Katamari Damacy breaks the recession of the puzzle genre with unparalleled originality and unforgettable presentation.
User Rating: 9.1 | Katamari Damacy PS2
Namco, best known for its revolutionary Tekken series, reaches new territory in originality, execution, and sheer enthusiasm with their new action/adventure puzzle game, Katamari Damacy. The King of All Cosmos has rather ambivalently shattered the stars, obliterated the moon, and apologetically sends you, The Prince of All Cosmos, to restore the now barren sky. By amassing a katamari, which is really just a "ball of stuff", the King of All Cosmos can then transform it into the missing constellations, stars, and moon. Earth, a planet flooded with unnecessary things, seems to be the perfect location for rolling such an enormous object. GAMEPLAY – Katamari Damacy's refreshing gameplay coupled with its invigorating spirit of imagination has not been found in the puzzle genre for an unbearably long time, perhaps since the more straightforward Devil Dice. Reminding us that intricate controls don't necessarily mean proficient implementation of the controller, the game focuses mainly on the two analog sticks with limited use of the L1 and R1 buttons. Players can steer, accelerate, dash, and turn around all with the analog sticks without the need for the standardized buttons. Though the game should probably have incorporated the L2 and R2 buttons for dashing and turning around, since both functions are sometimes unresponsive, the simplicity of the controls focuses the attention on the gameplay rather than fibbing with potentially complex commands. Conceptually, Katamari Damacy is undemanding in concept and difficulty, which enhances the ease of playability and creates fluidity in its presentation rather than oversimplifying the gameplay, albeit repetitive. Immediately after starting a new game, a short and sweet tutorial explains the mechanics by letting the player explore the controls until he or she is comfortable. Too many times, puzzle tutorials are so straightforward and discrete that beginners don't learn much of anything and are entirely forced to "learn by experience". Missions require the player to complete a specific size katamari or to collect a specific object before the time runs out. However, greatly surpassing the goal is the real challenge and being rewarded for it is the real motivation. 'Nimbly engaging' perfectly describes the game's overall tone. Quirky dialogue, a curious interface, and an unconventionally "cubic" storyline create a rewarding experience throughout the game's progression, a problem that also persistently plagues the puzzle genre. Whereas, titles such as Tetris Worlds, Aqua Aqua, Intelligence Qube, and Bombastic rely too heavily on "reaching the next level" to motivate the player, Katarami Damacy takes a well-taken sidestep. The innocent unpredictability of the storyline similar to Fantavision and the seemingly endless number of objects that can be rolled up effectively blends into the gameplay without causing misdirection and detachment. Expansive environments and an acceptable loading time only add to the lightheartedly gratifying experience. GRAPHICS – For a game that involves countless items, Katamari Damacy is relatively consistent in its frame rate and is able to feature precise and carefully considered graphics. All of the objects are stylistically animated and wonderfully detailed in a thematically picturesque fashion, rather than an awkwardly realistic approach. A fixed camera angle appropriately placed behind the main character is dependable with only a few exceptions. Physically correct collisions occur, though rather frequently despite any mastery of the controls. Shadowing is set aside in order to brighten and clarify the world. The decision to focus the attention on the artistic side rather than the technical side of the graphics serves to highlight the intent of the gameplay. SOUND, REPLAY, TILT – Completing the package is a memorable soundtrack, discrete sounds, and a respectable replay value. Katamari Damacy features one the best soundtracks in video game history, alongside Tony Hawk's Pro Skater and Final Fantasy, for its originality, variety, and charm. Every track succeeds in giving life into the characters and environment, engaging rather than distracting the player, and expressing the overall sincere tone of the game instead of being just a backdrop, an insignificant existence. Using spin table for the voice of the King of All Cosmos is only one example of the game's creativity. An engaging experience for all audiences, Katamari Damacy has a mediocre replay value due to its lack of multi-player modes and a short duration. However, for a lower price tag and everlasting appeal, spending time to play another round of Katamari Damacy never fails to serve its purpose: fun. Katamari Damacy finally breaks the recession of the puzzle genre with unparalleled originality and unforgettable presentation. 
