Katamari Damacy. Well, Mike gave me a gift certificate, which was quickly turned into Katamari Damacy. Funny story about that: I got all excited after he came over around 7 last night, told him what I was going to buy with the gift certificate, so we jumped in his car, drove to the mall, and as we got there, I remembered that it was Tuesday, and the mall closed at 6:30. So I went back and got it this evening.

The short version, after an hour of play: the game's graphics, how can I put this charitably? They are bad. Some of this may be the look the designers wanted for the game. But we're talking almost untextured objects in many cases, and no visual depth. But the graphic design of the game, as opposed to how many neat visual effects are on screen, is High Japanese Weirdness. I love you, Japan! You're weird! Don't ever change! The music is silly, in a very good way. The controls are pretty tight, but the experience of rolling around your Katamari-ball once you've gotten it good and lopsided (and if you're clumsy like me, that will happen a lot), is annoying, but it's supposed to be.

Who cares? You can pick up cats! Yes, roll over birds, mice, almost any household object you can imagine, animals of all description, and make a big ball. It's funny, it's fun, I'm quite happy to have spent $30 on this thing, because I've been playing for an hour and I can't stop grinning. The cut-scenes are actually funny, featuring as they do the King of the Cosmos, who is almost certainly on drugs, and dresses a lot like Chairman Kaga.

Yeah, so go play Katamari Damacy. I can't wait until I make a ball big enough to pick up cows.