pleasantly surprised
It's not as far fetched as Katamari (or as fun), but it is a solid game overall. Odama has a very quirky sense of humor (Just wait till the Ninten-do Bell) and accidentally killing your entire army with a giant ball is something every gamer should do at least once.
I was pleasantly surprised by the game (I was expecting crap) it is a very immersive. The feudal Japan setting is conveyed very well. The greatest part of the game is how entirely frantic it is. You are tasked with all of the generic pinball action plus some RTS elements including (of course) ordering your units, targeting objects, achieving objectives, resource management, and supporting your army with rice balls.
Overall it is a very well designed game, but is definitely not for everyone. Rent this one first, the voice commands are sometimes sketchy, and the difficulty is a little high.