Rollin', Rollin', Rollin'

Like many things (cell phones, microwaves, Coldplay), I came to Katamari Damacy late. Although it's been a cult hit for a year or two, and certainly been popular with co-workers, I never picked up Katamari Damacy (henceforth referred to as "KD) until last weekend. It just seemed kind of... simple. I tend to be wary of things that seem to be wildly popular for unclear reasons, and thus steered clear of it. However, I was just at Game Stop with $20 burning a hole in my pocket. Besides, I thought Susie might like it.

The appeal is undeniable. Although the mechanics are quite simple, the game design is ingenious. You basically just roll around the environment, picking up stuff and adding it to your katamari (which is apparently a sticky ball-thing). Your katamari grows as you pick up stuff, enabling you to pick up larger objects. As you grow, your perspective changes. Much of the satisfaction of the game derives from this progression. One minute, you're picking up pencils, then cats, then people, then cars, then houses, then clouds, oil tankers and entire islands. At first you might be picking up tacks and dodging dogs. The next minute you might burst out of the house and tumble down the street picking up shopping carts and small children.

Throw in some trippy cinematics and truly bizarre music, and you've got yourself a fun party game.

Gameplay: 10 (of 11)
Graphics: 8 -- oddly stylized, but satisfying
Sound: 9 -- really weird, no, really, but it works
Price: 11 -- At $20, how can you say no?
Overall: 9