Katamari Damacy

The Japanese are crazy. Want proof? Just get your hands on some Japanese game imports and check it out yourself. They have things nobody would think of on their best acid trip; interactive gaming porn, surgery games, giant ball rolling simulators. Actually, the giant ball rolling simulation that I'm thinking of is the subject of this review. A little budget game from our far east friends made a big impression in the states last year so I thought I should bring you up to speed on it.

The name of the game is Katamari Damacy. Your guess on the exact pronounciation is as good as mine, but I did hear that translated it means "awesome soundtrack," or something. We'll come to that - anyways, the game is $20 new and only available for the PS2. The game was developed and published by Namco and was released here in September 2004.

Before I get to the gameplay I should give you a rundown of the unquestionably bizaare and unique story. You are the Prince of the Cosmos and you're about 1 cm tall. Your father, the King of the Cosmos, got hammered one night (no, I'm not kidding) and destroyed all the stars in the sky. You, as his son, have been commissioned to replace all the stars by creating them on earth. How do you create them? This is when the ball rolling begins.

You'll start each level with a katamari, which is essentially a ball you roll around and things stick to. You'll start small, rolling around tables and floors, picking up paper clips and staples and such. As more objects stick your katamari it'll get bigger. Soon you'll be picking up birds, chairs, people, cars, trees, buildings, etc. Each level has a goal for size or an objective to complete.

It sounds simple and dumb, I know, but so does creating rows out of falling blocks. You use both analog sticks to manuveur your every growing ball of stuff like it were a tank. Push forward on both to move forward and in opposite directions to turn, for example.

The cutscenes are outrageously absurd. As such you'll want to complete each level to see them. You'll also want to play each level to hear (and this is the best part of the game) the different music. The soundtrack is probably one of the best and most original assemblige of songs in any video game, period. Songs range from Sinatra-like crooning to up-tempo techno rhythms, and each are sublime.

This game is short, simple, addictive, and, most importantly, fun. What have you got to lose? Twently bucks gets you a pass to check out one of last year's best games.