Let me start by saying that I was a big fan of the PSP release Katamari Damacy. I didn’t own a PSP at the time, but I wrestled the thing out of my roommate’s hands whenever I could, sometimes just listening to the ridiculous music. The strange theme music was so great that me and my roommate at the time would listen to MP3 versions of it when we were hanging out. Yeah, I know, we’re fucking nerds.
When I heard that a Katamari game was coming out for 360 I had mixed feelings. I was worried that the game, while great for a short handheld experience, wouldn’t translate well to the console. Some how the controls felt intuitive with the buttom scheme on the PSP. Moreover, I was worried that the game would not appeal to the 360 audience, since it isn’t a violent shooter. Don’t believe me? See Viva Pinata’s sales numbers.
The demo did nothing to assuage my mixed feelings. I was immediately excited when it started — hearing the theme music ringing in my surround sound rocked my soul! — but the game did not blow me away. However, this isn’t to say that it isn’t fun, quite the contrary, it is a really enjoyable demo. The addicting appeal of the original Katamari lives on, with you quickly just focusing on the ridiculous premise of trying to pick up bigger and bigger worldly objects. It’s hard to explain, you should try it.
That being said, I still have my worries. I sincerely hope that this game doesn’t release for an MSRP of 59.99$. Unless the online component is mind blowingly awesome (it isn’t contained within the demo), I just don’t see enough content to warrant the price. It is fun, but I don’t see myself having much time to dedicate to an expensive casual game when the season of gaming death is almost upon us. Again, I could be wrong if the online proves to be amazing.
The demo is worth a try, especially if you have never played the game in it’s other incarnation. Play through the demo a few times (it only lasts 3 minutes). The first time you might not like it, but by the end you’ll probably figure out why so many people fawn over this title.
Chufmoney