We Love Katamari: the best game ever made?

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It's possible.

― Laura H. (laurah), Saturday, 8 October 2005 16:38 (eighteen years ago) link

Which bit of the subject do you want us to discuss?

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Saturday, 8 October 2005 16:50 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm just saying. I think this might possibly be the best game I have ever played. But I'm wondering how much of that is novelty, and whether I'll feel the same way about it in say 5 years, or when the graphics seem more antiquated. Really though, I think it's just fundamentally well-designed, insanely fun, and really inventive even compared to the original Katamari.

It's not particularly goal oriented, but the level of challenge is really perfect and often self-designated. It never gets frustrating or boring. The incremental increases in difficulty challenge you to play better, not for the sake of winning, but because the game is incredibly rewarding for its own sake. Usually when I play a game this compulsively it's because I want to kick the game's ass and "win" in some sense. This game I don't even want to complete. It's like an incredibly good book that I want to keep reading but never finish.

― Laura H. (laurah), Saturday, 8 October 2005 17:32 (eighteen years ago) link

I loved it at first, but was disappointed by the all unlockable post-ending levels. I can understand having no rewards for obsessive play (like the first one), but if you put them in, they should at least be fun.

Admittedly, maybe I'm missing something-- I haven't gotten 100% of the items. Not sure I plan to go that far.

― SFF (jjrj), Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:19 (eighteen years ago) link

That is a fantastic feeling, it's like the reward for playing is more playing and that's fine? It's quite rare for a game to just get that right without a snag to annoy you. The last game that I got that off was the third Ratchet game.

I think sequels have a better chance because there's more feedback from people playing it, they can see what works and what doesn't. But most sequels want to stick in an unnecesary twist to "keep interest", and in a lot of them, the new thing acts like a jagged metal Krusty-O, stripping away enjoyment from stuff you liked pretty much perfectly in the first game. I am here thinking of the second Jak game.

Is the hit purer because it's such a simple mechanic? Is it simple? We never got the first one here and the new one isn't out until November, I think.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I read a review that got at it pretty well--the simplicity of the mechanic is part of it, and it's also that the game is made with such joy and care. There's also the variety of things you're going to see as you're making your way through the levels--more than just about any other game, you're never going to go about it the same way twice, and you have a constantly changing perspective as the katamari grows. The game is always giving you something just a little new--even when you're rolling around for twenty minutes, at the end of the level you're still like OMG I CAN PICK UP RAINBOWS!!

I do think it's the best game ever made.

― teeny (teeny), Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:40 (eighteen years ago) link

although I'm not sure which I would pick between the original and the sequel, I'm not done with the sequel yet.

― teeny (teeny), Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:41 (eighteen years ago) link

Considering the fact that I absolutely dominated the first game, I'm surprised how mediocre my performance has been with respect to the sequel. The King continues to call my katamaris small or average, and I'm feeling a wee bit inadequate.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Saturday, 8 October 2005 21:57 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, but that makes it so much more satisfying when he actually does start to compliment you. He's really manipulative.

― Laura H. (laurah), Saturday, 8 October 2005 22:04 (eighteen years ago) link

I wish there were a way to tell if you've done the best you can on each board. I'm wandering around aimlessly.
Which is okay, but part of me wants to defeat this thing entirely.
Best combo: the mushroom headed cousin, with the bikini and the Mt. Fuji hat. Sheer genius.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 9 October 2005 00:36 (eighteen years ago) link

I still think Xenogears is the best game ever made but this is an indefensible position I have no interest in defending. However I bought We Love Katamari today; we'll see!

― allenalenelnalenelnae (allenriley), Sunday, 9 October 2005 01:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I like the horsey!

― Jonothong Williamsmang (ex machina), Sunday, 9 October 2005 01:34 (eighteen years ago) link

I wish there were a way to tell if you've done the best you can on each board.

There is! When the King puts your katamari up in the cosmos, it'll either have no glow behind it (lowest rank), a pale corona (middle rank) or rotating beams of light coming from behind it (highest).

For a while I thought this only worked with planets, not satellites, but I think I actually just suck at the speed levels.

― SFF (jjrj), Sunday, 9 October 2005 04:00 (eighteen years ago) link

I zipped through to the sumo level on my first play yesterday. My dude was real fat but I still got the lazer beam eyez. :(

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Sunday, 9 October 2005 21:20 (eighteen years ago) link

You can dodge em! Did ya know?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Monday, 10 October 2005 05:16 (eighteen years ago) link

I did not!

― Laura H. (laurah), Monday, 10 October 2005 11:44 (eighteen years ago) link

I think just to fuck with you people I'm going to join Allen in claiming that Xenogears is better

― TOMBOT, Monday, 10 October 2005 15:53 (eighteen years ago) link

i need to play this tonight

― Magin Johnson's magical AIDS thrfit store (dr g), Monday, 10 October 2005 17:27 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't think that's really going to fuck with anyone. xpost

― Laura H. (laurah), Monday, 10 October 2005 17:58 (eighteen years ago) link

Actually the best game ever made is still Baldur's Gate II. Sorry.

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Monday, 10 October 2005 18:00 (eighteen years ago) link

"a jagged metal Krusty-O"

amazing.

― gang grape (Adrian Langston), Tuesday, 11 October 2005 01:53 (eighteen years ago) link

it's definitely my favorite game ever, but it's also the only game I've really played in many years

I couldn't decide between the original & the sequel... the original one has better music, funnier King rants & intermissions, and makes a stranger, weirder first impression

But there are so many more worlds in this version, you can play for much longer and just get lost... and the graphics are markedly sharper this time, no more lo-res artifacts, the angled katamari shapes you can roll up on the Origami level are just _impossible_

I only have the extended rip from the game itself, not the CD soundtrack, but here's the racing level

http://s29.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=0X5FE2LR1XTEZ18F05BUANRZLV

― milton parker (Jon L), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 18:56 (eighteen years ago) link

YAY THANK YOU. SO MUCH BETTER

― Jonothong Williamsmang (ex machina), Wednesday, 12 October 2005 19:17 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.etsy.com/view_detail_images.php?id=40568

― cozen (Cozen), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:47 (eighteen years ago) link

I cannot for the live of me light the campfire the second time. My the time I get to the campfire I'm almost outta juice and the thing won't light.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 14 October 2005 16:59 (eighteen years ago) link

For the life of me, rather. Brain, dying.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 14 October 2005 17:33 (eighteen years ago) link

Focus on getting bigger instead of getting to the kindling. That should help.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 14 October 2005 19:01 (eighteen years ago) link

I need to pierce my ears and buy those!! xxxpost

― Laura H. (laurah), Friday, 14 October 2005 19:02 (eighteen years ago) link

so many boxes of text to click through!! such repetitive mediocre jokes!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Sunday, 16 October 2005 05:53 (eighteen years ago) link

press one start button

― zappi (joni), Sunday, 16 October 2005 07:34 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/game/docs/20051013/kata02.jpg

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 16 October 2005 11:04 (eighteen years ago) link

Saturday was a nonstop Katamari day; I'm short about four cousins and two presents.
3067 Meters on the world map! Can you roll up the King?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 16 October 2005 16:02 (eighteen years ago) link

What is that picture??

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Sunday, 16 October 2005 18:22 (eighteen years ago) link

King's sportin' quite a package, there

― kingfish neopolitan sundae (kingfish 2.0), Sunday, 16 October 2005 18:51 (eighteen years ago) link

http://craphound.com/images/katamarimillionroses.jpg

― I was CRYING when Huell Howser's head exploded in a local feed store (dr g), Sunday, 16 October 2005 19:49 (eighteen years ago) link

it's a poster celebrating the 50th (?!) anniversary of namco, apparently

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 16 October 2005 21:33 (eighteen years ago) link

and I want it SO bad!!

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 16 October 2005 21:33 (eighteen years ago) link

the story behind dean's pic:

Some enterprising gamer rigged up a Goldbergian cheat in order to collect one million roses in the We Love Katamari game, sequel to the sleeper hit Katamari Damacy. Once he had collected his one millionth rose, he got a special thank you from the King of All Cosmos, pictured at right. Here’s a description of the trick:

”On Friday night I hooked up a PS2 controller to a sturdy wooden chair with some string so it is immobile. I then taped the left analog stick in the forward direction. Then I put an oscilating fan in front of the controler-chair setup. To the fan, I attached a string with a loop on the end of it. I put this loop around the other analog controller so that when the fan oscilates, it pulls the stick in different directions.”

[Here’s a video of the cheat in action.]

PC gamers would have just rustled up a special script to perform the repetitive action, but console gamers have to be much more creative.

via joystiq

― cozen (Cozen), Sunday, 16 October 2005 21:51 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.zestuff.com/product_image.php?imageid=143

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 17 October 2005 16:31 (eighteen years ago) link

ihttp://home.comcast.net/~jandmflores/24Cousins.jpg

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 17 October 2005 17:02 (eighteen years ago) link

http://homepage.mac.com/tcherna/iblog/C498653361/E1278377533/Media/katamari_blockacy_800.bmp

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 17 October 2005 20:33 (eighteen years ago) link

My PS2 was retrieved from New Orleans this weekend. So I FINALLY GOT IT and am VERY HAPPY INDEED.

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 01:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Though I miss the BLEAAAAAAH rainbow.

― adam (adam), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 01:11 (eighteen years ago) link

How do you dodge the laser eyes?

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Tuesday, 18 October 2005 18:44 (eighteen years ago) link

with the analog sticks. he aways gets you though.

― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 19 October 2005 01:20 (eighteen years ago) link

this is not the best game ever made, i think.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 20 October 2005 03:53 (eighteen years ago) link

Results 1 - 10 of about 32 for "i hate katamari". (0.69 seconds)

32!! and most of them didn't even mean it

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 20 October 2005 03:54 (eighteen years ago) link

i don't hate it though (just to clarify)

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 20 October 2005 03:55 (eighteen years ago) link

"katamari damacy sucks" gets quite a bit more

― allenalenelnalenelnae (allenriley), Thursday, 20 October 2005 05:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Results 1 - 10 of about 982 for "no way s1ocki!!". (0.69 seconds)

― cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 20 October 2005 06:56 (eighteen years ago) link

is it not available in uk? what system is it for?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 20 October 2005 09:00 (eighteen years ago) link

my stereotype of people who hate katamari

― jw (ex machina), Thursday, 20 October 2005 13:24 (eighteen years ago) link

what year is this? who is the president?

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 20 October 2005 13:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Will i ever be able to get this in the uk?? it sounds great!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 20 October 2005 13:56 (eighteen years ago) link

hahaha Jon you should have put "My Slashdot User # is under 11,000" on your resume

― TOMBOT, Thursday, 20 October 2005 14:40 (eighteen years ago) link

It would be under like 5000 but I couldn't be arsed to register.

― jw (ex machina), Thursday, 20 October 2005 15:21 (eighteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

For Halloween, my brother Dave went as King Of All Cosmos.

http://static.flickr.com/27/59548278_c317482c55.jpg

― elmo (allocryptic), Friday, 4 November 2005 02:46 (eighteen years ago) link

haha awesome

― discus (dr g), Friday, 4 November 2005 07:51 (eighteen years ago) link

awww, how many people got it?

― teeny (teeny), Friday, 4 November 2005 13:56 (eighteen years ago) link

no one besides me, i think

― elmo (allocryptic), Friday, 4 November 2005 14:57 (eighteen years ago) link

NO CODPIECE? SURELY YOUR FAMILY HAS PLENTY OF ATHLETIC CUPS

― Alex in Novosibirsk (ex machina), Friday, 4 November 2005 15:49 (eighteen years ago) link

http://katamari.namco.com/wlkbuddy/install.exe

katamari desktop buddy

― Alex in Novosibirsk (ex machina), Friday, 4 November 2005 16:11 (eighteen years ago) link

You have to register for the KD website.... and it seems like there is a way to unlock cousins and presents for it.

― Alex in Novosibirsk (ex machina), Friday, 4 November 2005 16:15 (eighteen years ago) link

COUSINS
We love the Prince of All Cosmos, but sometimes it’s fun to play with the Cousins! WLK members will be able to unlock new cousins by logging into the website!

PRESENTS
The King of All Cosmos will be hiding presents around the We Love Katamari website to dress up your Buddy! Be sure to log in when you visit, because you don’t want to miss these special items!

― Alex in Novosibirsk (ex machina), Friday, 4 November 2005 16:17 (eighteen years ago) link

http://whatomatic.mspencer.net/what/emotes/katamari.gif

― Alex in Novosibirsk (ex machina), Friday, 4 November 2005 16:18 (eighteen years ago) link

from joystiq:

Keita Takahashi, the creator of Katamari Damacy, recently told the BBC that he plans to leave the gaming industry to pursue a career in playground design: “In 10 years time, I am not going to be making games any more… I would like to create a playground for children… an undulating one, with bumps.” Takahashi holds a degree in sculpture design and believes that children should spend more time playing in the physical (read: outside) world. His presence in the “virtual” world will be sorely missed.

― allen riley (allenriley), Thursday, 10 November 2005 17:23 (eighteen years ago) link

And also, in that article, he says of the sequel that "There are fun things are in the game, though I am not happy with all of it." Aparently he was happier with the original, and didn't even want to make a follow up.

― JimD (JimD), Thursday, 10 November 2005 17:33 (eighteen years ago) link

I just played Katamari for the first time yesterday. Fun.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Sunday, 13 November 2005 19:31 (eighteen years ago) link

I want to play this game! Do I have to have a PS2?

― Jaq (Jaq), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 23:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes. It's worth it.

― jeffrey (johnson), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 23:33 (eighteen years ago) link

Thanks jeffrey! I just found PS2 Essentials too.

― Jaq (Jaq), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 23:36 (eighteen years ago) link

Jaq on ILG! This board has everything now.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 00:38 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh GP, I am lame at games, though there are some I truly love. I think I would love a giant sticky ball rolling around picking things up.

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 01:14 (eighteen years ago) link

Katamari Damacy will change your life.

― jeffrey (johnson), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 01:18 (eighteen years ago) link

     Ấ
{|| ‘:’ ||}
   / Д \
     Π

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 16 November 2005 04:12 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.ewtoo.org/~matt/avatar_kd_anim.gif

I thought the first one was the most amazing thing ever, and for that reason have delayed playing the second game. Not really sure why - maybe I'll play it over Christmas holiday?

― Matt Sephton (emsef), Friday, 18 November 2005 01:13 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.ewtoo.org/~matt/avatar_kd_anim.gif

― Matt Sephton (emsef), Friday, 18 November 2005 01:14 (eighteen years ago) link

I thought the first one was the most amazing thing ever, and for that reason have delayed playing the second game. Not really sure why - maybe I'll play it over Christmas holiday?

I thought the same thing... why would I want to play the same thing again, I already have the first one! But then I bought it, and predictably, I loved it.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Friday, 18 November 2005 07:03 (eighteen years ago) link

When i was out my back door getting teh st0ned i planned the exact sequence of items i'd need to roll up so i cld eventually roll up my house. I think it may have taken over my life.

― jeffrey (johnson), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 01:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Sometimes I mentally roll up restaurants bit by bit while I wait for the waiter to bring my food.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 03:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Once I got really high and imagined a Katamari level where you were embedded on your own sphere. So like little objects you rolled up would be dumped down from the sky as enormous shit. Imagine! Rolling a doll house drops an entire house filled with stuff into the map.

I guess the king could explain it away with some mumbo jumbo about the power of imagination.....

― Occam's Reznor (ex machina), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 15:47 (eighteen years ago) link

is that like... recursive... katamari? [brain melts]

― sleep (sleep), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 16:22 (eighteen years ago) link

I have thought about that a lot since you mentioned it. Would you eventually roll up the huge mirrored items that are dropped?

― Laura H. (laurah), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 17:09 (eighteen years ago) link

of course... I'm not sure how that would progress except that it would effectively keep you the same size as even enormous objects are scaled up....

― Occam's Reznor (ex machina), Tuesday, 22 November 2005 17:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Katamari Damacy PSP features one big change from previous titles: dynamic levels. The levels change based on the time and season. Levels also feature changing paths which make the game different each time you play.

― GET EQUIPPED WITH NA NA NA, NA, NA NA NA! (ex machina), Monday, 5 December 2005 16:24 (eighteen years ago) link

http://namco-ch.net/katamari_mi_psp/campaign/img/poster_l.jpg

― GET EQUIPPED WITH LASER BEAM EYE SPANKINGS (ex machina), Monday, 5 December 2005 16:27 (eighteen years ago) link

WHY CAN'T I BUY THAT POSTER

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:34 (eighteen years ago) link

Why can't I buy that Cozen's Katamari t-shirt?!

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 5 December 2005 20:36 (eighteen years ago) link

I... bought it

why can't you?

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 5 December 2005 21:32 (eighteen years ago) link

I couldn't find it anywhere. :(

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 5 December 2005 21:34 (eighteen years ago) link

http://preshrunk.info/2005/10/hang-tags-101805.php

It Must Have Rolled Away: We wanted to link to that Katamari tee ZeStuff was trying to gauge presale interest in, but it looks like it's gone from the store. *shrug* Oh well.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 5 December 2005 21:36 (eighteen years ago) link

: /

I got an e-mail saying they weren't going to sell it because interest was so low

then a few weeks later it turned up on my doorstep

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 12:13 (eighteen years ago) link

How come you lot have been playing this game for months yet it's only available next February ?

Waaaaa!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 14:23 (eighteen years ago) link

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 14:55 (eighteen years ago) link

Ste/Fuzzy, that is the PSP game. There were 2 PS2 games.

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 14:58 (eighteen years ago) link

oh, is amazon.co.uk just being wrong then? it only brings up one result for katamari, and thats for a We love Katamari for the PS2 - release date Feb 2006

― Ste (Fuzzy), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 15:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Ohhh, I see. Poor UK'ers.

(it came out here July '05, looks like)

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 16:00 (eighteen years ago) link

PAL TV is for faggots.

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 16:42 (eighteen years ago) link

OTM

I am a faggot

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 16:45 (eighteen years ago) link

pal is better than ntsc

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 17:36 (eighteen years ago) link

NTSC has 30 frames a second. Pal has 25. NTSC has 480 lines, Pal is HUGE.

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 17:44 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Contrib/WorldTV/compare.html#ntsc

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 17:45 (eighteen years ago) link

i know

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 17:53 (eighteen years ago) link

Of course, we all should be using high def...

― LOL PAL IS HUEG (ex machina), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 17:54 (eighteen years ago) link

we will soon enough i'm sure

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 6 December 2005 18:03 (eighteen years ago) link

http://rodent.tee-total.net/products/images/36/roller_big.jpg

http://rodent.tee-total.net/uk/products/detail/?id=140

― cozen (Cozen), Wednesday, 7 December 2005 22:30 (eighteen years ago) link

Sure, PAL is better quality, but it's fucked us over for games for years. I've only recently fitted my megadrive with a 60hz NTSC switch so that Sonic doesn't seem like he's running through toffee. Some PAL megadrive games are near unplayable!

― melton mowbray (adr), Thursday, 8 December 2005 05:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Or some Megadrive games are unplayable in 50hz PAL, I should say.

― melton mowbray (adr), Thursday, 8 December 2005 05:11 (eighteen years ago) link

Is there any way to figure out what levels you have to do next to get more new levels? Like what parts you've missed that are holding you back from getting new levels? I thought it was based on who was yelling at you ("HOWDY! HOWDY!") but now everyone is yelling at me.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 9 December 2005 18:25 (eighteen years ago) link

http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/code/921111.html

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 9 December 2005 18:59 (eighteen years ago) link

(Btw, I know I mentioned that Maddie was having some control issues when she started the first game, but she's since totally pwned both of them.)

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 9 December 2005 19:00 (eighteen years ago) link

I really feel that I have rolled up all the cousins (I even made a checklist and went through it one by one) and yet I have found no yellow-shirted boy in the meadow. I resent being locked out of the rose level but I'm not sure how else to determine who I've missed. Maybe one got knocked out of my katamari during the level... :(

― Laura H. (laurah), Friday, 9 December 2005 21:34 (eighteen years ago) link

I didn't mean at the end of the game, I think I'm still somewhere in the middle. I don't know how to explain this correctly.

― n/a (Nick A.), Friday, 9 December 2005 21:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Did you get the cousin in the training level? Stupidly that's the one that took me forever to figure out.

― Jeff LeVine (Jeff LeVine), Friday, 9 December 2005 22:44 (eighteen years ago) link

The rose level is real boring. But getting all the cousins and then the level where you roll them up is very satisfying.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Saturday, 10 December 2005 01:18 (eighteen years ago) link

Is there any way to check for the cousins in the items you have rolled overall? Like, how you can check what percent of possible snacks you have rolled up? That's probably too simple.

― Laura H. (laurah), Saturday, 10 December 2005 23:15 (eighteen years ago) link

the only way is to look at the top lefthand corner of the screen when you are "chatting" to someone in the meadow. there will be a tiny icon of a cousin or a transparent antenna for a missing cousin.

― zappi (joni), Saturday, 10 December 2005 23:31 (eighteen years ago) link

Is there any way to check for the cousins in the items you have rolled overall? Like, how you can check what percent of possible snacks you have rolled up? That's probably too simple.

You can go into the list of stuff you have and switch over to the cousins to see how many you're missing.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Sunday, 11 December 2005 00:43 (eighteen years ago) link

Finally rolled up the sun. Turned out I had forgotten to finish the sumo levels and the cowbear level. Whoops. But I am missing so many cousins!

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 12 December 2005 15:02 (eighteen years ago) link

My fiancee was obsessing over cousins last night. She got all the ones in the old lady stage, but I think there are still like 11 to go.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 12 December 2005 15:19 (eighteen years ago) link

I got something like 2900 meters on the elephant level last night. I tried to roll up the King of Cosmos but he punched my katamari and sent it flying xD

― sleep (sleep), Monday, 12 December 2005 15:41 (eighteen years ago) link

big feature on & interview with keita takahashi in this month's EDGE; if I get time at work tomorrow I'll try scan it in and post it up:

the ormuulu-laden ballroom of london's café royal is an unlikely setting for an outbreak of game-geek sedition, but nonetheless there's a rustle of excited scandal as one game developer leans in to another, whisper-close. "fucking ridiculous," he hisses. "he doesn't deserve the attention."

― cozen (Cozen), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 19:59 (eighteen years ago) link

The katamari is currently rolling up roses unsupervised at home. I think we're at 600k and counting.

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 20 December 2005 20:06 (eighteen years ago) link

Worst katamari ever. :(

― Laura H. (laurah), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 21:56 (eighteen years ago) link

― Jordan (Jordan), Wednesday, 21 December 2005 22:37 (eighteen years ago) link

woah!

― cozen (Cozen), Thursday, 22 December 2005 21:06 (eighteen years ago) link

It looks like they have it here now, but that it's sold out.

― Laura H. (laurah), Thursday, 22 December 2005 21:27 (eighteen years ago) link

more on the control for the psp version

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Friday, 23 December 2005 18:48 (eighteen years ago) link

I don't see why they don't just make the L/R keys control the rotation of the Prince and the analog nub control the push direction....

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Friday, 23 December 2005 18:50 (eighteen years ago) link

My fiancee got 1,000,000 roses.

― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 29 December 2005 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link

that must have been one hell of a proposal, jordan!

i don't see why katamari needs such fancy controls. just have a strafe button for crying out loud.

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 29 December 2005 16:20 (eighteen years ago) link

s1ocki, you need to integrate moving and turning all at once. a strafe button is way limiting. my proposal upthread is better

― GET EQUIPPED WITH BUBBLE LEAD (ex machina), Thursday, 29 December 2005 16:53 (eighteen years ago) link

yeah i guess i see what you mean...

― s1ocki (slutsky), Thursday, 29 December 2005 17:06 (eighteen years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Anybody hear the bit on KD on Fresh Air today? Lots of the usual pompous, self-satifsied declarations.

― antexit (antexit), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 21:14 (eighteen years ago) link

such as?

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 21:38 (eighteen years ago) link

here

― Jeff LeVine (Jeff LeVine), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 22:20 (eighteen years ago) link

god, i hate this guy's delivery. it's like the most stereotypical alvy singer/npr patter.

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Thursday, 19 January 2006 06:24 (eighteen years ago) link

i was just thinking the same exact thing.

― Christopher Costello (CGC), Thursday, 19 January 2006 06:25 (eighteen years ago) link

How come this shit is streaming too slow to ... stream. GAY

― A BOLD QUAHOG (ex machina), Thursday, 19 January 2006 06:46 (eighteen years ago) link

Hold on... I don't think that the women are easier to roll up then men of the same size....

― A BOLD QUAHOG (ex machina), Thursday, 19 January 2006 06:48 (eighteen years ago) link

Yeah, that seemed suspect to me too.

"PLUCKING the very PLANES from the SKY!"

― antexit (antexit), Thursday, 19 January 2006 11:57 (eighteen years ago) link

i have never seen or played this game

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Thursday, 19 January 2006 12:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Come to think of it, it'd be fun to have a New Zealand level on the order of the flowers one, where you're rolling up sheep and shepherds endlessly.

― antexit (antexit), Thursday, 19 January 2006 20:08 (eighteen years ago) link

enjoy!

― cozen (Cozen), Monday, 23 January 2006 19:00 (eighteen years ago) link

i read that in the mag, but still know nothing about the bloody game

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Monday, 23 January 2006 23:49 (eighteen years ago) link

It's surreally fun, Alan. You are rolling rolling rolling a ball all around the house, the town, the beach, picking up random objects that are strewn all over that magically stick to the ball (if they are no bigger than the ball at that moment). The ball gets larger, you pick up cabbages and eyedrops and new driver signs; larger still and you pick up cats and park benches and lifeguards and sumo wrestlers! On most levels you have a time limit and a size goal. The animations and randomness are great, the speeches the King of All Cosmos makes are bizarre, and you are making the stars to put back in the sky. Things can bash into you and knock stuff off your katamari; if you are thwarted in your goal, the King chastises you severely. But you can always try again! It's just exceptionally surreal and more fun than most.

― Jaq (Jaq), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 04:28 (eighteen years ago) link

Stop lying to Alan guys... this is a joke and not a funny one at that. If you can't tell that this sick demented game is a metaphor for AIDS in Afroca yet, well, you're in for a lot of cold hard sobering.

Peace, jah rastafari,

Steve Shasta

― Steve Shasta (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 05:42 (eighteen years ago) link

wow, steve shasta has discovered ILG

― kingfish kuribo's shoe (kingfish 2.0), Tuesday, 24 January 2006 07:11 (eighteen years ago) link

did the first one of these ever come out in england?

― tom west (thomp), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 05:52 (eighteen years ago) link

i'm sure i'd like it. but it takes me a year to finish a game, and i've still got 2 or 3 games i want to get done, and then the new zelda will be here, ect

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 17:21 (eighteen years ago) link

BTW thank Jaq!

― Britain's Obtusest Shepherd (Alan), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 17:22 (eighteen years ago) link

Yr welcome! This game is such a stress-buster, I don't care if I ever finish it. I'm up to Star 7, but RJM has made the moon already and is going back to pick up all the cousins. We have yet to even open We Love Katamari!

― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 25 January 2006 17:52 (eighteen years ago) link

I was feeling really kind of pseudo-bipolar so I rented "rehash sequel" We Love Katamari and "super-amazing Game of the Year" Resident Evil 4 yesterday. Played WLK for 5 hours, decided to try RE4 for a change of pace, dicked around and got pitchfork-murdered for 20 minutes, then switched back to rolling things up. I'm pretty sure this means I am not a True Hardcore Gamer now or some shit like that, but fuck it. I ROLLED UP CAPE CANAVERAL, BASTARDS.

― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 26 January 2006 02:13 (eighteen years ago) link

"i'm sure i'd like it. but it takes me a year to finish a game, and i've still got 2 or 3 games i want to get done, and then the new zelda will be here, ect"

As noted above, this is less a game and more of a game that you play to escape games. It's a wondrous trifle; reasonably easy to beat but compelling enough that you'll return to it again and again. Why else roll up a million roses?

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Thursday, 26 January 2006 03:00 (eighteen years ago) link

Oh christ

― disco violence (disco violence), Thursday, 26 January 2006 06:22 (eighteen years ago) link

HAHAHA, the cat!

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Thursday, 26 January 2006 07:32 (eighteen years ago) link

i just pre-ordered this today, it better be as bloody good as you lot make it out to be.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Thursday, 26 January 2006 11:02 (eighteen years ago) link

I bought a cheap s/h ps2 and pre-ordered it, so it had betterer be as bloody good as you lot make it out to be.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Thursday, 26 January 2006 11:18 (eighteen years ago) link

I am going to pre-order this, so it etc etc

― melton mowbray (adr), Thursday, 26 January 2006 12:22 (eighteen years ago) link

I have it in my hand. Why isn't it time to go home yet?

The kids drawings on the back are teh cuet.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 3 February 2006 09:08 (eighteen years ago) link

The UK box is even BETTER than the Japanese one!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:11 (eighteen years ago) link

I'm supposed to be saving for an arcade stick, but this is more important, right?

― melton mowbray (adr), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:24 (eighteen years ago) link

Yes.

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:27 (eighteen years ago) link

We saw one at the V & A museum!

― Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:35 (eighteen years ago) link

gah why did i choose 3 day delivery service! i won't have mine until next week.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:47 (eighteen years ago) link

AMAZING!!

as i finished posting that - guess what the mail woman has just planted on my lap?

I love you Amazon!!

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:50 (eighteen years ago) link

Doh! Well neither will I, if that's any consolation. It's not going to sell out everywhere is it?

xpost, lucky sod!

― melton mowbray (adr), Friday, 3 February 2006 10:52 (eighteen years ago) link

and i will be able to sample it at lunch time when i go home, but i just got a text off a mate inviting me out for drinks tonight so i won't be able to get addicted to it. best not to turn it on after work then.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 3 February 2006 11:08 (eighteen years ago) link

ha! this is great, gotta love that music. I couldn't put it down at lunchtime and was late getting back for work.

Soooo have to resist playing it before I go out tonight.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 3 February 2006 16:29 (eighteen years ago) link

Hey guys, guess what game I'm booting up that doesn't belong to me.

― melton mowbray (adr), Friday, 3 February 2006 18:08 (eighteen years ago) link

the original ghostbusters game?

― s1ocki (slutsky), Friday, 3 February 2006 18:24 (eighteen years ago) link

my friend just got this. i won't be able to try it for at least 5 days tho >:O

― W i l l (common_person), Friday, 3 February 2006 18:33 (eighteen years ago) link

This is great, but I can't play it any more THIS WEEKEND as my son has come from his mothers' with instructions he's not allowed ANYTHING ELECTRONIC as punishment.

Parenting sucks.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 3 February 2006 18:33 (eighteen years ago) link

OMG s1ocki, how did you know!?

― melton mowbray (adr), Friday, 3 February 2006 18:36 (eighteen years ago) link

Bahhh, it's going now. No more Katamari for.. four days?

― melton mowbray (adr), Friday, 3 February 2006 19:00 (eighteen years ago) link

And blimey aldo, that's a harsh punishment! What did he do that warrants spending a whole weekend playing noughts and crosses in the dark?

― melton mowbray (adr), Friday, 3 February 2006 19:27 (eighteen years ago) link

Apparently she came back in and found him playing his DS when he was already serving a 1 day ban. Harsh but fair, I suppose.

I JUST WISH IT DIDN'T AFFECT ME ON THE RELEASE DAY OF KATAMARI.

― aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Friday, 3 February 2006 20:09 (eighteen years ago) link

http://img489.imageshack.us/img489/9643/katamariverucacy5yw.jpg

― sunny successor (katharine), Saturday, 4 February 2006 18:16 (eighteen years ago) link

http://katamaribombacy.ytmnd.com/

― A BOLD QUAHOG (ex machina), Saturday, 4 February 2006 19:52 (eighteen years ago) link

http://craphound.com/images/mariokatamari.gif

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Sunday, 5 February 2006 00:40 (eighteen years ago) link

Katamario!

― melton mowbray (adr), Sunday, 5 February 2006 09:57 (eighteen years ago) link