Most of the time, when you see a platforming game in release, you see a lone warrior going at it, occasionally calling on a friend to help take out the garbage. However, in that very rare example of brilliance, you'll see a gaggle of characters take part in the journey, and rely on each other to move ahead in a level. This was certainly the case with Shigeru Miyamoto's Pikmin games for the GameCube, which relied on a cute little astronaut calling upon strange multi-colored alien beings to do his bidding and help him get ahead on missions. Now we see a game with a familiar tone, but a completely different storyline, with Tokobot, Tecmo's first offering for the PSP. And, man, is it fun.

Basically, the game puts you in the shoes of a hero who is put in charge to discover details about a long-lost civilization in the world of Moritari. This world was once founded upon by a group that knew their way around technology, and the latest society to inhabit the planet thinks there might be some use out of this. So they dispatch a lone hero to set out upon his discovery, and as he progresses, he makes a discovery of little robots that aid him in his quest by putting themselves together in three different formations, each of which serve a purpose.

Now, I've gone over the formations in the past with previews and such, but I'll touch up upon them real quickly. You have the straight line formation, which allows the hero to form ladders to higher surfaces and perform hammer attacks; a straight-line formation, which allows the hero to spin the Tokobots like a propeller for airborne jumps and sweeping attacks; and a circle formation, which serves as both a defensive maneuver and adding weight to hitting switches on the floor. All three of these formations will find constant use, so learn them quickly.

The Tokobots also have the ability of powering up to enormous status, which comes in rather handy for boss battles. This comes at the cost of precious material that you collect, so you'll want to use this technique rather wisely. But it's good to see the Tokobots getting some power all their own and exhibiting it only in a real time of need. And it has the old Voltron kind of feel to it, you know? "And I'll form the head!"