We Love Katamari

Early in 2004, quirky was still defined as "peculiar" or "idiosyncratic." Then sometime during the year, the definition changed to "that game where you roll around a ball of junk." It's back, with the same cool gameplay, graphics, and music. Most notably, this sequel adds two-player co-op, which should make this already accessible title even more friendly to the casual crowd.

The two-player control scheme takes a bit of getting used to, but it's exactly what anyone who played through the first Katamari wanted. Expanded two-player battle modes will also be welcome additions--the first game's versus mode was severely limited. "If someone was in first place, it was really tough for the other person to get back into it," says Namco's Glen Cureton. "We've changed that around to give everyone a better chance to compete." The game looks almost identical to the original, which is a good thing, and the more complicated goals--making a snowman or rolling around a hungry sumo wrestler, for example--should extend gameplay beyond the first game's somewhat simplistic structure. The changes may be small, but they should add up to a ball everybody can roll with.