
	Platform PlayStation 2 Genre Rolling Stuff Up Publisher Namco Developer Namco ETA Q4 2005
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We Love Katamari

(Import Impressions)

Last year, Namco surprised gamers everywhere with their game Katamari Damacy. It had simple gameplay, but the concept was original and the end result was countless hours of fun. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an import version of the sequel, We Love Katamari. I can’t read Japanese, but I did manage to beat the game.

To tell you the truth, if this game was just more of the same, I would have been very happy. However, Namco took that little extra step and added some goofy but genius ideas to the gameplay. In one level you have to roll a sumo wrestler and collect food to fatten him up until he is big enough to suck a second sumo wrestler into his belly. In another stage the Katamari is on fire and players will have to suck up various items lying around to keep it on fire. What makes this level great is that you can light peoples’ rears on fire, which makes them run around like a lunatic. (Who wouldn’t?) One very fun level is really fast paced. There’s a race and it just happens that your character scuttles out from nowhere and sucks up all the racers and various other things. The speed in this level is incredible and exciting. Even though you are practically doing the same thing as the first game, these ‘little’ extras that Namco added keeps the game entertaining.

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I’m not sure what the main story of the game is, but the cut scenes revolve around the King of all Cosmos and his life as a child. I’m not going to go into too much detail, but it seems that he is only a prince at this time and his father gave him a very hard time and really pushed him hard academically and physically. He wanted to prepare the King to be the best at everything and anything less was not enough for his standards. The young prince eventually leaves his home and meets a girl who later becomes his future queen. The

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scenes are quite humorous and are full of laughs. We Love Katamari is not a prequel if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m not sure why the cutscenes are all flashbacks, but I guess I’ll just have to wait for the English version to find out.

The graphics look very similar to the first game. That’s right, everything is still very blocky and there are still plenty of colors to get you dizzy. I did not really see much of an improvement from the first game, but there is a huge variety of objects to pick up so it does not get tiring.

The songs are still fun and funky but overall I am a bit disappointed. The songs are a bit mellower and they are not as exciting as the music found in the first game.

We Love Katamari is a great game and fans of the original Katamari Damacy will definitely want to pick this one up when it hits stores in the US in October. I know I’m looking forward to it (and I’ve already finished it).

- J’Tonello

(August 4, 2005)