Still up for more rollin'!
In my opinion, yes, yes, and yes. As a matter of fact, We love Katamari is a game made in tribute to its fans and nothing more.
Plot:
Well, does it really need one? It's basically just an excuse to roll some more. This time around, you're not rolling stuff to replace stars. No, this time, the king is taking requests from fans to roll stuff up. Each fan requests something different, and, mostly, it is fulfilled in different ways. This brings us to the gameplay...
Gameplay:
How can you improve on something that was already awesome? Add more variety! This time, we are given a plethora of different methods of to roll. From going underwater, to the usual "get the right size by guessing", to two players sharing one katamari (why they removed the on-screen controller indicators in the English version is beyond me), and, of course, rolling up even more and bigger stuff. Yes it's more of the same, but with more variety. It didn't seem like much was risked in the gameplay, but enough has been added to give you relatively more bang for your buck. Although, it is a bit easier to hit high marks in this game compared to its sequel.
Sound:
Another cooky concoction for the conoisseurs of the catchily cheesy. Too bad that none of the tunes actually stood out so prevalently as they did in the first game, but it does a fine job of creating the surreal, light-hearted atmosphere. Sound effects reamain mostly the same though, but you wouldn't really notice it after the umpteenth item you've rolled.
Graphics:
Simplistic cubist look is the order of the day. It always has been and probably wouldn't change. Trust me, it's for the best. It wouldn't be Katamari without it. It's an ingenious way to save memory by keeping things simple, while cramming a lot of stuff into continously expanding stage.
Conclusion:
Well, this is the sequel that delivers everything that I've expected from it. It's just a little disappointing that they didn't experiment with much of the gameplay formula, but, at least, we get more variety and a much better presentation of the stage select and item browsing menus. If you didn't like the original Katamari, then this probably won't win you over. But for all the already established Katamari fans, this is one treat that's impossible to pass-up.
It's true what they said: Katamari isn't a game as much as it is a toy.