This is one of, if not the, best "turn off your brain and just have fun" game I've played. And considering I've played several other 'Katamari' games, that is saying something!

So for those who don't know, the premise is simple: Roll a ball around. Anything smaller than the ball that the ball touches becomes part of the ball, and so the ball gets bigger. You grow the ball until you've accomplished a goal or time runs out. It's simple and honestly pretty addicting.

It doesn't take much to make a good 'Katamari' game. You don't need to expand much on that premise. But 'Once Upon a Katamari' manages to do so in a way that feels natural. The Freebies (power ups) feel right and are actually really fun. The crown collecting is a cool and enjoyable challenge only because there's a freebie that tells you where they are, leaving the challenge being how to get to them and get big enough to roll them up. Without that it'd be frustrating, but because these elements work together well it's actually kinda awesome!

They even added a multiplayer mode which I'd assume is fun to play with friends. (I haven't tried it with friends, but I'd love to.) Nobody needed this, but I'm glad it's in here all the same!

And of course I'm a sucker for character customization so being able to recolor all of the Cousins (the playable characters) to suite your own style is awesome! Particularly because there's a multiplayer component, this allows you to show off your style and see that of your friends.

'Katamari Damaci' is not a game that was yearning to be more. It's not a game that needed to be more. It was awesome just being what it was.

But 'Once Upon a Katamari' looked at that simple and fun premise and dared to tinker with it in a way that absolutely works perfectly for the series! This is now the new definitive 'Katamari' game, in my opinion. I hope that you give it a try.