Katamari Damacy - Nana nanana na na na na nanana

[Olvelsper]

Created by Konami, this game approaches game design by drawing on inspiration from mundane ordinary events in real life, much like Shigeru Miyamoto. In this case, the inspiration was from observing dung bettles and how they roll up little balls of waste and whatnot.

Doesn't sound very interesting a game like that, but they gave this concept a spin by tweaking with what the objects getting rolled up into the ball (or as the game calls it a katamari) were going to be. Deciding it'd be much more fantastic and silly, they decided to use a tiny little alien prince whose mission on earth was to roll up as much of its things as possible. But for what reason, you might ask? Why, to turn all that mass into new stars in the sky, after the tiny alien's father inadvertently destroyed them! The concept doesn't do the game justice, as the journey to restore the stars is the most surreal thing gamers will run into this year.

The graphics are perfect for the game's needs, since they're simple enough to allow the engine to smoothly scale up as your katamari grows larger from all the goods you pick up without having to pause the game flow to load up the larger scale. For example, in some stages your katamari starts off at the size of a mouse and eventually wind up at a large enough heights to roll up people, furniture, cars, heck even buildings and continents aren't immune to the lure of the katamari when it really gets rolling. Character designs are refreshingly simple, consisting of mostly of simple shapes and are brightly colored like the rest of the game.

Controlling the katamari is relatively simple, and the very first minute or so in the game is devoted to getting you used to them, so I really won't go into explaining it much here beyond that fact that you just manuever about by pressing the analog sticks in tandem. The katamari itself reacts and moves about realistically, but the one minor complaint I have about the game's controls is that your character in the game moves so freaking slow around the katamari as you try to do turns, encouraging the frequent use of the L3+R3 combination to have your character hop over and spin about face to be able to manuever your katamari in the opposite direction.

Gameplay and overall design in the game has been polished fairly well, each stage being expansive in area and scale for you to run around in. Each stage gives you a certain size goal you have to meet, with enough of a time limit that you won't grow bored replaying the areas in case you fail. Stages are liberally populated with enough items of varying sizes that you'll be able to replay all of them however you want. When all of this is coupled with an energetic and snappy soundtrack, and it's a treat to play throughout the stages.

Replay value is high for this title, since there's hidden items strewn throughout the various stages to add to your various collector books you can access from your Home Planet base. There are speed challenges you can beat to earn comets in addition to the stars you collect along the way. Finally there's also a reward for getting a much larger katamari than the stage asks for you to earn, giving you a much brighter version of the star you would've normally gotten.

Along with all that, the game even sports a multiplayer mode, where you and a friend let loose on one another in making a larger katamari than the other guy. You can even slam your katamari on the other guy's to shake off items you can take for yourself. Even the opposing character can be sucked up into your katamari if you get it large enough. Different models for this mode are unlocked as you play through the main game, and can be accessed by finding a large mushroom in each stage, or going to the mushroom planet in between stages.

In the end, I felt that the game's main draw above all this was how lighthearted and bizarre the game was. The King of All Cosmos and his constant teasing and/or congratulating of the Prince in his strange, almost All Your Base style, the soundtrack, and the graphics all combine into an experience that you won't soon forget.

Heck, if nothing else, the title only goes for twenty dollars brand new, and the soundtrack itself is worth that much. So hey, it's a worthy investment that no gamer can't afford to make.

[Dracos]

I shake my fist at you reviewing this first.

R&C 3 will be MINE!

MINE I SAY!

Dracos

[Celisasu]

I happen to have this game as well(weird games appeal to me).  Definately enjoyable.  Combined with the $20 price tag it's definately worth it.  


Dracos>R&C3?  Ratchet and Clank?  *Plots to grab it from you*  MWAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Olvelsper]

Dracos isn't to be allowed to write a single review on his own board from now on. He's been a bad coding monkeky.

[Dracos]

You've doomed yourself, mortal.

Dracos