Vidya Reviews: Katamari Damacy

THIS ISSUE OF VIDYA REVIEWS BROUGHT TO YOU BY MY RvB account Circa June 28th, 2005

Katamari Damacy. It's hard to put into words exactly how awesome this game is. How can one NOT get excited about an awesome game with a $20 price tag? THEY CAN'T, that's how! It was the best friggin' $20 I ever spent.

If you're "knot in the no," then listen up. Katamari Damacy is a game where you roll up things on a tiny ball (the katamari). Basically, you have a time limit to get it to a certain size, and if you get it big enough, the next level unlocks. "But why does one need to roll up things?" you may find yourself asking, well...let me tell you. Your father, the King of all Cosmos, went on a drunken dancing spree in space, and destroyed ALL the stars in the universe...and the moon...for some reason.

It's up to you...the Prince of all Cosmos to get those stars back, and what better material to make stars out of than useless junk laying around on Earth. Some of that useless junk includes: thumbtacks, gum, batteries, mice, pigeons, small children, crabs, the elderly, baseball teams, skyscrapers, islands, clouds, and many many more totally useless junk that nobody cares about; I know I don't!

Katamari plays like a dream, and is so simple to control, I kicked my dog right in the face. You control the entire game with only the analog sticks, which makes sense...cause, I mean, you're just rolling stuff up in a ball, how many "action" buttons do you need? Don't fret if you think that all you can do is slowly roll about though: by furiously alternating the thumbsticks back and forth, your prince will rocket the katamari just like that. Also, you can press the "L3" button to automatically turn around...and with the "R3" button, the prince will magically fly into the sky and get a handy overview of the level you're in.

Like I said before, you progress by rolling stuff into a ball, making it bigger and bigger...but it's so much deeper than that. By the last levels, you start out about the size of a dog, and slowly but surely work yourself all the way up to skyscrapers, mountains, islands, clouds, you name it.

Sure, the graphics might be a little...well, ugly isn't the right word, as the lego style cities perfectly match the crazy mood of the game, but if you can't play a game that looks like someone kind of just puked a rainbow of legos and other toys all over your backyard, then you may find yourself saying "Man, this is gay." But if you can stop and appreciate the colorful, whimsical graphics, then you'll have a gay old time.

Next...the soundtrack. Let me tell you, I haven't heard a better original soundtrack in a game since Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The upbeat tunes, which span many different musical genres, are sure to put anyone in a good mood.

The game IS kinda short...but not without replay value. You can always try to get a bigger katamari, and there are all sorts of unlockables and secrets to be found. Unfortunately, the Versus seems like it was just an afterthought, and won't keep anyone interested for more than about 3 games, and the only reason anyone would want to play until 3 would be to listen to the awesome music.

OK, now for the score. Simply as a game, I would give Katamari an 8, but given it's low low price tag, I HAVE to bump it up 9, because, I mean...come on...$20!

There you have it. My review of Katamari Damacy. The sequel, We Love Katamari, is currently in development, and you can bet your lucky stars I'll be in line to pick it up, even if they end up charging full price for it. I know this review comes a little late (I mean, I haven't even PLAYED the game in months), but it leaves such a lasting impact, this review was a joy to write. Come on, what are you waiting for!? If you have a PS2, go pick up this gem immediately!

-AfroRyan
My, Earth really is full of things!