item Bubbles are what everybody's looking for in LittleBigPlanet 2. On the map screen, each level with Item Bubbles has a percentage by it -- to get a 100% rating you'll not only have to find all the hidden Item Bubbles, but also Ace the level (beat it without dying once).

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Item Bubbles contain stickers, materials and objects you can use to create your own levels. The bigger your collection of Item Bubbles, the more tools you'll have at your disposal.

While each level has a different number of Item Bubbles to be found by exploring the actual level, you can also win 3 Item Bubbles just for completing the level, 3 more for Acing it and 3 for collecting all of the Item Bubbles in the level. We list the locations of all the tricky Item Bubbles in our Walkthrough section.

Once you collect all 100% of the level-based Item Bubbles you will hear a screaming sound effect. To make collecting Item Bubbles easy you may hop into a level, grab an Item Bubble and exit -- the Item Bubbles will save in your inventory. However, you can only unlock the special bonus 3 Item Bubble by beating a level after collecting all the Item Bubbles in it.

Bonus levels also have Item Bubbles, and upping your score in Score Challenge levels can result in better Bubble rewards.

Keys
In most levels you can find a single Key which unlocks an adjacent bonus level on the map screen. These bonus levels may be multiplayer Vs. Challenges (which you'll need co-op players to have any fun with) or just minigames called Score Challenges. We list the locations of all Keys in the Walkthrough section of the Guide.

Switch Triggers
In some levels you will come across a blank piece of cardboard fashioned into a shape with a peculiar eye-shaped mark on it. This is a Switch Trigger, and only one specific sticker can be used to activate it. You can find Switch Trigger Stickers in Item Bubbles -- sometimes the Sticker is in a different level than the Switch Trigger, so you'll have to backtrack to activate the Trigger. We give the locations of the Switch Triggers (almost always a the very beginning of a level) and the Stickers you need to activate them in the Walkthrough.

Switch Triggers have various effects, and many transform entire levels, allowing you to bypass tricky areas for Item Bubbles and an easier chance to Ace a level.

Life
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When you die in LittleBigPlanet 2, you will appear again at the last respawn doorway you passed. These white-ringed, circular doors will also show how many lives you have left to expend. The inner ring will reduce slightly with each death, and when it's gone you will be forced to start a level again.

x2, x3 and x4 Areas
If you see a sign indicating an x2, x3 and x4 area, you will need additional players (on or offline) in order to gather the Item Bubbles in that area. This means you won't be able to get 100% completion on many levels if you don't have access to the PlayStation Network or a friend with a second controller! For x3 and x4 areas you'll need even more companions. We'll help you and your friends can solve all of the multiplayer puzzles in our Walkthrough.

Grappling Hook
Practice your Grappling Hook skills on the sponge hanging above this area. Fire it at a grab-able surface and it will latch on as long as you hold the R1 button. It's of utmost importance that you learn how to swing properly while hanging from the Hook: While pressing RIGHT and LEFT will cause you to swing back and forth, pressing UP and DOWN will let you take in or release slack. This means that you can let the line out and swing back and forth to reach high-up Item Bubbles.

Your momentum will also carry Sackboy for a bit when you let go, so use this to get a bit more distance in your swing. Occasionally you just need to get a better angle on your swinging. To do this, release the Grappling hook mid-air and fire it again. This can also give you some additional swinging momentum.

Grabbinators
The Grabbinators can be used to pick up certain objects. As long as you HOLD R1 you'll grip the object. Hold LEFT or RIGHT and release R1 to toss the object, or just face a direction and let go to drop it. Use your new toy to move the first block out of the way. Gather the 5 Item Bubbles and move to the third car.

Helmets
The cupcake-firing Sniper Trifle provides a single, sticky projectile which can be used to shoot enemies, create a platform on dangerous material, create a step to a higher area or add weight to topple an object. Using the latter method, shoot the Sniper Trifle near the top of the walls you encounter to topple them and create a path. You can move the turret on your head by pressing the RIGHT ANALOG STICK in a direction -- use this for precision cake shots!

Bombs
You'll be introduced to bombs in this level. Step on the button and hold R1 to catch a bomb as it falls. The round bombs are extremely dangerous -- a nearby explosion will mean an untimely end to Sackboy. Using your Grabbinators you can hold R1 to carry a round bomb for as long as you'd like. Hold the direction you want to throw it on the LEFT ANALOG STICK before letting go and you can toss this bomb at destructible material to clear it. Destructible material is usually marked -- in this area it looks like tan or brown blocks.

Time bombs are square and blink red -- indicating their immanent destruction. Be careful to toss these far away before they go off in your hands.