..I've thought about doing something like this for each review before - for the sake of looking at ways to think about the process for myself (and to lie about it until the writing process seems wonderful and magical) - but never got around to it. Then I never got to scan the crazy notes, or the scraps of paper in my backpack, so it wasn't really very fun to post either.
But I'll do one this time for the Katamari review.
First problem - what's the pitch?
Review it as an arcade game? Roll the levels, complete and let the King score your performance? ..maybe?
edit: Found some more notes. It's the usual flow-chart that reads: (1. "Plot" -> 2. Rolling Mechanic -> 3. Excuse for Game-mechanic -> 1.). Or, it's a good excuse for a game-mechanic.
As a story? I don't think I can say more than I did in the review about the plot before people start to think I'm doing drugs.
As a casual game for children of all ages? ..that's kind of what the game is. But how interested are people really in hearing me ramble on about how much my nieces picked up on the plot almost instantly?
But could use that to go meta, and describe the elements more directly about the royal family - and the small but primary main characters, the Prince and his cousins, of all shapes, sizes and colours..? I.e., that it's the children that saves the day, although the universe revolves around the King and the Queen?
Certainly that's a strong and compelling context in the game, just as the Katamari mechanic - growing from small beginnings, until packing up large monster that gobbles up the stars.
Keita Takahashi definitively did that on purpose with this game, letting the player muse on that while playing. Which makes the game unique in more ways than one, being not about destroying your enemies, or defeating the bad-guys - but instead giving you a metaphor for growing up. From small beginnings to doing great things - destructive or otherwise. All the while from seeing the small perspective at first, and never quite forgetting it.
So whether you're already grown up, you could relive the awe and magnificence of looking up to the bigger fry. Or if from the other side, scout ahead at the larger opportunities waiting for you in the future.
It's a mind-f* ..trip, and a good game is, after all, a way to translate the creator's vision of the world to be experienced by others.
..I settled on using the wrapper Takahashi's studio folks used for introducing the game, though.
This was the first draft, put down on my phone during my day-job:
"One day, the King of the Universe is out in the Nebulae playing with his son, the Prince. The Prince can jump pretty far, but he's no match for the King just yet. In fact, the King can jump as high as he likes, and he does, just to show the Prince how it's done - and disaster strikes! And he's hit in the head by a meteor.
The King falls over, severely, into a hammock. And he can't wake up, no matter how hard he tries.
Crisis! The King of the Universe is indisposed! All the King's family scurry around looking for a solution to this terrible problem.
Eventually one is found: one will create a new King, a Robot King - and who will know the difference anyway.
So now the game starts - you're given the task of inserting the core into the Robo King, to awaken him. If you are new to the Katamari games, this serves as a tutorial level."
..I have a full keyboard on it, no big deal. Had to rewrite it a couple of times.
So that's the structure of the review: Narrative context lifted from the game, and copied the build-up in the game until the tutorial mission. Basically using that build-up the game-designers used to introduce you to the game. And fitted the game-mechanics into this part.
Then we're coming to more about the plot, using that to present the game-modes. I thought the game-modes need very little introduction specifically. Maybe should have written more specifically about what new modes were in the game, though..
At this point, I probably was so hung up in the metaphor that I couldn't leave it alone.
So in the end that became the end to the review as well - hints to the narrative in the game, with an "avoidance of completeness" (read: lie) about what the player will see when booting up the disc. With the justification that it would say more about the game-experience than being more specific.
..I don't know. I'm pretty happy with it, even if the short paragraphs are still there (from when typing at a 320x200 screen).
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