Anyone have any suggestions on how to play this game? I've mostly figured out the dropping and smashing, but is there any way to avoid lighting stuff on fire? Seems like that really affects your EGO rating.

I bought the Japanese version a while ago.

Lightning only strikes (and objects / rain falls) when you drop a major object out of your trash can without breaking it, or you destroy a valuable object (not sure what they call them now, they were mottainai or something before).

Here's a protip for avoiding instances of breaking valuable objects that you think unavoidable, if you fling the valuable object so it lands outside your trash box (move and release as you're moving right or left), you'll still get the reward for 'saving' the valuable object and you won't get the lightning punishments (rain and objects dropping from the sky).

As to fire, it can be helpful to burn lots of your trash but be mindful of the massive CO2 penalties (EGO vs. ECO).  If you want no fire at all, hold down the trash can lid button, the oxygen level will drop and the fire will go out when there's no O2.  As a side note the heat of the fire will actually increase before the fire goes out completely, so if you want to start a really BIG fire, hold the lid on until O2 is around 10% then let go, more things should have caught fire by then.

I still find the game extremely difficult to beat on normal difficulty.

On a side note, if anyone owns the Japanese version and bought the Western version, are there any differences?

Also eventually you'll notice a purple ball, if you put that in water it'll soak it up and start to dissolve objects no matter what their size, it has a radius though and stops when the water runs out. If you want to save those valuble objects normally you have to set them down rather low in the trash, and if you use R1 it'll drop the object but not break it, then one of the dudes comes along and picks it up, to keep a fire going later you'll get petrol, and if you use the bin lid you'll notice it stops objects, so on certain levels, if you put all the petrol in set that on fire, then the next object is water, close the lid then once it's burnt out start with the water, the bin lid is pressure sensitive so if you hold it in a little it'll cover the bin but will let in air, whilst stopping objects.

Also what I like to do is set it up to use fire then hold the purple ball, then once the fire has gone start smashing open water then throw in the ball, you'll get gas canasters and things later on these can explode when set on fire.

I'm starting to get into it now but the learning curve is harsh to say the least.

I really didn't have a clue what was happening at first. That level with the boats and shit is BRUTAL.

I still don't understand the game, at all.

I've found that matches tend to go out if you smash them with the burning side down. I guess now could be the time to pimp my review of this game :P

I still can't seem to beat the second level... And I call myself a "gaming enthusiast".
Still, it is a whole lot of fun.