Who can frown at these round, bouncy, smiley, critters? Apparently, some people can. Crispy Gamer puts LocoRoco game designer Tsutomu Kouno in the spotlight and got some info about his cute creations, and critics that call them racist, even going as far as claiming they look like penises.

So what exactly are they? Called a "yellow garbage bag" by a Crispy Gamer interviewer in jest, Kouno clarifies that his funny creation isn't a waste receptacle. "No. He's not a garbage bag. He's nothing," he says, adding that it's alright if LocoRoco is seen that way.

Apparently, a yellow garbage bag is not the only thing that these guys look like. Critics have gone as far as claiming that the innocent little blobs are "racist" and they look like penises. "Honestly? I haven't thought about that at all. In fact, the characters that some people have said are racist are among my favorites," he said. "If the characters make people uncomfortable, I feel sorry for them. Me, I just think they're really cool."

As far as the market goes, Kouno doesn't mind that Sony's LocoRoco has cute competition out there, saying, "I think that there should be more simple games like this out there. We should have a lot more of them." It's also possible that LocoRoco can come to the PS3, but that hasn't been decided yet.

Inspiration-wise, Kouno recalls that there was really no basis from his life experiences that led to the creation of LocoRoco. When asked if there was anything at all that might've contributed, this was his reply:

You know, honestly, I don't think so. I've just loved games since I was very small. I started writing little programs when I was very young. I think maybe the only constant outside influence for me has been music. And my love of music came from my mother, so maybe that would qualify. Ever since I was a child, I've loved to create things. So every time I create a game, I get that same sense of satisfaction. My two goals are to feel that sense of satisfaction, and to surprise people. Whenever I make something, my goal is always to surprise people with something new.

There you have it - LocoRoco is a fun game born out of fun, and a gamers love for video games. To me, they look like blobby smileys with ears. As far as penis-resemblances go, well, don't blame the game if your member is yellow and swollen.

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• Video: LocoRoco 2 Japanese Spills trailer
• LocoRoco 2 squeezes into Europe today, four new gameplay vids to roll into