with my epic rolling skills from the original, i feel so accomplished making the king proud this time around
completing the collection sure was hard, but it was worth it. i love katamari damacy!
this game is extremely welcome given how weird emulating the original ps2 game can be. doesn't do much other than almost directly port the original game which is extremely welcome. the new prince+cousin models don't look too weird compared to the rest of the game
it's a shame how they did not handle the 30 fps lock in the pc version too well though. ui at 60 with gameplay at 30 made me dizzy. everything at 30 on the switch felt a lot better
one small change would've been welcome though, which is autosaving... i was pretty used to manually saving the game on the ps2, but on the switch i never really felt like i had to do it bc every other switch game does not require it
it's a shame how they did not handle the 30 fps lock in the pc version too well though. ui at 60 with gameplay at 30 made me dizzy. everything at 30 on the switch felt a lot better
one small change would've been welcome though, which is autosaving... i was pretty used to manually saving the game on the ps2, but on the switch i never really felt like i had to do it bc every other switch game does not require it
Keita Takahashi makes games that feel like "play". He doesn't really tell stories or ask you to invest in a world. Instead, he focuses on a central gameplay mechanic that's inherently unique and fun and crafting a unique aesthetic around it that enhances how irreverent and fun his concept is. It's all the strength of gaming as an interactive medium.
I could nitpick how some of the constellation levels are tedious, but that misses the point. Rolling a Katamari around and collecting ever-bigger objects is a joyful bit of interaction that no other game can capture. And it's backed by one of the best visual and audio aesthetics in the medium.
I could nitpick how some of the constellation levels are tedious, but that misses the point. Rolling a Katamari around and collecting ever-bigger objects is a joyful bit of interaction that no other game can capture. And it's backed by one of the best visual and audio aesthetics in the medium.
a great port/remaster though there are some slight downsides, such as changing the princes eyes to the modern takahashi style and the removal of wanda wanda from the games levels. still, if this is for some reason your only way to play the greatest game ever made, please do so. it's very good that they require a 100% collection in order to get the plat for this game- something WLKRR cannot say.
When my partner and I met, we bullied each other into buying nintendo switches. Then we both bought and played this game, sometimes simultaneously over the phone, until we fell in love. “I know you love me, I wanna wad you up into my life. Let’s roll up to be a single star in the sky”
Such a special little game. i will hold it dear to me forever, also the ost is incredible.
looks really fun but i struggle with skills for this game :c
This game is so fucking gas.
The controls are hard to get used to but it allows for you to enter the zone and fly through everything once you get the hang of it. Picking up everything around you is incredibly satisfying, and figuring out the best routes to get bigger faster is super fun! It's arcadey style allows for an infinitely replayable video game.
The artstyle is incredibly charming and the music is some of the best I have ever heard coming from a video game. It all comes together into an amazing package that is unlike any other video game that I have ever played. It is weird and it loves that it's weird, you can tell that the developers had an absolute blast making it!
This game is hilarious, fun, and satisfying. I can see myself going back to this game over and over again to have a great time. The only thing keeping it from a perfect score is how tedious some of the levels can be, but that might change if I replay it in the future.
Pure gaming man, pure gaming. Go play it you won't regret it.
The controls are hard to get used to but it allows for you to enter the zone and fly through everything once you get the hang of it. Picking up everything around you is incredibly satisfying, and figuring out the best routes to get bigger faster is super fun! It's arcadey style allows for an infinitely replayable video game.
The artstyle is incredibly charming and the music is some of the best I have ever heard coming from a video game. It all comes together into an amazing package that is unlike any other video game that I have ever played. It is weird and it loves that it's weird, you can tell that the developers had an absolute blast making it!
This game is hilarious, fun, and satisfying. I can see myself going back to this game over and over again to have a great time. The only thing keeping it from a perfect score is how tedious some of the levels can be, but that might change if I replay it in the future.
Pure gaming man, pure gaming. Go play it you won't regret it.
very fun
Despite being incredibly unique aesthetically and mechanically, it ironically gets its beauty from being a twisted and faster interpretation of the classic "lose, get better (in this case 'bigger'), and win" loop. In a single stage, which lasts approximately 10 to 20 minutes, you get bigger and bigger, sticking everything in your Katamari ball (yes, it's weird). Hearing those 'cute' sound effects and feeling the satisfaction of seeing things that were initially bigger around you disappear boosts your feeling of growth and your so-called 'gamer ego'.
The control scheme is also awesome. It might feel a little weird at the beginning, but this game wouldn't be the same without it. Controlling both thumbsticks makes it that much more demanding. You also have great freedom in controls; there aren't many moves, but the levels and physics help, especially if you learn to control the momentum of the character. Considering the narrow stages and many roadblocks, gaining speed is not easy. Thus, maintaining your momentum by turning 180 degrees or changing your targets at the right time is important.
TL;DR: It's amazing
The control scheme is also awesome. It might feel a little weird at the beginning, but this game wouldn't be the same without it. Controlling both thumbsticks makes it that much more demanding. You also have great freedom in controls; there aren't many moves, but the levels and physics help, especially if you learn to control the momentum of the character. Considering the narrow stages and many roadblocks, gaining speed is not easy. Thus, maintaining your momentum by turning 180 degrees or changing your targets at the right time is important.
TL;DR: It's amazing
bussin music
Saw this game used in a lot of videos and stuff and it looked like it would be fun. Once I tried it, it was a bit of a let down. The controls were super weird and unintuitive, making the game feel clunky and unsatisfying to play.
Rolling into things to collect them only gets fun near the end of the levels when you are big enough to collect almost anything. But until that point, it is just constant bumping into things too big to collect and missing things I can collect since it is kind of hard to see where I am going with the huge ball in my way. Nothing really changes from level to level, so it gets kind of boring after a few levels of doing the same thing.
Rolling into things to collect them only gets fun near the end of the levels when you are big enough to collect almost anything. But until that point, it is just constant bumping into things too big to collect and missing things I can collect since it is kind of hard to see where I am going with the huge ball in my way. Nothing really changes from level to level, so it gets kind of boring after a few levels of doing the same thing.
A game doesn't have to make sense to be fun.
my, earth really is full of things.
if you asked me what my favorite game is, i'd probably give the default answer of Persona 3, 4, or 5. if i'm feeling ballsy, I'd say ULTRAKILL or Trails of Cold Steel 1. if you asked me what my favorite niche game is, however, the answer would, without a doubt, be Katamari Damacy. i had first played Damacy back a year and a half ago, and it quickly became one of my favorites. Everything from the artstyle, relaxing and satisfying gameplay, soundtrack, and even the runtime all click together to make something perfect. throughout the year, I went through most of the rest of the series, including a replay of Damacy on PCSX2 (so I could slot in the better cover art on my profile) and a replay of the recently rerolled We Love. but Damacy remained my favorite. there's just something about it. being that it's a relatively cheery game and I've been feeling down recently, i decided to replay it.
one of the first things i noticed on the replay was how inspired by japanese art the entire game is. being that i first played it before i became (at least somewhat) knowledgeable about JP art history, there's so much references i missed on my first two playthroughs. im not sure if it's in damacy, but i know at least in one of the entries you can roll up haniwa figurines. you can also roll up hina dolls in this game, of course there's more blatant homage like samurai armor in some levels as well. there's also the soundtrack being full of shibuya kei. far and away, however, i think the biggest reference to art culture i found on this replay is the aesthetic itself. it's definitely a love letter to takashi murakami's pop art. sorry if this section was boring bc i didnt really know what to do with it lol but i just thought knowing these things about art history enhanced my experience with the game this time around. maybe it gave you some little factoid too, hopefully.
the gameplay of damacy is simple. you roll le katamari, it gets huge, and you win. based on how big it gets, the king either praises or verbally abuses you. the narcissistic banter of the king is not only really funny, but it also just makes you wanna do better. i dont know if i just got better at rolling but i didnt have to redo a level once here. its a simple control scheme and easy to pick up. definitely something id wanna show my parents at some point, lol. its also addicting to roll, tickles my brain seeing the prince roll in the corner and all the sfx just piling on top of each other. dopamine overload better than vampire survivors any day. hes just such a silly lil guy. love the prince.
anyway, something i often see this game criticized for compared to the later entries is it's worse level design. frankly, i think it has more intuitive level design than we love. WLK's levels were all over the place, and that makes for some great memorable levels like the race track, but at the same time, there's a level of intimacy found in damacy. i think there's a total of one or two maps used entirely, and it just pops you into different spots at different sizes for each level. you could say that's lazy, or unfun, but i disagree. i think it provides a level of intimacy with the map, learning all the shortcuts and entrances to areas you need to be bigger to unlock, learning where to find a plethora of stuff to roll up for your specific size, it all becomes second nature, you learn the map like the back of your hand. hence why i think it's intuitive. this is not to mention damacy also has pretty memorable levels as well, such as the one where the king goes "BANANA", the one where he remarks about quadruplets not being twins. or the one where you fall off the clouds at the start, or slingshotting your way across the map in the final level. i think it's unfortunate people dont see damacy's level design the way i do, because the small map selection enhances it i think. this doesnt even touch the hub level design. all future hubs in the series suck. we love in particular is slow to navigate, but that criticism can be levied to all future games to an extent. however, there's also so much shit everywhere in beautiful/me and my katamari's hub it's hard to find the next level. in damacy, its so simple. you got the cousin planet, your save planet that also has extras, and then level select planet. levels you already beat are clearly marked as such, too it's perfect and quick and i dont know why they changed it in future games.
the music in this series is goated. 95% of the songs are bangers. the rest arent bad even i just wouldnt listen to them regularly. there's so many classics in damacy's ost too. you got the obvious, like lonely rolling star, but also roll me in, katamari of love, gin tonic, moon and the prince, lovely angel and my personal favorite, que sera sera. now, i think beautiful katamari has a teensy leg up on overall ost , cuz damacy still has a few stinkers like you are smart which just grates on my ears. but damacy's ost rarely misses, and i love it. its definitely in the top 5 osts, and hovers around 1/2. i didnt directly cry at que sera sera this time, but i came close. i did cry at katamari of love yet again, though!
there was this video i saw a while back about how the theme of damacy was cosmic insignificance, how you mean nothing in the grand scheme of things to these godlike beings. i think this reading of damacy is not only depressing but flat out wrong. i think the theme of damacy lies in connection to others. throughout the game you roll things and people up, the game ends with you rolling every country up. the song that plays during this sequence is literally about how people in the world misunderstand each other and its why we dont get along. it's literally the game's thesis, rolling everything up is just an allegory for world peace, solidarity with everyone despite disagreements, finding compromise and the beauty that comes from that. it's not about how you dont matter in the cosmos, quite the opposite. it's about how we're insignificant alone, but by joining forces we hold so much significance that we dont even realize it. i think katamari of love is probbably my favorite ending sequence in a game, though never more and i miss you is also up there as well.
i think katamari is one of those rare lightning in a bottle experiences. you can tell there was never meant to be a sequel, let alone a franchise, because it all wraps up so perfectly. the galaxy is saved, and the prince grew a bit. you roll up the entirety of earth and go have a party. thats a pretty bold ending for it to only continue afterwards. and despite loving beautiful katamari for replicating the vibes of damacy, something which i still think we love did not, it still feels somewhat.. sad that the series continued after this. its such a perfect experience, easily beat in a few sittings and it sticks with you. but it was milked dry, yknow. that kinda sucks. i liked the rest of the series, yeah, but none came close to beautiful, and even beautiful doesn't quite match damacy. i dont know where im going with this, but i think damacy and beautiful are the only ones ill be replaying in the future. unless forever is also super goated. but i dunno, i just see something in beautiful and damacy that i dont in the others. there's something so heartwarming about katamari and im super glad i got into it. whenever the prince waves "see you later" i know ill be back. the next one ill play is probably forever. but im glad i replayed this one, and im glad i got more out of it than any other time. such a good game. so go on and…
roll, prince, roll!
if you asked me what my favorite game is, i'd probably give the default answer of Persona 3, 4, or 5. if i'm feeling ballsy, I'd say ULTRAKILL or Trails of Cold Steel 1. if you asked me what my favorite niche game is, however, the answer would, without a doubt, be Katamari Damacy. i had first played Damacy back a year and a half ago, and it quickly became one of my favorites. Everything from the artstyle, relaxing and satisfying gameplay, soundtrack, and even the runtime all click together to make something perfect. throughout the year, I went through most of the rest of the series, including a replay of Damacy on PCSX2 (so I could slot in the better cover art on my profile) and a replay of the recently rerolled We Love. but Damacy remained my favorite. there's just something about it. being that it's a relatively cheery game and I've been feeling down recently, i decided to replay it.
one of the first things i noticed on the replay was how inspired by japanese art the entire game is. being that i first played it before i became (at least somewhat) knowledgeable about JP art history, there's so much references i missed on my first two playthroughs. im not sure if it's in damacy, but i know at least in one of the entries you can roll up haniwa figurines. you can also roll up hina dolls in this game, of course there's more blatant homage like samurai armor in some levels as well. there's also the soundtrack being full of shibuya kei. far and away, however, i think the biggest reference to art culture i found on this replay is the aesthetic itself. it's definitely a love letter to takashi murakami's pop art. sorry if this section was boring bc i didnt really know what to do with it lol but i just thought knowing these things about art history enhanced my experience with the game this time around. maybe it gave you some little factoid too, hopefully.
the gameplay of damacy is simple. you roll le katamari, it gets huge, and you win. based on how big it gets, the king either praises or verbally abuses you. the narcissistic banter of the king is not only really funny, but it also just makes you wanna do better. i dont know if i just got better at rolling but i didnt have to redo a level once here. its a simple control scheme and easy to pick up. definitely something id wanna show my parents at some point, lol. its also addicting to roll, tickles my brain seeing the prince roll in the corner and all the sfx just piling on top of each other. dopamine overload better than vampire survivors any day. hes just such a silly lil guy. love the prince.
anyway, something i often see this game criticized for compared to the later entries is it's worse level design. frankly, i think it has more intuitive level design than we love. WLK's levels were all over the place, and that makes for some great memorable levels like the race track, but at the same time, there's a level of intimacy found in damacy. i think there's a total of one or two maps used entirely, and it just pops you into different spots at different sizes for each level. you could say that's lazy, or unfun, but i disagree. i think it provides a level of intimacy with the map, learning all the shortcuts and entrances to areas you need to be bigger to unlock, learning where to find a plethora of stuff to roll up for your specific size, it all becomes second nature, you learn the map like the back of your hand. hence why i think it's intuitive. this is not to mention damacy also has pretty memorable levels as well, such as the one where the king goes "BANANA", the one where he remarks about quadruplets not being twins. or the one where you fall off the clouds at the start, or slingshotting your way across the map in the final level. i think it's unfortunate people dont see damacy's level design the way i do, because the small map selection enhances it i think. this doesnt even touch the hub level design. all future hubs in the series suck. we love in particular is slow to navigate, but that criticism can be levied to all future games to an extent. however, there's also so much shit everywhere in beautiful/me and my katamari's hub it's hard to find the next level. in damacy, its so simple. you got the cousin planet, your save planet that also has extras, and then level select planet. levels you already beat are clearly marked as such, too it's perfect and quick and i dont know why they changed it in future games.
the music in this series is goated. 95% of the songs are bangers. the rest arent bad even i just wouldnt listen to them regularly. there's so many classics in damacy's ost too. you got the obvious, like lonely rolling star, but also roll me in, katamari of love, gin tonic, moon and the prince, lovely angel and my personal favorite, que sera sera. now, i think beautiful katamari has a teensy leg up on overall ost , cuz damacy still has a few stinkers like you are smart which just grates on my ears. but damacy's ost rarely misses, and i love it. its definitely in the top 5 osts, and hovers around 1/2. i didnt directly cry at que sera sera this time, but i came close. i did cry at katamari of love yet again, though!
there was this video i saw a while back about how the theme of damacy was cosmic insignificance, how you mean nothing in the grand scheme of things to these godlike beings. i think this reading of damacy is not only depressing but flat out wrong. i think the theme of damacy lies in connection to others. throughout the game you roll things and people up, the game ends with you rolling every country up. the song that plays during this sequence is literally about how people in the world misunderstand each other and its why we dont get along. it's literally the game's thesis, rolling everything up is just an allegory for world peace, solidarity with everyone despite disagreements, finding compromise and the beauty that comes from that. it's not about how you dont matter in the cosmos, quite the opposite. it's about how we're insignificant alone, but by joining forces we hold so much significance that we dont even realize it. i think katamari of love is probbably my favorite ending sequence in a game, though never more and i miss you is also up there as well.
i think katamari is one of those rare lightning in a bottle experiences. you can tell there was never meant to be a sequel, let alone a franchise, because it all wraps up so perfectly. the galaxy is saved, and the prince grew a bit. you roll up the entirety of earth and go have a party. thats a pretty bold ending for it to only continue afterwards. and despite loving beautiful katamari for replicating the vibes of damacy, something which i still think we love did not, it still feels somewhat.. sad that the series continued after this. its such a perfect experience, easily beat in a few sittings and it sticks with you. but it was milked dry, yknow. that kinda sucks. i liked the rest of the series, yeah, but none came close to beautiful, and even beautiful doesn't quite match damacy. i dont know where im going with this, but i think damacy and beautiful are the only ones ill be replaying in the future. unless forever is also super goated. but i dunno, i just see something in beautiful and damacy that i dont in the others. there's something so heartwarming about katamari and im super glad i got into it. whenever the prince waves "see you later" i know ill be back. the next one ill play is probably forever. but im glad i replayed this one, and im glad i got more out of it than any other time. such a good game. so go on and…
roll, prince, roll!
rolling the balls. Making bigger balls. Life is good
This cute little game features a soundtrack with jazz, bossa nova and techno tracks?! I just wanna roll forever with my headphones on!
rolling on the go? to die for. i've seen people complain about feeling motion sick while playing this in handheld, but as long as you're strong and true to yourself there shouldn't be any issues. this playthrough was NOT 100%.
i enjoy how random the game is and the graphics are really cool. a bit short if your arent after a completion but still amazing. liked.
I can see the charm oozing from this game from a mile away so I understand this is entirely a me thing, but it just didn't click with me. The gameplay loop seems fun, but it doesn't seem variable enough to last a whole game.
Perfect
very lovely game
I had wanted to play this game for 19 years. Finally did. It did not live up to my expectations, unfortunately. The most disappointing part of this game was finding out that all the things I liked about it didn't require me to actually play it.
The gameplay is whelming.
The gameplay is whelming.
this is my shit
YOOOOOO--- yagate hikari kagayaku, seiza to nare~
If you asked me to list off my top 5 favorite games this game is a contender for the number 1 position, coming par with long form RPGs that left me changed fundamentally as a person, a la Trails from Zero&Trails to Azure, or short, fantastic experiences like LIVE A LIVE, Hotline Miami 2, or Katana ZERO. At this point this review has been written and rewritten entirely two times just so that I can try to convey what this game is to me.
This game is a masterpiece and possibly one of the most artistically sound games ever released. There is no other game like Katamari Damacy, and there will never be another game like Katamari Damacy. There /can/ never be another game like Katamari Damacy. I actually get emotional every time I play this game. I cannot make it through the credits without tearing up. I almost make it, too, but when I hear that line, "YOOOOOO--- yagate hikari kagayaku, seiza to nare~" something just takes me over. The spirit of this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ clump just wells up in me and I lose it. I trip on my words. I laugh. I cry. I send messages to my friends to tell them I love them. And then I play the whole damn game over again.
This game is beautiful. This game is made with love and kindness and hope all rolled into one. If more people could play this game, and really sit down and understand what it truly means, to see each other for who we really are, and recognize that the only thing that truly divides us are the walls we ourselves build, then... I think we could all become beautiful shining stars.
If you asked me to list off my top 5 favorite games this game is a contender for the number 1 position, coming par with long form RPGs that left me changed fundamentally as a person, a la Trails from Zero&Trails to Azure, or short, fantastic experiences like LIVE A LIVE, Hotline Miami 2, or Katana ZERO. At this point this review has been written and rewritten entirely two times just so that I can try to convey what this game is to me.
This game is a masterpiece and possibly one of the most artistically sound games ever released. There is no other game like Katamari Damacy, and there will never be another game like Katamari Damacy. There /can/ never be another game like Katamari Damacy. I actually get emotional every time I play this game. I cannot make it through the credits without tearing up. I almost make it, too, but when I hear that line, "YOOOOOO--- yagate hikari kagayaku, seiza to nare~" something just takes me over. The spirit of this ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ clump just wells up in me and I lose it. I trip on my words. I laugh. I cry. I send messages to my friends to tell them I love them. And then I play the whole damn game over again.
This game is beautiful. This game is made with love and kindness and hope all rolled into one. If more people could play this game, and really sit down and understand what it truly means, to see each other for who we really are, and recognize that the only thing that truly divides us are the walls we ourselves build, then... I think we could all become beautiful shining stars.
Rejugado de principio a fin por primera vez en 4 años y sigue siendo uno de mis juegos favoritos
Such a unique classic. In terms of creativity alone, no game comes close to being as fantastic as this.
The controls are so much fun. And for how strange the control scheme would seem on paper, it just works perfectly. Rolling up stuff to be the biggest I could possibly be is so fun that it can become very addicting for me.
This game's vibrant and colorful artstyle with it's eclectic soundtrack varying from strange and quirky electronic beats to the most beautiful jazz you've heard in your life, make this the most pleasant experience you can have playing a game.
The ongoing thing of the katamari being a driving force of bringing people on Earth happiness and joy is also a neat artistic touch that I love so much.
All and all a fantastic game.
The controls are so much fun. And for how strange the control scheme would seem on paper, it just works perfectly. Rolling up stuff to be the biggest I could possibly be is so fun that it can become very addicting for me.
This game's vibrant and colorful artstyle with it's eclectic soundtrack varying from strange and quirky electronic beats to the most beautiful jazz you've heard in your life, make this the most pleasant experience you can have playing a game.
The ongoing thing of the katamari being a driving force of bringing people on Earth happiness and joy is also a neat artistic touch that I love so much.
All and all a fantastic game.
Es todo tan estúpido y feliz que no puedo evitar sonreir cuando veo que mi pequeña bola del tamaño de un ratón ahora es del tamaño de un rascacielos y absorbe todo como un agujero negro.
this videogame screams "videogame" and i love it