Why are all games either
sequels, remakes, or just clones of other games, I want a truly original and
innovative game to play. If you have ever said anything similar to that
statement then there is a game for you. The game is called Katamari Damacy, and
it is one of the most original, addictive, and fun games I have played in a long
time. Read on to find out more about this game, and why you should go out and
purchase it immediately.
The storyline is simple and yet very wacky, and sets the whole tone for this
game. The great and powerful King of the Cosmos has his entire kingdom in
hysteria by destroying all of the stars in the sky. In his infinitive wisdom and
complete laziness, he decides that his son, the Prince, needs to clean up the
mess he created. The Prince will be transported to different levels where he
must grow the Katamari by rolling over various objects through out the world in
order to recreate the stars and restore order to the galaxy. Are you up to the
challenge?
The game is so simple many people will be turned off by its premise. All you do
is roll around collecting items to integrate into your Katamari ball to make it
bigger to pick up bigger items. Many of you might be rolling your eyes and
thinking, “whoop dee doooo”. The thing is that there is much more to the game,
the different items you collect have an effect on your ball, and it might make
it harder to roll it around. If you hit/run into larger objects, that can’t be
picked up at the time, the force of the hit will cause some of your recently
collected items to fall off, so you will always have to be aware of your
surroundings.
I think i see my car in there!
The game has
“real” physics as well; if you pick up a pencil or something that is very long
it will make it harder to move the ball around. As the ball gets bigger it will
also be harder for you to move it up a hill. In the beginning of the level you
will have a small ball so you will only be able to pick up smaller items. You
will begin some levels only being able to pick up tacks, gum, and dice; by the
end of the level you will be rolling up humans, cars, and even buildings!
The missions are mostly straight forward, such as creating a Katamari a certain
size before the time is up. If you complete the objective within a certain time
frame you could unlock other “intergalactic” items. Also if you complete the
object before the time is up, the rest of the time left you are to go around
collecting more items to get the ball as big as you can. There are also
Constellation missions, meaning that you need to get the constellations back in
the sky, by collecting special items, such as crabs, fish, and even pairs of
items.
The graphics for this game are very bright in nature. The King of the Cosmos is
colored with many different “bright” colors such as purples and blues. All of
the items are fairly detailed. The graphics are simplistic in nature, but they
fit this game so perfectly. The animation is where this game is at, because
rolling the ball feels so real, especially when you have oddly shaped objects
stuck to it, how the ball reacts accordingly to them. It is funny seeing this
tiny Prince roll this humongous ball around the town collecting everything in
his path.
Who said buildings can’t be move?
The sound
effects for this game are hilarious; you will be laughing with delight. Every
time you pick up some “living” item into your Katamari ball, they will make a
corresponding sound. For instance if you roll over a dog it will bark, a duck
will quack, so on and so forth. The best sounds come form the different humans
that you roll over. Some of the people will laugh and chuckle, some will scream,
and others will do other things.
The voices used for the game fit the whole game because they are silly in tone
and nature. The developers couldn’t have found better music if they tried, as it
fits the entire mood of the game: silly and fun. The music is always up beat and
keeps you going along to try to create a bigger and better Katamari.
If the single player mode is not enough for you, Katamari Damacy also has a nice
multiplayer mode. You and a friend can go head to head to see who can create the
biggest Katamari ball in three minutes. If your friend has a smaller Katamari,
you might be able to pick him up and incorporate him into your ball. The
multiplayer can get insanely intense and addictive between you and your friend,
giving you hours of satisfaction.
Two player zany action.
My only real
complaint against Katamari Damacy is that it is so short. I beat the game easily
within one day. Even though I did beat the game, that does not mean I completed
it 100%, finding all of the royal presents, making the constellations 100%, and
a variety of other things. This is a sad thing, because this game could have
easily been twice as long. Katamari Damacy is so addictive that you will barely
realize how much time you have been playing it until you see the concluding
credits.
Katamari Damacy is rated E for Everyone and will take up 76KB on your memory
card.
Review Scoring Details for Katamari Damacy |
Gameplay: 9.2
Katamari Damacy is a blast to play, it is so simple in premise, and takes a
whole minute to understand everything you need to know about this game, yet it
is so addictive. You will not be able to put the controller down, because you
will want to see if you can create a bigger and better Katamari in a shorter
amount of time. The only thing I must ask is: why must the game be over so
quickly!!!
Graphics: 8.7
This is a cheery happy game, so the colors the developers used are very
bright in nature. The character modeling for this game fits perfectly with its
zany plot.
Sound: 9.2
The sound effects and music for Katamari Damacy are insane! You will be so
into this addictive game you will not notice the sound, until you really listen.
If you pick up dogs they will bark, some kids will laugh, and the cats will
meow. It is hilarious!
Difficulty: Easy
This game is not too hard, but it will provide you with some nice
challenges, such as trying to not bump into anything, and where to find more
stuff to roll into your Katamari.
Concept: 9.8
I have not seen a more creative game released in a long time. If you want to
play a fun, innovative, and addictive game, than look no further.
Multiplayer: 8.5
The
multiplayer mode for this game is pretty good. You can go against a friend to
see who can create the biggest Karamari, and best of all you can even roll over
and collect your friends if you are bigger than them. The only bad thing is that
there aren’t any more multiplayer modes.
Overall: 9.2
Katamari Damacy is one of the most unique games I have played in a long
time. The concept for this game is so simple, yet it works so well. Each of the
levels are highly addictive, and they will keep you coming back for more, and to
unlock all of the mysteries that this game possesses. Do not pass up this game,
because if you do so you will not know what fun times you will deprive yourself
of!
