Friday, September 24, 2004

Katamari Damacy

Unlike Nick, I did not require a break from this amazing game. In fact, I played the game straight through, from beginning to end, in one sitting. And, I would have kept playing, long after winning the game for the very first time, if I did not have an early class in the morning. As good as this generation of gaming has been, Katamari Damacy is the first game I played straight through to the end. Coincidentally, it is also the game that most closely represents old school gameplay on a next generation system.

This game is on the PS2 and not the SNES or Intellivision only because the developers didn't think of the idea until now. This game could be on any system, even the Virtual Boy, and still be every bit as good as this offering. The game is so simplistic it's shocking that someone did not come up with this idea before hand. You roll a ball around collecting various objects. The bigger you are, the bigger the objects you can pick up are. This creates the perfect reward system for progress in the game, always making you keep playing.

For instance, in the first level you see mice running around. Now, at only 1 CM high, there is no way you will be able to catch these mice. After walking around for a minute, grabbing small objects like dice and buttons, you can grow large enough to catch those mice. Granted, navigating game worlds in this way has existed for years and years. Think about the Zelda series. You can see that ledge up there, but only later, when you get the hookshot, can you get up there.

But the immediate reward of Katamari Damacy, knowing with just a minute more of playing you can get that object you want, makes the game so addicting it's almost impossible to put down.

I have been hyped for this game for months now. But, I never actually expected it to be this good. I was just hoping for an off beat Japanese title that I could laugh at and have some fun. What Katamari does with it's simple gameplay is the very reason I got into gaming in first place. The game doesn't rely on fancy graphics or a silly gimmick to make the game fun. It just has simple, structured gameplay that urges players to keep playing through the levels because it is just so much fun.

The sense of accomplishment is ridiculous. Now I know how professional opera singers feel. In one level, I grew from 50CM big to over 700 Meters across. In the span of only 25 minutes, I went from not being able to pick up small beach balls to grabbing storm clouds right out of the sky. The growth is incredibly fun. From trying desperately to get big enough to pick up people, to shouting with glee when you can finally pick up cars, to sitting their, slack jawed, as you pluck an entire football stadium from the ground, the game is just incredibly fun.

When I go home today, I'm probably going to start the game up again and play through the entire adventure one more time. The game does a great job of giving you different tasks as well. Half of the game just has the goal of growing to a certain size within the time limit. The other half has you building constelations from scratch, with the goal of catching only certain objects. So, when you build Cancer you are put in a world populated by hundreds of crabs and need to collect as many as you can.

My favorite of these was Virgo. Yes, Virgo the Virgin. A mode where you have to pick up young girls. Hilarious. Crashing a girlie wrestling match and snatching up all the female spectators and participants, or dropping in on a class room, rolling up the young girls and saving the older teacher for last. This game offers hilarity while you are having fun with the awesome gameplay. A rare combination.

Katamari Damacy just has an amazing sense of humor. When you fail a mission (which will happen often, this game isn't easy) your father looks down at you, rain pouring on your failure head, and dishes out some of the harshest critisism ever. It's along the lines of "I'm not mad, I'm disappointed" except he is bloody furious at you, and wishes he had a better son. So cruel that, after recieving the treatment one time, you will feel compelled to skip it the next time for fear of breaking out in tears in real life.

I could probably talk about this game for a lot longer but I know if I keep thinking about this game I will race home to play it now, skipping my next class and failing the test.

Thursday, September 23, 2004

Raise up off my balls

Man. Katamari Damacy is just ridiculous fun. It's probably the most hyped game right now amongst hardcore gamers, and it doesn't disappoint. Ever since I booted it up to watch the laugh out-loud hilarious intro, things have been golden. It's just dripping with Japanese insanity - you would, after all, have to be insane to make this game. Not only does every last thing you roll up (and there are hundreds, maybe thousands, of things to collect) have a name and model which you can view later, but a funny description as well. Playing the game is just one of the most entertaining, simplistic, copacetic things you will ever take part in. It's hard to talk about, really, you should just go and drop the $20 and get yourself a copy right now. Or the $170 if you need a PS2 to play it on as well. It's that much fun. As many have said, it's a very calming experience to play, partially because of the simplicity. On the other hand, being in these ludicrous stages can be so overwhelming you'll need a break (like I'm taking now). But man, what a great game. I can't even imagine how much fun 2-player is, I don't know if I can handle that many endorphins. I've, just.....gotta play more. Now.

Update: After a couple hours more, I've got a bit more to say. Not that there's much to compare it to, but the sense of scale in this game is stunning. Going from rolling up buttons all the way up to trucks seamlessly in the same level is awesome. I understand that the object around you aren't the most graphically complex, but there is so much happening and so many places to go that you can't help but be impressed. The game can be a challenge once in a while, and I'm really happy about that. Rolling everywhere like a madman is certainly good fun, but having to follow a path (i.e., have a plan of sorts) to get your Katamari big enough in time is even more rewarding once it happens (especially cause you'll still go nuts and wing it near the end). One more thing that must be mentioned is the music - for the most part, it's the best I've ever heard in a videogame. Every genre is dabbled in, wonderfully, and it somehow, SOMEHOW, goes with the game. Awesomeness.

Tuesday, September 21, 2004

Announcements

I wouldn't be a very good videogame writermajigger if I wasn't up at five in the morning bringing you the hottest news from our neighbors to the north, Japan.

So, here's the deal: First, a date, price, and some news on the DS. November 21st, $149.99, and it will include PictoChat, a neat lil' piece of software that lets you send pics and text that you create in it to anyone nearby. Also, the system will wake out of sleep mode if it senses another DS in the area, for assumed pic sending and chatting galore (and, y'know, playing games). The system will be backwards compatible with the GBA, but no dice on system-link multiplayer (the DS doesn't have the appropriate link cable port). So, I'm glad it's nice and cheap, and hasn't been delayed (unlike a certain PSP - first quarter 2005 my ass!); now I just want to see some actual games.

Second item of the night: The much rumored PS2 revamp (and smallening, similar to what the PS1 did after being out for several years), the PSTwo, was unveiled. And dare I say, it's smaller than I would have ever imagined (and half the weight, with a built-in network adapter). I mean, I could fit at least three of these puppies in-between the layers of my ice cream sandwich. And of course I desire one right away, even if it doesn't affect the way I play my games whatsoever. HOWEVER, there are two small problems, and one massive issue with this thing. As far as the small stuff, it's top-loading now, which seems counterintuitive to the size change, and it doesn't support the old multitap (it's just too damned petite) so anyone who wants to game with more than two people has to cough up another $20 or whatever again to do so. The BIG issue is that it doesn't support the hard drive. Now, I wasn't exactly planning to buy one, and I assume neither were the vast majority of PS2 owners, but really, is there any more of a direct way of shitting down the throat of Square-Enix? "Please, abandon our system, for we've just done about everything in our power to stop people from playing Final Fantasy XI in the future". What the FUCK is Sony thinking? I know the HDDs weren't exactly flying off the shelves, but I'd rather they spend their time and money making that happen than tantalizing me with a videogame system that fits snugly in my ear canal. Oh, and it comes out November 1st for $149.99. It will be interesting to see how it competes with the DS, seeing as they've turned into nemesis' for the holiday season. Anyhow, enjoy some sexy shots straight from the catwalk:


Sunday, September 19, 2004

OPM Demo Disc Review Issue 85

This month had some pretty huge stuff on it, the quality of which ranged from pretty disappointing to shockingly entertaining. It also took me a hell of a long time to get to writing this, what with my gaming time being chock full of flaming wreckage and goody two-shoes behavior. In fact, several of the demos on here come out this Tuesday in completed game form. Oh well, let's hear it for consistency.

Demos:

Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War - Look, Ace Combat is the best flight combat series out there (that I've played). The problem is, it's been that way since the second game in the series, and hasn't changed much since then. There just isn't much competition. So by now, although still fun, and still "gee whiz those planes look purty", I'd rather be doing something else. It's just not that compelling nowadays, and if I do want to do some flying for the sake of flying, I'll pop in Crimson Skies. The whole new wingman mechanic is pretty cool, and the story bits are decent, but I was really expecting something new from the gameplay. I just feel like there's no way I'd play this unless I was forced to for review purposes.

Asterix & Obelix: Kick Buttix - I'm fairly sure I'm the only one who will ever read this site who has heard of (and used to be a big fan of) Asterix & Obelix, the best thing to come out of France since baguettes. These two Gauls spend their time boozing, eating wild boar after wild boar, and smacking around Romans. The comics are great, and have been translated admirably into this game. The sense of humor is there, the moves are there, and the charming story and characters are there. If you've never heard of the series (and you haven't), you'll probably find it to be a decent platforming collect-a-thon with some fun combat, and if you're me (and have heard of it) you'll probably pick it up one day for $5.

Def Jam Fight For NY - I was fairly weary of the license when the first game in this series came out, but it turned out to be a decent wrestling game with a goofy hip-hop sheen. DJ:FFNY, on the other hand, has turned out to be a fantastic fighting game with a goofy hip-hop sheen. The combat is gorgeous, smooth, and visceral, and the cast has plenty of colorful characters even if you're not a big rap fan. The background interaction kicks ass too, with crowds pushing you back into the action if you get too close and brooms and bottles to be picked up and used. Another title I'll be picking up when it's nice and cheap.

Forgotten Realms: Demon Stone - This plays pretty much exactly how you'd expect it to, based on what it is - an action game using the Lord of the Rings engine with a lesser-known license and three characters you can switch between at any time. The enemy designs are cool and the combat is fun enough, but unless you're a fan of R.A. Salvatore's work I doubt it's worth picking up.

Second Sight - Alright, here comes the disappointment. After one brief playthrough (well, not even through, as we didn't even finish the demo) with Tom, he declared it a crappy game. I told him we needed to give it more time, and more time for oursleves to learn the controls. Well, after playing it again, I'm inclined to agree with Tom. Well, it's not so much a crappy game as it is an average game (though they are fairly interchangeable), and not at all of the quality I've come to expect from Free Radical. It's true that they've never made anything besides an FPS, but based on those I would have figured they could handle any genre. Second Sight, based on what little I played, just feels sloppy. The Psi powers aren't intuitive to use, and the level in the demo doesn't really encourage their use at all. So unless the final game is drastically more tightened than this demo, I'd say this has slipped to the very bottom of my 'must-play' list for the next sixth months, which probably means I'll never get to it. A shame, really.

Spy Fiction - It is indeed the most derivative Metal Gear clone I've ever played, but at least the basic game mechanics are solid because of that. I really just didn't want to play this one, but I was surprised at the quality of the presentation. Really, there's no reason to ever buy or play this game, but know that if it accidentally finds it's way into your collection, you won't be entirely let down.

Star Wars Battlefront - So, I suppose that I can't vouch for the online play (though most reviewers so far have have loved it), but this multiplayer demo rocks. It's a very good-looking game, especially on the PS2, and no matter what side or character class you pick, it's lots of fun. It plays similarly to Socom, with the emphasis on run-and-gun gameplay over any sort of stealth. The vehicles are awesome too, and more importantly, well-balanced. I know that any Star Wars fan would micturate themselves over this game, but anyone would enjoy the hell out of it even if they haven't seen the movies. It's just lots of chaotic fun, and who doesn't like that? The only slight complaint I have is with the somewhat slow default walking speed, but I get the feeling that won't matter as much online. Pandemic is now 2-for-2, let's see what else they can do.

Everything else:

Meh. Monthly MGS3 and Gran Turismo videos, blah blah blah, some nice Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne and Champions: Return to Arms trailers, an awesome Neo Contra one, and a bunch of other stupid crap like a feature on Playboy: The Mansion. It's tough to compete trailer-wise with the internet, but it's still cool seeing some of these on my tv. They just need more Japanese game demos and extra features to keep me entertained. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find something to like next month.

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