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Friday 25 January, 2008
Entry #2--
Gameplay:
I'd like to say that I hate the Cygnus constellation level with a passion. I always have, I always will. Ugh. Stupid ducks and quails and eggs and non-swan things...
Anyway. The game is still fun, yay. It's nice that even though this game is really repetitive in theory, the designers manage to keep it fresh and interesting throughout the game.
Being able to look at the collection of items as you go through the game is a nice touch, too. You get to see what you've gotten so far, and, if you're missing anything, try to go back and find it. It was also really clever to add the Royal Presents into the game, little present boxes you can find in the levels and wear (such as a scarf, headphones, or weird cow udder-thing). This helps to keep the game from becoming stale.
Also... The way the mother in the cut-scenes completely ignores her children is incredibly strange, fitting the game's quirky atmosphere. She brushes off everything they say in a calm, detached manner that is funny in kind of a dark way.
The game is kind of on the short side, which really makes me sad... I'd like to keep on going forever. I mean, technically I could, by replaying them... but... it's just not the same.
Design:
The music for this game is so nice :) It totally fits the weird, happy, Japanese tone of this game. All of the songs are wonderfully chosen and catchy, and have their own merits. (How many other games have any type of jazz song in them... especially one that incorporates jazz flute, something which is highly underrated?!)The best part of the music is how well it suits the mood of the game, though.
There are some design flaws in Katamari, though... such as the camera. You sometimes find yourself stuck in an awkward spot with the camera focusing on a table you're behind or something similar, and you can't see anything, which leads to you wasting precious time and losing stuff off of your katamari. This can be extremely frustrating.
Another thing is the lack of level variety. There are really only three levels in the entire game. This doesn't make the game TOO boring, since in the levels, there are always different places you are put and different objects in different spots, but it still lacks a sense of "going somewhere." You're always going to the same places over and over. The "constellation" levels add some variety to the levels, but I'm not certain if its enough. I still love this game and would beat it many many times (or just continue to go back to the same game and try to beat my scores), but I do recognize that the levels can get slightly tedious if playing for extended periods of time.
I love the inclusion of "Eternal" levels, which you get by making a big enough katamari in three certain levels (one for each the house, town, and world levels), and can mosey about the level without worrying about time, picking up things at your own leisurely pace. This is especially nice for the world level, where you can focus on making the biggest katamari you can, and pick up every last damn cloud in that sky without having to worry about that dreadful siren noise.
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