In Other Gaming News ...

Congratulations to Jane for the unveiling of her super-secret project. It's so super-secret that I still don't know exactly what it's all about, even though I read the New York Times article about it.
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Thanks also to Jane for causing me to waste valuable art-making time playing Katamari Damacy, a totally bizarre but addictive Japanese Playstation 2 game about rolling a sticky ball around a landscape and picking up stuff. I'm a complete video game klutz and can't get past Level 4 (Jane says she's gotten to Level 30 or so). But who cares? I'm happy just watching the intro sequence and listening to the various renditions of the theme song: the psychotic humming version, the tender piano solo, the manic opening mix, the jazzy in-game version. If anyone can make sense of the images in the opening cut scene (the stork carrying a turtle or the dancing pandas that turn red, for example), please explain it to me. On the other hand, don't.
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My copy of the huge fantasy game Heroscape arrived in the mail this week. This is a incredible feat of manufacturing, with 30 detailed painted miniatures and tons of plastic tiles that assemble into a multi-level board. It's so big it barely fits on my dining room table. It retails for $40, though I've seen it at game stores for $60. I got it for $20 in a two-for-one deal at Amazon.com (the sale is over), which pound-for-pound is the best game deal I've gotten all year. Update: Somehow I convinced Gabe to play a game of Heroscape. It was quick, breezy and a lot of fun, if you don't mind rolling dice. At first I thought some of the characters were overpowered, especially the guy with the bow and arrow. Then I realized that most characters have a crazy special power. Overall, the game seems pretty balanced. I think once I get to know all of the character powers, the game will be much more fun.
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The most important game trade show in the world recently closed in Essen, Germany. Some day I'll actually go, but until then I have to experience it vicariously (usually in postings at Gamefest.com). There's a slew of new games by American and European designers that I'll have to somehow get my hands on, including Antiquity by Dutch company Splotter Spellen, which, like my favorite game Roads & Boats, has thousands of pieces.