God bless creativity. It's the thing that keeps some of us coming back for more in this industry, instead of dealing with the majority of sequels on the market that really don't offer anything relatively new. Before the Xbox 360 arrived, we had only faintly heard of the Geometry Wars franchise, and now it's the next big thing. Now, Yoot Saito, who heads up the quirky development team at Vivarium, has a new project up his sleeve that's even more whacked out than shooting weird shapes in a virtual grid, and, for that, he should be commended. Odama is unlike any other game out there.

If Saito and Vivarium sound familiar, it's because they also brought us the ridiculously strange pet simulator for the Dreamcast, Seaman. Like that game, Odama pushes out a path all its own, putting you in the shoes of a young general who's out to challenge an older general who betrayed his father so long ago. The young general has a couple of weapons in his arsenal to help him out, along with his vast army. The first is a huge, rotund ball called the Odama, which basically works as a large pinball. The second is the Ninten Bell, a huge bell that sits on the playfield in a different spot and, once struck by the Odama, does some major damage. And you guessed it- instead of rolling around the Odama itself, you're launching it into play via flippers on the bottom of each playfield. So there you have it- a strategic pinball game. Someone over at Stern is probably cursing themselves for not coming up with the concept first.

The game is more than just pinball action, however. Odama also comes packed in with a microphone and a snap-on tool that allows you to attach it directly to the controller you're using, and you're forced to shout out a number of commands to your army to keep things at bay on screen while controlling the actions of the Odama. As I discussed in my previous preview for the game, this adds a great uniqueness to the product and really involves the gamer at hand more than a typical pinball game would.

But perhaps it's pushed players a bit too far. The problem with Odama is it's built on a progressive scale. You REALLY need to know what you're doing in order to see the light of day on the twelve levels offered within the game. You've not only got to maintain enough of an army to stay alive and keep the Odama in play (and avoid hitting snags that would kick it down a level), but you also have to contend with a timer that counts down just a bit too quickly for its own good. This pushes you a bit for accuracy, but that leads to another problem with the game- precision.

Handling the physics on this pinball sim takes a lot of work and concentration as it is, but I felt the controls were a wee bit sluggish in terms of reaction. It does take a little getting used to and can be mastered, but some people may lose their patience rather quickly. Furthermore, your army's AI isn't as sharp as it could be, as you constantly have to shout out commands in order to get them to really do anything. It gets a little tiring, and plus it looks a bit strange when your roommate sees you going hoarse over something like a strategic pinball game. I can understand screaming during a session of Dead Or Alive 4 when you're getting your ass handed to you, but this is a bit ridiculous.

The game does have some smarts going for it, though, and if you have the patience to put up with the imperfect controls, you'll have a ball. The battlefield isn't just scattered with the armies of soldiers, but also special items taht help boost the gameplay a little bit. I don't remember the last time I had to launch giant rice balls into play of a game, but I like it, and it helps keep your army balanced. And the strategy of the Ninten Bell is perfect, as you'll want to use it at just the right moment to turn over the tide of battle in the game.

If only the presentation was a bit more nailed down, though...gah! The visuals are decent in terms of little details here and there, but, for the GameCube's standards, you would've expected something a little sharper with maybe a few more things here and there. The sound is just fine, with terrific atmosphere-laden music and a bunch of authentic Japanese voices shouting out, instead of being translated to ear-hurting English. Got no problems there.

So, to sum it up, I love the concept, but the execution needed a bit more work. But, hey, Odama took its sweet time getting here, and its arrival signifies that Nintendo isn't afraid to try anything new. It's the ideal rental for the curious and maybe even a purchase for those who don't mind pushing themselves just a slight bit beyond their means. But, really, screaming at a Vivarium project isn't all it's cracked up to be. I've been yelling at Seaman for years and he's still giving me crap.