The graphics aren't necessarily phenomenal, but then again, given the nature of the game, should they be? The Katamari series is any graphic designer's wet dream, and part of the appeal comes from how stylized it is. Rather than try to pump up the graphics, Namco seems to have taken wacky ideas from brainstorming sessions: "How would a katamari move if it were rolling underwater?" "What if the katamari was on fire and you had to light a campfire?" "What if you had to roll up a gingerbread house for Hansel and Gretel?"—and applied them, with great effect. There's one mission that should tug at the heartstrings for those familiar with the story of Sadako and the thousand paper cranes, as well. All around, the stages are creative and quirky enough to keep the very basic premise -- rolling up junk -- very fresh.

The multiplayer elements are what ultimately hurts the game. The head-to-head from Katamari Damacy is intact. Players can still compete ruthlessly for bigger katamaris or specific items on a map to secure praise from the king and scorn for their opponent. It's adjusted slightly, but not very much considering the expansion of the single-player process. The co-op mode, however, screams "afterthought." Trying to sync up two people to roll the ball is cumbersome. With time, one can get used to it, but most people aren't going to have the patience to enjoy it. It's an experience akin to trying to have a 100 meter three-legged track race. In the end, it hurts more than it helps the story mode.


The small details, though, are truly something to behold. From the packaging and instructions, which resemble something from "Reading Rainbow," to the world map, which resembles a living, breathing children's book, the artwork in the game is incredible. The Prince can traipse around the landscape, and even dance with a pressing of the circle button. Many will find themselves giggling at the innocent yet well-done presentation. It's all part of the goofy ambience that makes the series so lovable.

Other little things, like hitting the square button at the end of the stage to compare the katamari's size to other little things (i.e.: "Your katamari is as big as 1018 girly cellphones") add something to the overall picture. Whereas in the first game, failure was met with thunderstorms and stern lectures, failure in We ♥ Katamari triggers a mini-game in which the King zaps at our hero with laser beams that shoot from his eyes. The Prince runs left to right, and as he gets hit by lasers, his father's belittling takes upon literal proportions as he shrinks with every zap. It's fun in the same way that mini-games during loading screens (a la Ridge Racer PSP) are a diverting time waster.