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Katamari Damacy - 10 years old!

gingerbeardman

gingerbeardman

Member
Mar 1, 2010
4,015
8
810
Cornwall, UK
www.gingerbeardman.com
So, Katamari Damacy turns 10 today! Time flies.

Seems like only yesterday that I bought a PS2 to roll up random Japanese stuff.

Has the original ever been bettered?

I feel like rolling up some new stuff on a modern console.
Katamari Damacy box shot:



Director: Keita Takahashi
Designer: Masatoshi Ogita
Programmer: Kazumi Yamabe
Artist: Takashi Yoshida
Composer: Yū Miyake
Platform: PlayStation 2
Release date: March 18, 2004 (Japan)

Intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgrnIBlxZCk

Make the Moon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwhFH75OCDs

My favourite tune from the game:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFLJX-T7LPk

 
I

Impossiburu

Neo Member
Aug 21, 2012
288
0
0
I adored the crap out of the first two games in this series. Katamari Forever was solid on the PS3 and Touch My Katamari was decent on the Vita.

Otherwise? Man, I really wish Takahashi would find his way back to this one.
 
N

Noble Neckbeard

Banned
Jul 17, 2013
569
0
0
Oh man. One of my favorite series ever. I was playing IIDX at a convention and saw it on a small TV in the corner. Got it when I went back home and never looked back.
 
M

Metallix87

Formerly 'Green Slime'
Mar 26, 2009
6,640
2
945
New Jersey
This is a series I've always wanted to try. Is the Vita game any good, or should I track down one of the older games?
 
I

Impossiburu

Neo Member
Aug 21, 2012
288
0
0
Also, if memory serves, the first one launched at $20? Probably the best value in games at the time. Played it so, so, so much in college.
 
P

POWERSPHERE

Banned
Nov 4, 2006
9,220
0
0
Only the first one had that charm, and it had it in spades. is it true the creator didn't work on the sequels? Also did he end up making playgrounds?
 
V

Vinterbird

Member
Nov 17, 2006
8,146
0
0
Green Slime said:
This is a series I've always wanted to try. Is the Vita game any good, or should I track down one of the older games?
Click to expand...
The Vita one is surprisingly solid, and even makes fun of the many sequels its had. It's a far cry from the first two games, but it's still really fun.
 
M

maouvin

Member
Jul 31, 2013
4,514
0
320
34
Curitiba, Brazil (but a Blumenau is fine too)
Cheers!

We Love Katamari was always my favorite, as it fixed some of the issues I had with the first. I enjoyed the new modes that the PS3 version brought, and still carry Touch my Katamari (the most unforgiving of them all, imo) on my Vita, but I think both combined got less playtime than We <3. Those fucking roses helped that, of course.

Let's not talk about the PSP version
edit:
done already
 
T

thelatestmodel

Junior, please.
Dec 17, 2008
6,156
1
0
Ontario, Canada
So much love for this series, especially the early ones. It's one of those things that never fails to at least put a smile on my face, I just love the humor and whimsy of it all.

This is a series I've always wanted to try. Is the Vita game any good, or should I track down one of the older games?
Click to expand...
I would actually love to know if the Vita version is any good. Any recommendations?
 
Z

Zia

Member
Oct 15, 2011
7,185
0
0
POWERSPHERE said:
Only the first one had that charm, and it had it in spades. is it true the creator didn't work on the sequels? Also did he end up making playgrounds?
Click to expand...
He was director and designer on both Katamari Damacy and We Love Katamari.

Love those games, and really dislike everything else that came after them. The only retail games I've ever finished in one sitting, the day they were released.
 
A

Astro Monster

Banned
Feb 12, 2014
429
1
0
Nah, naaaaaaah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, naaah. Katamari Damaci.

Fell in love with the series after playing the second one.
 
M

Mistouze

user-friendly man-cashews
Nov 22, 2006
9,490
0
1,020
Only played We Love Katamary (might be the only one that came to EU IIRC), had a blast with it back then. Funny as heck, engrossing as fuck and THAT OST.

Makes me want to look up into PS2 emulators and play it again.
 
O

Ourobolus

Banned
Feb 27, 2008
18,518
14
1,200
Fantastic game. Loved this and We Love Katamari.

That soundtrack was amazing. Funnily enough, my roommate at the time in college was going through a rough patch and said that the music from the game when I was playing it was one of the main reasons he wasn't going further and further into depression (really bad break-up). He eventually snapped out of it.

Disco Prince
Everlasting Love
Baby Universe
The Moon and the Prince
Houston
Blue Orb (this song fucks with my ears something fierce when it first starts up and I'm listening in stereo)
 
E

ElectricKaibutsu

Member
Feb 4, 2013
6,669
0
510
USA
Impossiburu said:
Also, if memory serves, the first one launched at $20? Probably the best value in games at the time. Played it so, so, so much in college.
Click to expand...
This is exactly why not every game should launch at full price. I certainly bought it because it was cheap enough to say "why the heck not?"

I love this soundtrack.
 
T

thelatestmodel

Junior, please.
Dec 17, 2008
6,156
1
0
Ontario, Canada
Ourobolus said:
Fantastic game. Loved this and We Love Katamari.

That soundtrack was amazing. Funnily enough, my roommate at the time in college was going through a rough patch and said that the music from the game when I was playing it was one of the main reasons he wasn't going further and further into depression (really bad break-up). He eventually snapped out of it.

Disco Prince
Everlasting Love
Baby Universe
The Moon and the Prince
Houston
Blue Orb (this song fucks with my ears something fierce when it first starts up and I'm listening in stereo)
Click to expand...
Love it. I can totally believe that it helped your roomie with depression. Also can we just talk about this song?

Cherry Blossom Color Season

Those singing kids get me every time. Goosebumps and a smile within 5 seconds. God I love the Katamari soundtrack. Some of the best game music ever.
 
H

Hollycat

Member
Oct 31, 2013
3,741
0
0
Oh man, I absolutely love these games. Especially the one on PS3, it's huge and has remastered levels.


The one on Vita is kinda terrible though.
 
O

Ourobolus

Banned
Feb 27, 2008
18,518
14
1,200
thelatestmodel said:
Love it. I can totally believe that it helped your roomie with depression. Also can we just talk about this song?

Cherry Blossom Color Season

Those singing kids get me every time. Goosebumps and a smile within 5 seconds. God I love the Katamari soundtrack. Some of the best game music ever.
Click to expand...
Also great.
I just hopped on Youtube to see what the other games' music was like (I had played...the PSP version and (I think) the iOS version after KD and WLK and was disappointed in the lack of new music), and so far, the first one I pulled up is pretty sweet:
Bless my Stars
 
P

Polioliolio

Member
Aug 30, 2012
7,210
2
0
Impossiburu said:
I adored the crap out of the first two games in this series. Katamari Forever was solid on the PS3 and Touch My Katamari was decent on the Vita.

Otherwise? Man, I really wish Takahashi would find his way back to this one.
Click to expand...
Those two games are the only games as far as I'm concerned.
 
M

muteki

Member
Sep 6, 2013
6,577
1
430
One of my favorite series. The first one coming out at 20$ was a steal. Like the soundtrack from the first game just a bit better than the second, but the second had better levels.
 
Z

Zia

Member
Oct 15, 2011
7,185
0
0
Really wish We Love Katamari would come to PSN. If Namco were smart they'd release an HD collection of Keita's Katamaris with a bit of context material. You know, if they weren't Namco.
 
M

mattp

Member
Jun 10, 2009
7,510
3
0
nj
POWERSPHERE said:
Only the first one had that charm, and it had it in spades. is it true the creator didn't work on the sequels? Also did he end up making playgrounds?
Click to expand...
he worked on the first 2 games
which, surprise, are MUCH better than all the other sequels
 
S

Shinriji

Member
Dec 5, 2008
5,169
67
935
thelatestmodel said:
I would actually love to know if the Vita version is any good. Any recommendations?
Click to expand...
The vita version is very good, but short. I love that you can flat or wide your Katamari and bring some much needed improvements to the gameplay. If you grind for all the DLC stages, the game grows a lot.

The soundtrack is, of course, awesome.
 
M

Mistouze

user-friendly man-cashews
Nov 22, 2006
9,490
0
1,020
POWERSPHERE said:
Only the first one had that charm, and it had it in spades. is it true the creator didn't work on the sequels? Also did he end up making playgrounds?
Click to expand...
He did Nobi Nobi Boy on PS3 which was more of a toy than a game really but still has a blast with it. Making knots through clouds, yay.
 
B

Bravocado

Member
Jun 15, 2012
2,105
0
0
I still have the first two games on PS2, and Beautiful Katamari for 360. I remember when I bought the first one and had friends try it. Never before has confusion turned to delight so quickly. And man oh man, those first two soundtracks are never leaving my side.
 
entremet

entremet

Member
Dec 6, 2008
85,698
360
1,335
Man, did Namco run into it into the ground. And the DLC nonsense on tthe 360 installment was abhorrent. The first two are still in my collection.
 
S

Sakujou

Banned
Oct 22, 2012
3,867
0
0
Bought it pretty late back then... But i had a blast with this game. Only bought the first(NTSC)and second one(PAL). Never bothered with the others for vita, psp, 360 and ps3. Are they worth playing?
 
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spyroflame0487

Member
Apr 26, 2013
2,872
0
430
I miss this game so dang much. I really wish someone would publish a new one, or bring that one mobile version over here in the least.
Personally, with today's tech, it'd fit right at home on any console. I'd hand it to Nintendo, given the wacky premise. Wii U could be good (use gamepad to roll, see what you picked up) or 3DS (almost same thing, maybe some AR functions)
 
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