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 games: we love katamari
No really, we do. Finally, finally we get a PAL Katamari release. Truly this game is inspired, a breath of fresh air in a medium where 95 per cent of releases follow clear precedents in terms of genre and content. Despite the fact that most games commentators began banging on about Katamari after the Japanese and US releases (in 2004) of the original Katamari Damacy, many of us never had the pleasure, lacking the chipped PS2 or whatever. So we had to sit on the sidelines, frustratedly mumbling about why this notoriously wonderful game from Namco never officially reached the UK. Thankfully, though, not only have Namco created a sequel that essentially reiterates the original, but EA have now brought it to Britain.  With the extraordinary, oddball, psychedelic, deeply camp world of Katamari, creator Keita Takahashi has obviously struck a nerve, showing a thirst among gamers not only for originality in game design and content, but also for something that totally goes against the conventional drive for shinier, bigger, faster and realer games full of guns, fighting and vehicles. For those who've not had the pleasure, the Katamari games consist of the player controlling a wee fella, a relative or minion of the sweetly egotistical King Of All Cosmos, who rolls a ball around, upon which myriad items – from paperclips to animals, to buildings – get stuck, making it bigger and bigger until you either reach a certain size or the time expires. (“Katamari Damacy” can be interpreted as “clump of souls”.)  It's hard to describe quite why Katamari is so special. The play is refreshingly focused, with its relatively straightforward controls and intentions. But more than the actual mechanics of the play, the game is a great pleasure for just how thoroughly realised and thoroughly bonkers it is, trappings and all. From selection screen to the music, to the dialogue, with the King's rants and rambles coming in the form of a bizarre idiom that feels like it's had an inspired translation, achieving a uniquely eccentric humorous tone. Everything about We Love Katamari is well considered and distinctive. Even the graphics of the instruction manual segregate it from traditional games. Arguably, it has some precedent in some of the colourful idiosyncratic work of Miyamoto, and perhaps even those of Clover Studio and Toshio Iwai. But Takahashi very much has his own voice and the result is the most refreshing console game in years.
Daniel Etherington
We Love Katamari, out now on PS2.
 comments
Read members' comments related to this game.
comment by rowan
Feb 15, 2006
I think that the mega store type shops are stocking it as normal on their shelves, but Game chose to offer pre-order only for some reason.
comment by KingGhidra
Feb 15, 2006
I got this game yesterday (for Valentine's day)  .I got this on the premise of the favourable reviews it's had, and also because of the series that its come from (Jap only), which has beeen held in quite high regard. Its definetly a unique game. Not much to it other than rolling your Katamari around trying to get it as big as possible within a time limit (I've only done a few stages at the mo'). The controls take a bit of getting used to but other than that, the game is worthy of anybody's money. I believe Game are'nt stocking it for some reason? I also read there are'nt an abudnace of copies to be find in other game shops either. I got mine from Virgin, and I noticed Gamestation had a few in stock. I'm not sure what suggestions the lack of copies of the game are based on?
comment by toffees1888 (Irish evertonian of TBBCOE)
Feb 14, 2006
Psychonauts. Read a review on it when it was released in America. Prove that platformers are still strong it seems.
comment by rowan
Feb 14, 2006
And Psychonauts.
comment by dj marco d
Feb 14, 2006
Shadow of Collussus maybe another reason for you to buy another one too mrc. I'm very excited about that game too.
comment by mrChumpster
Feb 14, 2006
got shot of my Ps2 a year ago...this has made me consider getting a new one! (if i can find space for it)We need more bonkers japanese games on these shores! One piece mansion anybody?
comment by dj marco d
Feb 13, 2006
I can honestly say I haven't. I'm quite excited about finally being able to get my hands on a katamari game!
comment by toffees1888 (Irish evertonian of TBBCOE)
Feb 13, 2006
I think the reason Katamari is good is because it's an original idea. Has anyone ever seen this sort of game before?
comment by rowan
Feb 13, 2006
Katamari's a beautifully crazed game, although tough on those who aren't so big on rolling... Music's great too.
comment by dj marco d
Feb 13, 2006
Has anyone else noticed that this is NOT a Nintendo game. Nintendo fanboy's are running out of arguments 
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