Admittedly, the idea of Katamari Damacy as art is a bit of a puzzler, yet then again, the game itself is so bizarre that calling it art isn't out of line. Agreeing with my perception that Katamari Damacy isn't out of line as art is the Museum of Modern Art in New York, who will be featuring it as part of an exhibit.

Set to run July 29 through November 5, the "Century of the Child: Growing By Design" exhibit represents "an overview of the modernist preoccupation with children and childhood as a paradigm for progressive design thinking." While that may sound pretentious, Katamari Damacy fits in as part of an exhibit of toys and games, and an explanation of part of what drove childhood through the 20th century, along with designs of ball parks, schools and the like.

Don't get me wrong, I loved Katamari Damacy. I've played three games' worth and every time it never fails to make me happy. Rolling up large chunks of reality and turning them into a star, planet, or other celestial object because my father is a nigh-omnipotent idiot that is, relative to me, the size of the Chrysler Building is actually an entertaining concept. If nothing else, it's unique, and unique in gaming is hard enough to come by when the studios are actively refusing to release anything without proof, in triplicate, that Call of Duty did it first.

Call it a double stroke of irony that many of the things on display at the exhibit were likely, at one point, part of the gameplay of Katamari Damacy.

Katamari Damacy was spectacularly offbeat, and lots of fun besides, so getting a chance to see this one in a whole new way out at the Museum of Modern Art should be gratifying in its own right. Those sharing my interest in catching a whole new look at a great older game should make haste to New York and catch the exhibit for themselves.