After being recommended Shantae as a series due to my love for Metroidvania's, I thought I'd give one a shot. This seemed like a good place to start. I haven't ever taken the time to figure out what the series was like; I've just heard about it in passing a few times over the years. Turns out it's ~almost~ the kind of game that I love.

First, I'd like to get this out of the way: the ways the girls are designed (all the exact same way) is a bit weird. I'm not one to ever point something like this out, or even care... but this is by far the most egregious example of random/unnecessary fan service. (I don't go near other games that are way over the top with this, so this stands out to me.) Again, I don't really care about it in most games, but here it stood out immediately as very intentional and very distracting. Especially when the character art is shoved in your face constantly when conversations are being had. Also, it's such a jarring difference between the pixel art aesthetic and the very high resolution illustrations of the characters when in dialogue. All around just some strange/off-putting choices regarding the art.

To be honest, that last paragraph has nothing to do with my low-ish score of this game, though. That's not something that would move the needle of a games quality for me, I just figured it needed to be pointed out.

Anyways - the actual game. At first, I was optimistic. I think the game controls very well - the way a platformer should. The jumps are tight, the animation is smooth, the knockback feels right, the upgrades to your arsenal are fun, and the precision of all of your inputs is appreciated. I was thinking hey, we might have another Guacamelee/Hollow Knight on our hands here.

The problem arises when the "loop" sets in. I played up until the second last island. It became clear half-way through that you end up doing something similar on every island, and it got to be boring. Unlock a new island, go to it, realize you can't progress, go back to a spot on the island 2 islands ago, find a hidden path to get a random item for someone, give it to them, earn something to now progress on the new island - repeat.

It's somehow both too linear in its design and also too vague. The conversations had by the characters are not nearly interesting/engaging enough to truly pay attention to, so I was constantly looking up where to go next. Sometimes I clued in to what I was supposed to be doing, but about half the time I hit a wall and was like.... what? Where do I go? This is something that rarely happens in other Metroidvania's. Getting lost is part of the genre, though. In this game, it doesn't feel like getting lost while exploring, it just feels like you're going the way you should be but you hit an arbitrary wall that forces you to backtrack. It's not a smooth process; like I said, it's oddly linear. Oh, you walked to the right for 2 minutes through a mess of enemies that are piling on screen at an awkward rate. So much so that they overlap each other, sometimes. Welp, you hit a wall, time to turn around and go back through it so that you can get an item you didn't know you'd need. But guess what? Now you get to spam Y on your way back through those enemies for a third time! (Yes, I know the teleporting barrel thing exists, I used it frequently once I realized what it was.)

The map is an important tool in any Metroidvania. In this game, it serves its purpose (red/yellow squares are appreciated) but doesn't go any further to aid your quest. It would be nice to be able to look at the map of any island regardless of where you are. Additionally, I think adding the ability to place a pin on the map would do wonders. Plenty of times I came across something I couldn't access (like a hole/gap/chest) and assumed I could return to it later. The problem is, half of these things are mandatory to progress and half of them are just extra items. There's no way to know which ones are truly important to remember. I also don't think the areas are memorable enough to have me recall the exact location I came across something. Within each island, most of the scenery is very samey. Even in situations where I knew what kind of item I needed to progress, I had no idea where it was. They're always in super arbitrary spots. One of the last ones I got just required me to go back 2 islands, wander around and find a random patch of grass I could now destroy with my downward thrust. Why? Well, I guess that's how Metroidvania's work. I guess everything just felt like it lacked context. It didn't feel purposefully placed.

The music in this game is fantastic, though. Nothing to complain about there. Loved every tune I heard. Almost reminded me of Banjo-Kazooie music, which is some of my favourite video game music around.

In terms of the combat and your arsenal of tools... it's a mixed bag. Fighting things feels good, if you're just considering how it feels to jump around, dodge, and attack enemies. The problem is that it's, again, really basic. There's barely any reason to attack anything with things other than your basic attack. It's by far the most powerful way to fight. The game kinda just turns in to mashing Y. Outside of bosses, which were a highlight of the game. I liked the way the pistol was used to manipulate platforms, though that ability wasn't used much. The glider is cool, too. The scimitar was a pretty boring addition that late in to the game. I liked the way the boots were implemented because they weren't super easy to pull off, but it felt fair.

Overall, it just feels too by-the-books in its design for me. The segmentation of all the islands made it feel like I wasn't really exploring anything - I was just following a path until the game told me I wasn't allowed to. A Metroidvania is all about the interconnected paths and how you learn to slowly unveil new ways to explore the map. I didn't get that feeling at all here. It's a shame, because I love the way the game plays. It feels right, which I always say is the most important aspect. I suppose in a game like this, the exploration/progression is equally as important.

I likely won't be trying the newer games in the series, as they are supposedly easier than this one. I did find this game a bit too easy for my tastes, combat/platforming wise, so any easier would probably make things worse.
Maybe, though. I haven't totally written it off. There's a decent amount to like here, but it's on the lower end for me as far as Metroidvanias go.

Forget it, forget the panda thing! We dont want to be a panda!
We are Us. The King is the King.
We finally just realized that We are nothing without Katamari Damacy.
The King of All Cosmos exists to make sure that everyone has
a nice, happy time.

In the early 2000s Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi was propositioned to direct another game. Believing that the industry relied too much on sequels that limited employee creativity, he was initinally very opposed, but agreed upon learning that the project would continue with or without his presence. Contradictory to Bandai Namco's demands, what would come out of this was a deeply loving and moving game; foreign to the industry.

Named We Love Katamari, the game is set upon completing requests from fictional fans. A self-aware response to the outpouring of love from players of the original Katamari Damacy, this game takes a very different route from its predecessor. Aware of its presence as a game in the world, the King himself struggles between moving on and making people happy. Despite the beliefs Keita has on sequels, this format of a game could have never been done as an original project, and in itself was a wholly unique concept.
Despite the circumstances of its creation, in the end i am more than glad that everything in this game came to be. There is nothing Keita touches that isnt made with love and care. Its not really possible for me to describe my attachment, or even put into words everything i like about this game, but there are so few creations in the medium that feel so loving. There are few games that come together completely like Katamari does, and there are few games that are directly a realized product of someones imagination. It is like looking into a world without the gaming industry's marketing and restraints, but i would be lying if i said this is what meant the most to me, as an artistic accomplishment.

No, of course my favorite thing is the King. The King feels altered from his debut in Katamari Damacy, becoming reflective of himself and less harsh on the Prince. I have never had a father, but i do remember sitting in front of my tv years ago listening to the King talk about his pompadour, about how youth is embarassing..but it is more than important to live it. And i started tearing up a little, because was something so foreign that i would have never heard otherwise. But it made me very determined to continue rolling, i wanted to make the best katamari so the King would be proud of me. And it felt very good when he was. Learning about the Kings childhood, about his father and the sadness of his youth, this all felt very real and endearing in contrast to the silliness of the game. There is a deep purpose and melancholy embedded in the game, but it also feels like a hopeful thing. The King is not simply a character from a game, especially here in WLK. He does not serve an archtype, but rather comes directly from Keita and his team with the self-aware nature of things. Which is why his lessons and thoughts feel much more real, much more touching. Yes, there are few games in this world that open doors for people, but We Love Katamari is certainly one of them. I am happy it exists, i do love katamari.

I dont have to speak on the fun of the levels and how funny the cousins act, because that is a given. As a remaster, the heightened graphics are beautiful. But it makes me sad seeing the extra stuff that is added in. It sticks out like a sore thumb, it wasnt really necessary. And its not Keita who made it, obviously. Despite the HD graphics i might prefer this less than the original due to the prominence of the extra levels. I am still happy to be able to play this game again though, as i wouldnt of been able to otherwise. The best version of playing WLK might be the original with some sort of graphical mod. Getting the prettiest katamari experience with none of Namco's deflated levels.

Katamari Damacy makes me feel loved. it shows me happiness and child-like simplicity. There is not a thing in the game that does not make me smile. Maybe it is best to move on, but its fun to come back to every now and then. A very comfortable home for me!

Its important to think ahead, but not as important as being in the moment.
Okay! Lets keep making the katamari even bigger!
Lets do it!