Dear Mom,

Well, here it is, day 4 in my current stay at happy land, also known as the mental institution. I have to apologize for ahead of time for losing my mind and the dinner table and trying to roll the taco pizza into a ball and then chasing after the cat with it, insisting he would make a bigger star. The intern let me out of my straitjacket long enough so I could write you this letter and tell you I'm fine, especially now that I've been blessed by the King of All Cosmos again.

Who's the King of All Cosmos, you ask? Why, he's the ruler of the land, and he's put quite a mission in my hands, mother. In the original Katamari Damacy, which was released last year for the PS2 with a great deal of success, he commanded me to reform the universe and put stars back in the sky. How did I do this, you ask? Simple, by doing what I tried to do at dinner the other day- rolling up balls using objects scattered throughout a world and letting it get to a large enough mass that it could reform part of the universe. There's a reason for my madness, you know.

So the original Damacy was already heavily on my mind when We Love Katamari entered my life, like a ballerina dancer gracefully taking the stage and then farting mid-dance number. Yeah, that was unexpected, wasn't it? But that's Katamari for you, hitting you upside the head with a logic you can't understand but still want to embrace like the day you held me when I was born. And then put me down and reached for the whiskey bottle.

Let me tell you about this game, mother. In this game, you once again take control of a hapless little square-headed hero who must please his father, the King of All Cosmos, once more. It seems the universe is in need of more moons, and this is explained in the King's life story, unfolded through a series of bizarre sequences that even explains how he got together with the Queen. So then he slaps me down into this world where strange human beings with a limited vocabulary and yet a witty charm ask for my help in building katamaris. And who am I to say no, mother?

What makes Katamari shine once again is Namco's refusal to let things go mundane. They once again pack this universe with all-new levels to roll stuff around in, ranging from bedrooms to a snowy oasis to a city brimming with life, just waiting to get rolled up. The graphics move along just as well as last time, although very little has changed in the formula. No matter. Namco's also added a few things to bump up the challenge within the game, such as time limits, a certain mass that must be reached within that time frame, and other little oddities. One level even asks you to keep a fire burning on your katamari by running over fuel and other flammable items. There's even a racing level, mother, that reminded me of the classic Ridge Racer. You remember that game, don't you, mom? I skipped two college meetings about ten years ago trying to unlock all the mirror tracks. Boy, that Harvard guy didn't really get it, did he?

Another level of weirdness that's within this game is the music. Like last time, the soundtrack is downright bizarre and quirky, loaded with everything from a strange voiceover captured via synthesizer to a rock band that sounds like they're using farm animals for instruments. It's still a wonderful soundtrack, and makes me want to dance around. Well, OK, not completely dance around. Last time I tried to do the moonwalk I bumped into a janitor and our apartment complex lost power for three days. Damn cheap wiring. The sound effects are minor but have their moments of hilarity, especially the kids who you must help out. As I stated, they seem to have a limited vocabulary and won't shut up until you help them.

Then you get to the gameplay itself, and it mostly remains unchanged. That means, like the first, you simply roll the balls around with very little new added, aside from the stuff I mentioned above. That's alright, because creativity is the key here, and it still remains. This game is still a lot of fun, and the levels get progressively harder as you move along, as do the locales. It's not often you get to roll a katamari underwater. The way that the dual analog sticks come into play is still refreshingly cool.

And yet, not everything really works to make this an instant classic, mom. The game does include a new co-op multiplayer mode, but it's really just an afterthought, as it's difficult to work alongside another player to get things done. I suppose it's good for some laughs, like that time you tried to take up the flaming baton throwing. By the way, have those neighbors rebuild their house yet?

The expanded battle mode tries to make amends, but, let's face it, Katamari's main draw is its single player mode. And it is wonderful, even though a. it's mostly unchanged from the first title, and b. it's just too damn weird for some people. Even Uncle Leo and his four combovers on the top of his head, combined with that spray paint. He'd look at this and probably scoff, and then go back to his "power knitting" classes.

I still love We Love Katamari, for its inventiveness and its refusal to really bend to any kind of corporate demands. It remains a gee-whiz affair of glowing visuals, ridiculously cool music, and fun-as-hell gameplay, and at $30, it's a bit of a bargain. So be sure to take care of my katamari while I'm away, mother.

Uh-oh. The intern saw me rolling a ball on his desk with his mousepad and his keys. Guess it's time for me to go back in the jacket. Oh, well, that means more mac and cheese for me. Yay! I'll be sure to write you later and update you on the progress of my katamari.

Love,
Your Son,
Robert

P.S. I hope the cat is okay. Taco sauce is hard to get out of fur, I hear.