Game Design

Katamari Damacy

Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco
Platform: Playstation 2

In this quirky title, first released in 2004, players roll around a magical ball, dubbed a "katamari," which picks up increasingly large objects, from tableware to animals, people, and buildings. The game's colorful, cartoonish graphics are underscored by playful Japanese pop music which makes for an idiosyncratic but uniquely amusing play experience. "The game play is very simple," says Chen. "But it evokes a light, fun feeling that you don't usually get from games."