Namco shines again with a sequel that keeps enough of the old, and adds a heaping helping of new to keep things fresh.
The goal of the game is basically the same as in the original: roll up lots of things to get bigger so you can roll up even more things. The way the goals are presented is different, as now the King of All Cosmos is revered throughout the land and takes requests to perform various tasks with the katamari. While there is a number of standard "get as big as you can levels" and "pick up as much of item x" levels, they've added several new twists to some levels that ensure that you don't just get to relive the joy of the original; you get some new experiences, as well. A level with a fiery katamari requires you to not get it wet or go too long without proving fuel for the fire, or it goes out and incurs the King's wrath. Another see you racing in an F1 track, with only one speed for the katamari: very fast. Others see not raw items be the goal: one sees you rolling a sumo wrestler and your goal is to gather up food to increase your weight, while another sees you raising money, and objects count for their monetary value, so suddenly that tiny diamond ring is a bigger deal than before.
The biggest positive is not fixing things that didn't need fixing. The core gameplay workd fine and is untouched. The variety gives the game a more expansive feel. The soundtrack offers several new tunes that you will find yourself humming for days. And the fact that they didn't try to cash in by charging $50 (it's $30, new) despite the fact that many, myself included, would have paid that, is very nice.
A bump in the graphics would have been nice, but you're generally moving around to fast to care. A way to turn off the King's word bubbles from levels you already completed would have been very nice, as they always get in your way and get frustrating the tenth time when you already know where to go to get to an area with larger items.
The name of the game(play) is: simple. The easy to comprehend, intuitive "tank-style" control scheme works very well and is mastered quickly. The graphics overall are not awe-inspiring, but since you're concentrating on size and not detail, it's not much of an issue. The sound and soundtrack still impress, the music more than the effects. Keep an ear out for the one with animal sounds replacing voices in an homage to the original game's tunes. At $30, you can't go wrong, as the replayability, fueled by the desire to get that one extra cm of size or find that last Royal Present (they're back, as are the cousins) is high. This is a super game to pick up, and playing the original is not a requirement to enjoying this title. I wholeheartedly endorse this title.