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Namco had quite a collection of games to show at it?s E3 booth, and one of the major attractions was none other than the sequel to the quirky game Katamari Damacy. The sequel, aptly named We Love Katamari, couldn?t be closer to the truth. The game expresses what we have all said with the first game, that we do indeed love Katamari.
If you?ve played the game, then you know what I?m talking about when I say that Katamari Damacy is the epitome of fun. If you haven?t played Katamari Damacy, well then shame on you, go out and get it (or at least bum it from a friend). The game retails for only $20, so there isn?t much stopping you from getting it, unless you lack a PS2.
For those who don?t know how it?s played, there is just a simple explanation. Your father, the King of all Cosmos, is notoriously reckless with the stars. In the first game, he destroyed some stars, and it is up to you to replace them using Katamari. You start out with one of these Katamari, which is an odd shaped sort of ball that is very sticky. So sticky, in fact, that everything that you touch with it becomes sticky as well. To advance in the game, you go around picking things up to make your ball larger and larger, so that you can start to pick up larger items. Eventually, your Katamari will become so large that it can pick up people, boats, and even houses!
If you are waiting for a longer explanation of the game, you really aren?t going to get one. The game is really that simple. It may sound sort of childish, but if you sit down with it, I guarantee you that you?ll have a blast, and forget all about the content from the game as you start humming one of Katamari?s many songs.
The storyline in We Love Katamari is one of the only things that is different from the first time around. This time, the king didn?t destroy all the stars. After the stars were replaced by Katamari, the king becomes really popular, and starts to garner a lot of fans. Requests start to pour in to fill the sky up with Katamari. Unwilling to disappoint his fans, the King sends you and your cousins to fill out these requests, and roll up even more stars.
Aside from the different quest and a few different locations, We Love Katamari also has an expanded multiplayer, with support for a strange take on co-op. The co-op mode isn?t like many would think, with two players in control of two different Katamari. No, you have to learn to actually cooperate, and take charge of the same Katamari using two separate joysticks. If you try to go off in different directions, you won?t be able to move around very well. Instead, your Katamari controls much like a tank.
Overall, I think that We Love Katamari could be an even larger hit than the first one. It combines the same addictive gameplay with expanded levels that add on to the fun. To be honest, it really seems like the same game when you play it, but it?s actually fun enough to not matter really. The first one was a bit short, so this added experience is definitely welcome. If you love Katamari, then be on the lookout when it rolls into stores later this year for the Playstation 2. |
