Score
Gameplay:	10
Graphics:	7
Sound:	10
FunFactor:	9
PlasmaFactor:	9
Overall:	9

Katamari Damacy Review
February 2, 2005 by StewartS

by StewartS - February 2, 2005

Every once in a while a game comes along that is so different, so bizarre, so wonderfully executed that it is impossible to ignore. I�ll not lie. Namco took a huge gamble when they brought over Katamari Damacy to American shores. American gamers have a difficult time latching onto a game they don�t really �get,� to say nothing of being able to pronounce the name properly. But don�t be fooled by box art that has cows grazing in front of a massive cluster of buildings, animals, airplanes, rainbows, barbeque pits and trees. Katamari Damacy is the most original and entertaining game to come along in years.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'

Katamari Damacy would be nothing without its story as it immediately sets up the impeccably bizarre nature of the game. The King of the Cosmos, it seems, had a bit too much to drink one night and accidentally destroyed all of the stars in the sky. So he commissions his son the Prince of the Cosmos, you, to collects objects from the Earth with your katamari to fill the cosmos back up with stars and constellations. Riiiiiiiight.

So with your daunting task at hand, the Prince of the Cosmos does exactly that and starts rolling the katamari around, collecting, literally, whatever sticks too it. At first this is simply, little objects such as tea kettles, ice cream, kittens, ski poles and potted plants.

Eventually, as the star size requirements get bigger, so does the katamari and its capacity to snatch up larger objects such as mermaids, life guard towers and sumo wrestlers. Get large enough and eventually you�ll be rolling over jumbo jets, sky scrapers, sperm whales and even the occasional rainbow.

All of this is done within the constraint of a time limit, as the King of the Cosmos can �only believe in you for so long,� and size requirement. Fail to meet the size requirement within the time limit and the King becomes quite angry and you�re forced to try again. The same goes if you fail to collect a satisfactory amount of specific items when building the constellations (i.e. don�t get enough crabs for Cancer or enough twins for Gemini). In a way, the only true �enemy� you face in Katamari Damacy is the clock and your own ability to roll over enough stuff.

Simplicity is the order of the day for Katamari Damacy and the biggest exhibit of this is in the controls. Quite possibly the only game ever to require only the use of the analog sticks, Katamari Damacy is one of the most simplest and most intuitive games to pick up since Pac-Man, given that all you have to do is aim for an object and roll over it. You�ll pick it right up if you�ve gained enough size, otherwise you�ll just bounce right off of it. The camera could use a bit of work, especially after it gets stuck behind a wall periodically, but its not usually much of a problem.

And that�s it. That�s the extent of the gameplay, but words truly fail to expound on the brilliance of such a simple concept. It�s addictive, in the truest sense as you�ll find yourself just wanting to roll and roll and roll and roll, cursing the timer and praising the high heavens when you finally unlock the Infinite stages that let you rolls to your heart�s content.

 

 

A look unto its own

The graphical presentation leaves me at a bit of a crossroads. On the one hand, they look more fitting for the PSOne, most of the item and character models are blocky and lacking almost any detail outside of what is essential to be able to identify them. Most of the objects look like they would be more at home in a child�s toy box than in a video game given the art design. By all accounts and purposes, this is not an attractive game at all. On the other hand the style fits the surreal tone of the game perfectly. Quite a dubious situation indeed.

 

 

Surreality just got funky

The music, however, is nothing short of brilliant and you will not find a catchier soundtrack in any game for quite some time. The music is a blend of electronic beats and human voices, but it is so catchy and light, I guarantee you will have the opening theme stuck in your head for the next week. The music is an absolute perfect compliment to the game as can be hoped for.

 

 

Pure fun, in the purest sense...

Alas, all good things must come to an end, though KD�s comes far too soon. It is entirely possible to roll through the game in one sitting, especially given how little challenge the game often presents. This however, does not detract from the fact that Katamari Damacy is brilliant sort of lighthearted fun, the kind that hasn�t been seen in years. There is little reason, though for multiple play throughs (aside from just being darn fun, of course) despite the existence of some extra �gifts� the King has for you scattered around the place. There is the opportunity to unlock the Infinite stages, though even those can be obtained with little effort.

 

 

In the end...

Despite these minor complaints, keep in mind that none of them should impede anyone from picking up this gem of a title, especially with a price tag of only 20 bones. Katamari Damacy is the kind of simple game experience that can be enjoyed by absolutely anyone.