Noby Noby Boy to get February release

By Robert Purchese Published 22 January, 2009

Not a "so-called 'game'" - Namco Bandai.

Namco Bandai has apparently said Noby Noby Boy will now be released on PlayStation Network worldwide from 19th February. Japan and Korea had expected a 29th January launch. Suckers.

The evidence comes from a marketing leaflet reproduced on Kotaku. Interestingly, the same document stipulates that the quirky title "cannot be classified as a so-called 'game'".

Noby Noby Boy is the next project from celebrated developer Keita Takahashi, who created Katamari Damacy and sequel We Love Katamari.

The marketing document admits Noby Noby Boy is "hard to explain", but claims "the content will pick up its own players" and has a "profound meaning", which is being kept secret for now.

There's also a warning: "Please note: depending on your mood, you can get addicted to it."

Noby Noby Boy puts players in control of a worm-like character referred to as BOY. He's very stretchy, and the aim is to independently move his head and feet to be as far apart as possible. The bigger the stretch, the bigger the points.

Points are then submitted online to GIRL, who uses them to stretch from the Earth to the Moon and beyond, unlocking more areas as she goes.

Pop over to our Noby Noby Boy gallery for the latest screenshots, and look out for our thoughts soon.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (41) Latest comment 3 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Rash' #1 3 years ago

    i'm interested to see how they price this.

  • optimusprym8 #2 3 years ago

    wohoh birthday release for me

  • mcwildcard #3 3 years ago

    I get the feeling I'm going to fall in love with this, yet I have absolutely no idea why, or even what it is.
    My Katamari-tinted glasses may be a factor...

  • myiagros #4 3 years ago

    The games i'm looking forward to most over the next couple of months are both PSN releases.

    Flower and Noby Noby Boy, are both must buys for me, as i loved their creators previous litles, and both in just over a week!!

    \o/ \o/ \o/ \o/ \o/

  • Doctor_What #5 3 years ago

    Na na, na na na na na naaa Katamari Damacy.

    Bugger. That's back in my head again now.

  • Golgo #6 3 years ago

    BOY must stretch longer in order to impress GIRL. I think I can see the 'profound meaning' Namco-Bandai are driving at.
    Edited by 1 at 22/01/09 @ 11:16

  • knocker #7 3 years ago

    @mcwildcard + myiagros

    Couldn't agree more ... sadly I don't own a PS3 ... arrrggh

  • Beano #8 3 years ago

    wow...

  • beckyh #9 3 years ago

    What a strange looking title with an even stranger name. Bound to be a hit :-)

  • myiagros #10 3 years ago

    Namco still need to sort out getting the original Katamari playable in this country.

    The original is the best in the Katamari series by a distance.

    We Love Katamari, despite being great, isn't as pure or charming, lacked to cohesion of the first game, and also felt a bit clunky to play in comparison.

  • Raz76 #11 3 years ago

    So it's not a game, but there are points?

  • mrmonkey1980 #12 3 years ago

    Yay for innovation! Take that sequel whores!

  • Widge #13 3 years ago

    Cool, this will wonderfully compliment the PS3's gaming catalogue while adding to the alternative titles that exist.

    FUCK YEAH FOR DIVERSITY.

  • myiagros #14 3 years ago

    This will very much be a game, just as LocoRoco Cocoreccho was, which they said wasn't a game either, but it was.

  • dadrester #15 3 years ago

    So it's not a game, but there are points?

    weight watchers has points and that's not a game.

  • Widge #16 3 years ago

    Yeah, I was surprised by that. £2 and wasn't expecting to find a boss section AND get defeated. Was expecting 2 mins, experience, done.

  • Raz76 #17 3 years ago

    @ dadrester

    Except you win at life..
    Anyway, I'm not doubting this will be great but from the description it sure sounds like a game.

  • Kryon #18 3 years ago

    Right, so first they release a game about 'flowers' and now we have a title where the main character seems to be a giant rainbow coloured penis that snakes around things, and it's called Noby Noby Boy?...

    Gh3yStation3lol

  • Widge #19 3 years ago

    You seen the review about a peace loving alien on here? I'd say wheel out the AWESOME cliches in there too!

  • NotSoSlim #20 3 years ago

    Look pathetic fanboys come crawling out of the woodwork.

  • EuroGorman #21 3 years ago

    Thankgod for bizarre japanese games.
    They are the only thing remotely interesting to be developed these days.
    Way to many FPS/shooting/Sports/Driving titles and i don't like any of them.

  • Triggerhappytel #22 3 years ago

    farticus, would you please do us a favour? Right, we all know you hate the PS3; you probably have it tatooed on your forehead. But can you please stay the fuck out of PS3 game topics with your incessant and frankly embarrasing ranting over how shit you think the console and it's games are? We've heard it hundreds if not thousands of times before and frankly, it's getting a little boring now.

    And - believe it or not - some people are not only looking forward to games like this, but enjoy the PS3's back-catalogue too!! I know; incredible, isn't it?!

  • Kryon #23 3 years ago

    True, farty, but it is a gayme.

  • Doctor_What #24 3 years ago

    You've not played the f*ing thing Farty, just like you've not played on Flower. It might be a new genre and because it doesn't fit into the usual boxes they decided to say it's something a bit different to keep people's minds open. You know... Trying new things.

    You're always so quick to judge experimental titles on the PS3 as being rubbish, coupled with your consistent 'the PS3 is crap and anyone who disagrees with me is stupid or in denial' attitude, you're getting very tiresome.

  • chessboxer #25 3 years ago

    The funny thing is, the PS3 has more exclusive games with a metacritic rating of 80 and above than the 360. It's very close but the PS3 does have the lead... and that doesn't even include Killzone 2 which currently has a rating of 97.

    When I say exclusive, I mean the dictionary definition (Not divided or shared with others) of exclusive. Not bad for a "Blu-ray player" with no games.

  • Triggerhappytel #26 3 years ago

    Farticus.

    So, most of us here in this thread are actually expressing interest at titles like NNB or Flower, and yet you come in, say this game looks like crap like most PS3 games, and yet you claim this is not trolling. I would be very interested to hear how you believe taking a topic off the rails and criticising something no-one had previously mentioned is not trolling.

    Also, stop lying and saying the console doesn't have enough good exclusives to justify a purchase, because that criticism just doesn't cut it any more. Twelve months ago, maybe, but after a strong 2008 the PS3 has hit its stride.
    Edited by 1 at 22/01/09 @ 15:33

  • mingster #27 3 years ago

    Ive not seen anything yet to justify a ps3 purchase.
    Only thing i want is Disgaea 3

  • Diomedes #28 3 years ago

    Enough ,have to use that ignore that ignore button on good old trollicus farticus

  • myiagros #29 3 years ago

    according to PS3Fanboy this will be released for just £2.49.

    [link url=http://www.ps3fanboy.com/200 9/01/22/europe-to-hobnob-noby-noby-boy-this-february-19/
    ]http://ww w.ps3fanboy.com/2009/01/22/euro...[/link]

    that sound like an absolute steal!!

  • Triggerhappytel #30 3 years ago

    Interesting way you avoided commenting on my point about your trolling.

    You may not like the PS3's line-up, but any console which can boast AAA games like LittleBigPlanet, Resistance 2, Metal Gear Solid 4, Wipeout HD, Valkyria Chronicles, Uncharted and Ratchet & Clank is worthy of anyone's money. I'm not denying that the console is too expensive and I'm not denying that the 360 has a better line-up, but I am sick of people claiming the PS3 has no good games.

    And I want to ignore you... But I also want to reply. I want you to realise how inexorably anti the console you are, even when your reasons don't hold any credence.

  • TheRook21 #31 3 years ago

    Kyron said True, farty, but it is a gayme.

    Is that a not so subtle hint as to your sexual preference?

    Kyron said gay me.

  • kangarootoo #32 3 years ago

    This "its not a game" stuff always make me sigh with boredom.

    I just read the article. The game in question has goals (stretch the BOY thing) and it has rewards (points) so it is a game. Plain and simple, it meets the dictionary definition of a game, so it is a game. There is no "so-called" about it.



    And can I also suggest that everybody simply ignores Farticus.

    I keep reading these threads full of people asking him to stop being a cock. Clearly that is a task beyond his means, so just IGNORE HIM in both the conceptual and literal sense.

    I used to say "I don't ignore anyone", because for some deluded reason I felt that everybody has something of interest to say at some point of another. That sentiment was a moment of madness and I am over it now.

    The truth is some people NEVER have something of interest to say because they are childish and thick in equal measure, and believe me when I say ignoring them makes life much better - as you can consequently devote more time to hearing the opinions of the people who have more than two brain cells to rub together to make a fire.

  • Beano #33 3 years ago

    "I'm not denying that the console is too expensive and I'm not denying that the 360 has a better line-up, but I am sick of people claiming the PS3 has no good games."

    Amen :)

  • kangarootoo #34 3 years ago

    @Triggerhappytel

    "And I want to ignore you... But I also want to reply"

    That is a grassroots error right there. Its like shouting a seagull that has crapped on your shoulder.

    "I want you to realise how inexorably anti the console you are, even when your reasons don't hold any credence."

    It will never happen. Farticus is one of those people who enjoys being a dick. He may even already realise that his posts are ludicrous, but what makes him tick is getting a rise out of posters like you. By responding and trying to reason with him you are giving him control. The truth is, mad idiots don't realise they are mad idiots because they are mad and idiotic. Rest in that knowledge, and hit that ignore button.

  • AllenSpawn #35 3 years ago

    @ farticus

    dont fancy playing noby noby?

    still waiting for that surfs up sequel? eh?
    Now that was a game,dude!



    sorry, did i say dude.....i meant c*nt

  • AllenSpawn #36 3 years ago

    @ farticus

    you ARE worth the effort.......c*nt

    (i know its childish....but man it feels good to say that)
    speaking of childish, you are happy to troll everything that is ps3 without playing it....and yet are happy to play surfs up and defend it to the hilt
    also speaking of childish, you are 37,as you mentioned before and you have a username based on a bodily function.... a hot smelly gas.....which is mostly what you spout

  • kangarootoo #37 3 years ago

    @AllenSpawn

    Seriously, if farticus keeps goading you and you keep responding, he is "winning". If he says jump, you say "get stuffed", but he made you speak.

  • Triggerhappytel #38 3 years ago

    So anyway, Noby Noby Boy sounds good, and for a few pounds I think I'll definitely be making an investment. It's going to be a good couple of months for PSN with the likes of this and Flower.

    Futher, does anyone know when Trine and Fat Princess are supposed to be coming out?

  • 3william56 #39 3 years ago

    Hmmm... on the fence about this one. Could be another slice of genius, could be pants.
    Love Katamari to pieces, and really want to see a version on the PS3 (though I still have the back compat KD, so not all lost), but will see the review for NNB before deciding. Or if it's under a tenner ($), it'll be a drunken impulse buy, the way God intended.

    @AllenSpawn - the other reason not to respond to morons is that it allows them to clog the thread despite hitting being Ignored by the general populous. I was sort of against the Ignore, but finally got tired of them, and it's bliss, really. Once they realise that no-one can hear their sh*t, they might f**k off and pollute some other forum. But on Ignore, it doesn't really matter. :)

  • cherrylocke #40 3 years ago

    it looks great and fun to play, check out the youtube vids.

  • m0thr4 #41 3 years ago

    I'm sold. I'm really starting to get into all these quirky little titles the PSN store keeps dishing out... and I'm finding less and less time or enthusiasm for the tired old rehashes that get released on plastic discs (on any console).