Among other things, I got the Katamari Damacy sequel for Christmas. This has prompted me to go back and actually play the original more than the little I did when I got it. It's such a charming, well done little game. Rolling up stuff is almost hypnotic, and there are so many weird objects and everything is so bizarrely stylized...so much fun. The thing that impresses me most about it, though, is the virtually seamless shifts in scale as your katamari grows in size. Things that were once mammoth and menacing become tiny and cute and roll right up into your katamari.
I was also pleased to note that there is, actually, some variety to the missions. It's a very simple game mechanic, so it could have been a fairly short-lived joy without it. But there they are.
On a different note: I really hate the way game sales are handled. Certain hit titles remain high priced and prominently placed for years on end, while "niche" titles appear briefly, if at all, and then vanish to be sold for outrageous prices on eBay or never to be seen again at all. Consider the Shin Megami Tensei games: with their mature themes and unusual premises, they get automatically slated for small sales by being promoted not at all and ordered in tiny amounts, then knocked off shelves soon afterwards. yet with their rich gameplay and their very originality, they *should* have a huge market among real RPG enthusiasts. The prices they go for on eBay would seem to bear this out, as would their #3 position among RPGs sold in Japan, behind only the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy series.
I was also pleased to note that there is, actually, some variety to the missions. It's a very simple game mechanic, so it could have been a fairly short-lived joy without it. But there they are.
On a different note: I really hate the way game sales are handled. Certain hit titles remain high priced and prominently placed for years on end, while "niche" titles appear briefly, if at all, and then vanish to be sold for outrageous prices on eBay or never to be seen again at all. Consider the Shin Megami Tensei games: with their mature themes and unusual premises, they get automatically slated for small sales by being promoted not at all and ordered in tiny amounts, then knocked off shelves soon afterwards. yet with their rich gameplay and their very originality, they *should* have a huge market among real RPG enthusiasts. The prices they go for on eBay would seem to bear this out, as would their #3 position among RPGs sold in Japan, behind only the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy series.