I won't chime in with my opinion on the matter because: 1) as I've said a million times before, I don't know a lick of Japanese, and 2) I don't much care what this game is called as long as I can play it. Which, of course, I can now that I own a copy of it.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdQ5Rqua1liDdqjV5yM2QQ2zRkQ1-6nPEHGOcVKzKilHnpULLwbJa2uo5_rgVAy94vLGvXy3qW3l2cbh_D5K6SyWJZJo3EaEDPk9BC35xrhVmZ3rW8UFsN_r_D5nJVV8kctvZaPw/s400/LupSalad_PlayStation_009b.jpg)
Why am I so hot to trot to play Loopop Cube: Lup ★ Salad? For starters, it's an adorable puzzler with a unique gameplay twist. The titular Salad is tasked with clearing each single-screen stage of its brightly colored blocks. To do so, she (with the assistance of the player, naturally) pushes them around until she can match three or more of the same color.
As a result, I guess you could call it a platformer-puzzler hybrid, although it doesn't feel like any other such game I've ever played.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmgs502ifAYNxtFASmnpsCKcbBbf-ueYnGdyCn3thn5ALc-7l4oRN_BDjjvHxRXDW5jX8vhdPmtye9Kou5pOu2aIHqEGikG3stXThtCml45gUZUCE0HxbqdRQD2rRD4SGyw65Yg/s400/LupSalad_PlayStation_back_016a.jpg)
I should note, by the way, that I was completely ignorant of Loopop Cube: Lup ★ Salad (or whatever you choose to call it) until I came across this now-defunct NeoGAF thread. I also should note that the game was ported to the DS in 2008 and the PSP in 2010.
Both versions feature modes that aren't found in the PlayStation original and also seem to be more widely available than the first release.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdjNDED0Z1v_llHPGXnhcptT7vqzY2TMYXfb0zAtWujDh5HKHXvcPeunzgnEWYy72Dk-ioEvJ7b-I7OliQMmQM8QhbdFks51yXvFpUSEpfwU_bU7f__Uzd7OnmSFUh3qkdPkeJ0A/s400/LupSalad_disc_PlayStation_015a.jpg)
Since so little information is available on line about this precious puzzler, I'll do my best to get a review of it published soon. In the meantime, check out some of the links I included in the text above and enjoy the photos I've shared, too.
See also: Previous '12 import games I bought in 2012 but didn't tell you about until now' posts