Every now and again though, a title appears that defies expectations, that unexpectedly grabs our attention with a vice-like grip and refuses to let go. Katamari Damacy is one such game. Like many of the finest games in existence, Namco’s esoteric gem employs a fundamentally simple idea, yet possesses layers of depth that aren’t immediately apparent during the first few sessions of play. In a nutshell, the player takes control of the Prince, a centimetre-high character and proud owner of a katamari, essentially a sticky sphere that can be rolled about various vividly coloured environments, picking up objects as you go. As more and more objects attach themselves to the katamari and it grows in size, bigger objects can be gathered up, until the eponymous katamari is a rolling behemoth, capable of plucking people, cars, even skyscrapers from the world’s surface. Describing the game to those who enquire, PALGN is invariably met with the same reaction: eyelids go heavy, cynical eyebrows are raised. You can read their thoughts almost: it’s just Japanese weirdness, a short-lived curio. Expectations.
Except, once the game disc is in, and the ineffably surreal intro is in full flow, the opinions of those watching slowly begin to soften. The earlier levels see the Prince attempting to construct a relatively small katamari, around the 10cm mark. Hence, it’s tiny objects such as grapes, pencil sharpeners, crayons, sweets and cassettes that are amongst the first objects to be picked up. Each level is played out to well-honed time limits, yet things only truly become interesting in the later stages, as the target size becomes bigger. PALGN won’t ruin the experience by telling readers just how big the largest katamaris (katamarii?) in the game are, but it’s the more gargantuan katamaris that are the most fun to make. Indeed, plucking whole volcanoes and islands from the world’s surface is a veritable thrill, especially considering that only twenty minutes earlier it was impossible to extract a single tulip from the ground.
The game’s madcap premise is supported by some clever use of visual effects and scaling, which sees the camera scrolling smoothly out as the katamari slowly grows in size. On the subject of the camera, it’s not always as ideal as it could be (there were occasions where it would hinder gameplay for a second or two by simply not sticking behind the Prince, surely the best position to be viewing the action from), but it doesn’t ever threaten to ruin the title’s appeal either. It helps that controlling the Prince feels commendably intuitive most of the time, with both analogue sticks used to steer the katamari about. Clicking both sticks in allows the player to instantaneously jump around to the other side of the katamari, eliminating the need for the player to waste valuable seconds walking round to the other side. No buttons are needed to play, and the game benefits from such a simple control scheme.
Finally, special mention should go to one of the most unashamedly eccentric and catchy soundtracks in this generation of videogames. In all seriousness, PALGN hasn’t enjoyed a videogame soundtrack quite so much since the halcyon days of Jet Set Radio, and it’s a testament to Katamari Damacy’s music that even now, a good ten days after the game was last in PALGN’s PlayStation 2, the soundtrack is still fresh and vibrant in the mind.
Admittedly, some gamers will find that Katamari Damacy doesn’t proffer the longest of challenges: there’s not a large number of levels, and for those who don’t wish to roll over all 100% of the game’s objects (a considerable feat), it’s an experience that can be kindly described as brief, albeit fun. A two-player mode (in which each player simultaneously attempts to roll a katamari big enough to roll his opponent up) doesn’t offer a great deal more meat in the sandwich. Yet in PALGN’s eyes, Katamari Damacy is not only charming, fun and original. It also emerges as a title that this site would unequivocally recommend to every PS2 owner, for quite simply, it’s one of the console’s finest titles this year.
And PALGN bets you didn’t expect that.
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