We Love Katamari Review

By Tom Bramwell Published 3 October, 2005

For all the world, it's not a sequel.

Version tested: PlayStation 2

"It came to a point where the company was willing to release a sequel without me," Keita Takahashi has said of his reluctance to make this game. History will show that he then got on board and didn't make one anyway. We Love Katamari is an anti-sequel. It doesn't really continue or escalate (on the latter point - we rolled up the world last time, so how could it?); it manipulates itself under the guise of celebration and repopulation.

We Love Katamari is literally about how much we all loved Katamari. Having identified the King of All Cosmos as one of the first game's crowning achievements, Takahashi and his team have channelled the game's popularity into the man with the suspicious bulge, using his fascination with, well, our fascination to their advantage, presenting subtle refinements as tasks dreamt up by fans of the original game that the King now feels obligated to act upon. Albeit only after he's been paid some sycophantic compliment and dispatched the long-suffering prince in his stead. Genius. So what does the King conclude we liked about the first game? "Our magnificent chin."

Running into and alongside the original game rather than beyond it, We Love Katamari is likely to appeal to virtually everybody - good news for those of us in Europe who never got to play the first game, and cause enough to quickly re-establish the basics, much as the game does. Using two analog sticks to roll around (probably the best use of two sticks since the invention of fire) in a manner that you could probably compare to caterpillar tracks on each side of a tank, you navigate a deliberately blocky stylised world where literally anything of the right size can stick to your ball, called a katamari. As your katamari grows, you can roll up larger objects, and their individual shapes and sizes are reflected in the ball's own shape and mass, both of which are reflected in its dynamic movement. Pick up a pencil and the katamari will bobble up on each end; pick up a ton-weight and it'll roll slowly until it reaches the peak and then fast as it descends. For pencil, later you roll up the post office. For ton-weight, later you roll Alaska.

'We Love Katamari' Screenshot hat

Note the hat. You'll find it hard not to wear.

The one way that We Love Katamari does escalate is obviously in the King's involvement. He's an even chattier sod now. As he continually remarks upon and mocks things (complaining that he can't talk during loading pauses, for example), the light-hearted banter comes across like a friend (with verbal diarrhea) who's watching you play, and the developer nurtures that sensation of being in merry company with vibrant colours and levels peppered with cute jokes and little winks and nods. Yet for all the King's pomposity, the funky sound effects, the bright and merry palette and the elastic soundtrack (complete with a capella reworkings of old themes to continue the theme of not fixing what isn't broken), it's never a game you'd call brash, noisy or random - the real character is in the little details, like the way objects brighten up as they hit your katamari, trumpets play little tunes as they join your collective, and the way that the King complains if you roll off the starting point before he's finished talking. Through this mixture of commentary and subtlety, it's a homely game that still manages to be a deliciously individual experience.

Of course this time you can actually get a second player involved co-operatively in certain cases, but this isn't as big a deal as it might seem. The real hooks are still in the single-player game. Mission goals have been refined - rolling a piddly man over picnics and takeaway until he's blubbery enough to roll over the local sumo, or keeping a flaming katamari alight by rolling over combustible objects and then presenting the result as a campfire. As have gameplay conditions - rolling around the bottom of a lake, which affects the pace and movement of the katamari as you'd expect (and laughs in the face of my old theory about water never doing much good for games that made their name on dry land); collecting fireflies in pitch-black; or tearing around an island race circuit at higher speed than usual until you're not just rolling up fellow racers but the buildings and grandstands themselves.

'We Love Katamari' Screenshot flowers

The flower katamari is one of the most gorgeous, and the music ('Beautiful Star') is so peaceful and elegant.

These changes work in tandem with a reward structure that presents tangible gains (whether simply amusing, like a giraffe head hat or a King mask, or practical like a camera that lets you store up to three pictures of your favourite scenes) and replay incentives (higher scores are one thing, but bigger katamari are a more exciting reflection of greater achievements; and the prince's cousins who lurk around each level offer greater motivation to scour the levels again) so that the whole feels greater and more interesting than it did before. There's even a "roll up the sun" level, where you motor around a starscape collecting your own katamari in the hope of being big enough to gather up the sun at the end. Those who imported the first game can import katamari constellations from that savegame - and while that probably won't be true of the PAL version for obvious reasons, it's indicative of the sort of logic and fun that informs the game design throughout.

It does fall down slightly from time to time. The camera can be a touch restrictive and frustrating when your view's obscured, there are a few glitches here and there, and the controls are initially unwieldy for the unpractised. But in general these flaws can be forgiven - whether it's because you love the game's concept, its aesthetic, its music, its comedy, its simplicity, its spectacle, or any combination of elements.

Thing is, succeeding Katamari Damacy was never going to be an easy task partly because of that. The problem with a universally loved game is that there are so many reasons why it's loved. That's why it needed Keita Takahashi and why, however much it pained him, we're glad he agreed to do it. He's recognised that sequels to this kind of game are more likely than any to fall foul of the law of diminishing returns. We Love Katamari is distinct enough without breaking itself, and turns loving itself into a way for us to continue loving it - in the process eking about as much out of its successes as the core concept's likely to support. He hasn't made a sequel - he's made a different kind of follow-up. Given his achievements first time around, that shouldn't come as any surprise. Takahashi-san, I wanna hold your chin!

9 / 10

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Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (44) Latest comment 6 years ago

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

  • optimusprym8 #1 6 years ago

    Na naaaa, nan an na na n naaaaa...

  • Talha #2 6 years ago

    Itching to play this. What a concept, and equally beautiful is the exquisite review granted to it by EG.

  • Twinfalls #3 6 years ago

    (tum tum dadadum tum tum)

    Na..na nanananana nana na nana na.......

  • Bill-Lumberg #4 6 years ago

    Is there a confirmed release date yet for the PAL version? Was it February?

  • Psi #5 6 years ago

    need this game!!...

  • Talha #6 6 years ago

    Unless it was a launch title for X360, eh? ;-)

  • Derblington #7 6 years ago

    Dil, Don't bother.

    Looks good. Never played Katamari - should you play the first first or plough straight into the second?

  • Blerk #8 6 years ago

    Even I'm going to buy it. Yes. You heard.

  • renzo #9 6 years ago

    You're dead inside, man. Dead.

  • tonynibbles #10 6 years ago

    Go back to slagging off in PS3 article comments...

    Katamari is in a league of its own...

  • trevd72 #11 6 years ago

    i must be only person who does not get this game. I imported the first one and i really could not see what the buzz was about. I still dont see it. i might pick this up and have another crack at it.

    What I would like to see is an update to Bounder that was a corker on the old C64. Now there is a game that involes a round thing that really rocks.

  • Derblington #12 6 years ago

    "Even I'm going to buy it. Yes. You heard." - Blerk

    /dies

  • Carrybagma #13 6 years ago

    This is awkward - I'm actually feeling a tiny bit left out that I don't own a PS2 for the first time...

    Do enjoy, PS2 owners.

  • #14 6 years ago

    \o/

    this doesn;t get 9/10 for it's originality, it gets this high score because the gameplay is *SO* spot-on...

    ROFL... We Love Katamari = Gaming Zen :)

  • Talha #15 6 years ago

    What if I play it and am not impressed? Will I be a pariah or something?

    /dusts off bunker

  • #16 6 years ago

    I dunno what you'll be... Different maybe :)

  • Talha #17 6 years ago

    WHERE IS THE BURNOUT REVIEW????

    Oops, I forgot. They are not posting it just to irk me! ;-)

  • #18 6 years ago

    it's on the PS2?

    *knocks 2 points off final score*

    ' Itching to play this. What a concept, and equally beautiful is the exquisite review granted to it by EG.'

    wtf? are you a professional fluffer or do you owe EG money or something? :D
    Edited by 1 at 03/10/05 @ 11:16

  • Talha #19 6 years ago

    Just someone who appreciates a good piece of writing, and trying to show appreciation when it is actually felt. Or is it a crime?

  • Derblington #20 6 years ago

    Arnie, bearing in mind you hate Sony, don't own a PS2, won't play this game and think EG is bias to Sony, why did you comment in this thread?

    I'm not trying to start anything (as you're aware, I'm capable of actually conversing and debating with you) but it just seems like you want another arguement.

  • gibbondrives #21 6 years ago

    *wants*

  • Dr Strangelove #22 6 years ago

    Cake Anyone :p

  • smelly #23 6 years ago

    gawd.. Even a thread about a bloody brilliant game like katamari ends up with fanboys going off on one..

    Sigh.. Makes ya wonder...

  • #24 6 years ago

    i'm not really slating the game, just amazed at some of the gushing praise flooding the thread ;)

  • Feanor #25 6 years ago

    Why would you be amazed? Go check the gamerankings reviews and see the same thing.

    One thing this review didn't mention is that the story in this game (about the King's childhood) is even better and more funny than the story about the blockhead family in the first game.

  • #26 6 years ago

    No matter how some of you fanboys try, there is no denying this is a fantastic game...

  • smelly #27 6 years ago

    Right.. am i understanding this right? People are slating it because it's not got realistic pretty pixels?

    It's still a lovely looking game? Or is this down to all you "mature" kids thinking it looks to "kiddy" for them?

    Either way, i feel sorry for you.. you're missing out on some top games (such as this) if all you base things on is fundamentally shallow prettyness of it all?

    That's like only listening to certain music because you fancy the artist performing it, and not because you like the music surely? Oh wait.. does a quick look at the english pop charts.. burries head in hands...

  • Blerk #28 6 years ago

    Right.. am i understanding this right? People are slating it because it's not got realistic pretty pixels?

    My understanding was that they were slating it because it appears on the PS2. No other reason.

  • smelly #29 6 years ago

    "My understanding was that they were slating it because it appears on the PS2"

    Jealously? Stupidity?

    Wouldve personally have thought the audience that wouldve gone for this better (over here at least) wouldve been cube owners, as they're the types that are more likely to enjoy a quirky game (thus the console they bought).

    But just because it's on a different machine to one you own, doesnt make it a bad game? I dont own a PS2, but i REALLY hope this succeeds (just like i hope any innovative fun game succeeds), as a gamesplayer we WANT this kind of thing to do well, then we may actually get MORE innovative fun games, and LESS f*****ing fps/racing games.

    Anyone who doesnt want that.. and wants it to fail just becasue its not on their system.. is a hatstand

    pure and simple.

  • Scimarad #30 6 years ago

    I'm going to hold off on importing and buy the PAL version. It would be a bit crap if they released it over here and all the fans have already imported it:-)
    Edited by 1 at 03/10/05 @ 18:36

  • inpHilltr8r #31 6 years ago

    Stupid stupid x-bots.

  • IronGiant #32 6 years ago

    Utterly brilliant game.. one of the reasons i'll get a PS3 at some point is to continue playing games like this long after my PS2 has been sold.

  • Xerx3s #33 6 years ago

    "Go back to slagging off in PS3 article comments... " - Oi, thats me job tyvm! ^_^

  • smelly #34 6 years ago

    "Makes sense to go for the largest installed base IMO."

    Hmm.. not really.. But I cant think of a way of putting my point accross without immediately having some child label me as a fanboy.. So I wont bother, and will just agree with you :-)

  • yagisencho #35 6 years ago

    I bought a PS2 only after having played the original Katamari Damacy on a friend's system. Nuf said.

  • Zuiyo #36 6 years ago

    I bought a PlayStation 2 just to play Gradius V. But I would play this game too.

  • Talha #37 6 years ago

    I wonder what all the fuss is about. PS2 has the largest installed base, it has the biggest library of games, so is it reason enough to hate it? I mean, do you people hate success or what? And for fuck's sake don't bring GC into the equation - there are precious few games for it. Just because some of you apparently think that the GC has some kind of fantastic 'quirky' chip built in, does not mean that a game is only good if it appears on that machine.

    Edited by 1 at 04/10/05 @ 06:53

  • Teeth #38 6 years ago

    Two comments from known trolls and you're all turning it into a console war again. You lot are so easy. Especially you, smelly. Why get worked up about it? Just ignore it and it will go away. Yeh?

  • Talha #39 6 years ago

    The best part of being a 'known troll' is being 'known'!

  • Teeth #40 6 years ago

    I wasn't talking about you, cronk :)

  • Talha #41 6 years ago

    Surely not me?!

  • Teeth #42 6 years ago

    If you must know I was talking about arnie and dil, who very elegantly derailed the entire topic with just a couple of squarely placed trolls.

  • smelly #43 6 years ago

    "Especially you, smelly. Why get worked up about it?"

    Because it's funny that people seem to care so much about inatimate objects?

    All I have to say is something like I personally think that in the uk, the sales of this game would be better if on the cube than on the ps2 (and i do think that), and then the fanboys come in calling me a cube fanboy or a ps2 hater.. Without reading my previous posts saying "i personally dont care what platform it comes out on as it's a great game which we need more of", the fact that i think (from a pure business point of view) it'd sell better on another machine is why the wherefor.

    .. but the fanboys will always get upset by comments like that! :-)

    Like if i say "I cant understand why soul calibur 3 is ps2 only, when the cube version was the best selling one".. that's stating an opinion based upon facts.. the fanboy kids hate well formed opinion.

    So I like to giggle at them getting upset :-)

    but back on point. As gamers (not businessmen) why care what machine this game is on? We should all buy it regardless, as it'll make publishers realise that we gamers WANT something different other than fps and racing games (*yawnsville*). Unfortunately, I have the feeling it wont sell in the uk (especially on ps2) as majority of uk ps2 owners are chavs who have no taste in decent games.


    Suppose i'd best add for the stupid fanboys amongst you: I'm not saying ALL ps2 owners have no taste, just if you look at charts at the kind of crap which sells well on the ps2 in england...

  • Teeth #44 6 years ago

    The point is, and this is something you've just backed up, the point is that going on and on repeating yourself about how stupid people are to be fanboys of a console is really, stultifyingly dull, smelly!

    And turning every single thread into the same stultifying dull conversation when the same people troll you is not doing anyone or the site any favours. Yeah?

  • smelly #45 6 years ago

    I agree.

    But I was making two points:

    a) everyone should go out and buy this game as it will hopefully convince others to follow suit and try to do oriignal games

    b) I personally think the choice of platform in the uk is a bad one in terms of (a) actually happening.


    Its everyone else who turned this into a fanboy thing (mainly because of what i said in point b), not me... I was merely replying to them.

    Seeeeeeee?

  • Carrybagma #46 6 years ago

    It'll sell more on PS2 'cos there's more PS2s out there...

  • Repsode #47 6 years ago

    Europe, as a game market has the most narrow tastes in gaming, sad but true. Even the Americans get a more diverse selection of games (damn that multilingual thing) than we do. Chances of Katamari spawning a phenomenon of the kind america witnessed is slim as we'll all ignore this for... ugh...Black and it's mindless ilk.


    If I get a PS3, it'll be American. The very fact they got the first Katamari and other games we europeans miss out on has made sure of that. Best of both worlds. Especially if that rumour abut blu-ray sharing regions between America and Japan turns out to be true.