Sony
We Love Katamari
By Ron Ayers
Nov 1, 2005, 6 :27 am

Katamari Damacy (Dam-ah-shi) became a surprise hit when Namco released it in 2004. The game garnered critical acclaim and much like the katamari itself, started gathering players and snowballing into an obsession amongst gamers. While fans hummed the theme and clamored for a sequel, it didn’t seem certain that there would be one due to the budget nature of the original. Fortunately Namco committed and rolled out We Love Katamari, an egotistical, self-obsessed sequel that meets the needs of the fans both on and off the screen.

For the uninitiated, the gameplay in We Love Katamari revolves around the katamari itself, which resembles a sticky version of the “Bumble Ball”, that goofy little gizmo that bounces around erratically in toy store cages. The katamari is pushed around various locales by the protagonist, the Prince and sometimes his cousins.  As the katamari is rolled around, smaller item stick to it, causing it to grow in size, which in turn enables it to pick up larger and larger objects.

The goal of each level varies, but usually revolves around getting the katamari to a nice plump size, or collecting a number of particular items. You’ll start by rolling to a diameter of a few centimeters by picking up thumbtacks and paperclips, and by the end of the game you’ll be rolling to diameters well over a kilometer while ripping up people, houses, islands and more. The sheer scope of being able to roll up the house in which you were picking up paper clips in ten minutes ago is one of the coolest qualities of We Love Katamari. Pretty much anything in the world is fair game to be rolled up, and to prove it Namco even provides you with an inventory which tracks every item in the Katamari universe and whether you’ve rolled it up or not.

Like in the original, We Love Katamari’s controls are so simple that anyone can pick it up and play. You’ll primarily be using just the analog sticks in a “tank-like” configuration. Pushing or pulling the analog sticks in a specific direction moves the katamari in that direction, while pulling the sticks in opposite directions causes the Prince to rotate around it. You’ll rarely use the other controls which allow you to snap pictures, and leap over the ball, but that’s fine because simple is good.

So now that we’ve dispensed with the pleasantries, how does We Love Katamari stack up, especially compared to the original Katamari Damacy? Pretty darn good.  In fact, it gives the Katamari Damacy fan everything they want and a little bit more. The story revolves around the Katamari Damacy’s adoring fans, who send the King requests via the Prince. While the King initially is quick to brush them off, his ego gets the best of him, and away the Prince goes to satisfy the fans. As the Prince completes fan requests, more fans appear in the “select meadow,” shouting out their demands. It’s really a witty and fun take on a game that was bizarre enough to begin with.

Namco took care to add significantly more levels and unique worlds to We Love Katamari. For each level there are multiple goals, which makes We Love Katamari a significantly longer game than the original. Some levels follow the traditional “roll everything up” formula, while others have neat goals such as “training” for a sumo match, or trying to roll the most expensive katamari possible.  The developers also managed to remove a majority of the most frustrating levels, specifically those which had you trying to roll up the largest of one specific item without accidentally picking up something small.

Just like in the original, We Love Katamari offers you plenty of presents to roll up and wear, as well as the Prince’s cousins, which are featured amusingly throughout the game. Once you roll up the cousins they’ll wander around the stage select screen and are yours to control.

The catchy soundtrack of the original was one of the highlights, and the sequel does not disappoint. Whether it’s a riff on the Katamari Damacy theme, or an original disco track, chances are the music will end up stuck in your head, and in a good way. Disappointingly, the graphics themselves didn’t receive much of a boost, but they maintain the cool  polygon look introduced in the original. The camera is a little more forgiving this time, but can still throw you into a blank wall from time to time. As a technology buff, I would’ve enjoyed some progressive scan and widescreen support, but at a budget price, I can’t complain.

The real beauty in the game is the way the overall presentation comes together as a whole, from the menu system and the cut-scenes to the random characters and situations you’ll encounter in your rolling. Nearly every level of the game features something that could be considered memorable. Whether you’re swiping the ring off a couple to be married or creating a massive ball of lightning bugs, each world has something unique and that goes a long way. Even the King’s mannerisms before, during and after each level are enough to elicit a laugh. Unfortunately, the King does not perform an upchuck of the rainbow anymore, trading that ability for laser beams out of his eyes, which barely registers as an even trade.

We Love Katamari features a two player versus mode, which can be played on three different-sized worlds. The biggest katamari wins, and if you’re not careful you’ll find yourself rolled up by your friend. In addition, Namco added a two-player cooperative mode which has each player controlling one half of the ball. In the hands of two experienced Katamari players, the co-op mode is extremely intuitive, fun and is a welcome bonus. Still, with two or more of your friends, you’ll likely be playing the single player game with an audience behind you, but the extra effort is nice on Namco’s part.

Overall: 9/10

From the top, Namco appears to have set out to create a fan-oriented sequel to Katamari Damacy and scored big in every way. While nay-sayers will complain about a lack of innovation, that wasn’t the point of We Love Katamari. The fans wanted more of the same, and that’s what they got at a great price. If you don’t own the original, it’s probably worth picking that up at $20 first, and if you fall in love with it like the majority of people who have tried it, you’ll likely find yourself more than willing to drop the $30 for We Love Katamari a week later.