And you thought snoggin' another lad in Bully was bad. The Jack Thompsons of the world better watch out for kids looking to imitate Chulip, due out on Valentine's Day for the PS2, commonly classified as a kissing simulator. The conventions of the game are already familiar to those of you who've pushed around your fair share of Katamaris: do something extraordinarily bizarre for some extraordinarily bizarre reason. In this case, it's kissin' the crap out of everything that moves, just like your weird aunt that nobody likes. Quirky? You bet.

It's slim pickings for the PS2 these days, so any news is good news, but games like Chulip beg the question: has the success of Namco's Katamari Damacy series had a good or bad effect on shelves?

Every now and then I mount my soapbox and wax philosophical about the need for unique gaming experiences -- Chulip sounds about as unique as they come, but if the previews that I've read are any indication, it doesn't sound terribly fun. Katamari worked out because it's a bizarre game founded upon solid control, great music, and a terribly addictive gameplay schema. Since its success, more developers seem willing to take these kind of risks; take odd-duck game, slap with budget pricetag, ship, profit. I'm all for the occasional bizarre Japanophile KAWAII!!^_^;; sort of title, but let's be wary: not all of 'em are gems. How'll Chulip fare?

I'll be picking up a copy on launch to answer this question myself. How 'bout all of you? Hit up the comments and let us know what you think.