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I Love Katamari in the App Store, optimization not included
Can't believe we didn't think to ask of this before Namco gave it to us, but here it is -- there is already an official version of I Love Katamari (otherwise known as Katamari Damacy) right there on the App Store and playable on the iPhone. What a perfect game to put on the iPhone -- it's casual, it's easy to pick up but tough to master, and the analog controls, while perfect for a pair of analog sticks, work great on a touchscreen as well. Unfortunately, it's not quite perfect yet -- the game slows down fast, and quickly becomes unplayable with all the stuff on the screen. But lots of people are hoping for an update from Namco, and while that hope might not quite be justified (is Namco really going to commit to making this game great, or are they just taking advantage of a hot property?), you never know. Pac Man has been a winner for the company for sure, so maybe they will make sure that Katamari plays as well as its console versions. As much as we appreciate original games on the iPhone, there's nothing wrong with quality ports of console gems as well, and if Namco can patch out the bugs to everyone's satisfaction, there's no question that's what this will be.
We love Katamari sequels for the PS3 and 360!
Do you like crack? We hope not. Crack is scary and dangerous. If you step on a crack, you'll potentially risk breaking your mother's back. Speaking of crazy things that make absolutely no sense, a sequel to the cult hit Katamari Damacy that has become so popular on the blog world because of its quirkiness (almost equalling the quirkiness of some of the quirky blog writers out there -- they've got quirky tastes... quirky quirky quirky) has been officially confirmed.Beautiful Katamari is due out eventually for the PS3 and 360. So far, there's rumors of online play but no details. Probably a cooperative and competitve service. The scale is going to be massive -- a screenshot in Famitsu shows a katamari rising well beyond 7,000km. That's huge. Once we snag some more information, we'll proudly roll it into a ball and deliver it to you. And subsequently roll you into the ball.
Rumor: Beautiful Katamari to hit Xbox 360, PS3, Wii this year
According to Orange Lounge Radio, Namco has announced to retailers that a new Katamari game will arrive on all three major consoles later this year. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of Beautiful Katamari will hit October 17th for $39.99, while Wii owners have to wait until November 14th and pay $29.99. Creator Keita Takahashi has stepped down from the Katamari series and is working on other projects, but it looks like Namco isn't ready to give up on the Prince.The story hasn't been verified by Namco, but OLR insists their information is legit. They even have a forum post defending themselves and cite a reliable source who works in video game distribution. Xboxic corroborates the information with a Blockbuster release schedule showing Beautiful Katamari in mid-October. You'll have to excuse our skepticism. With so many early April Fools shenanigans going on, it's hard to take anything at face value.
New Katamari Damacy shirts roll into your life
A new set of official Katamari Damacy t-shirts has been unveiled at Panic. The Mac software company serendipitously walked into a licensing deal with Namco a few years ago and are the only official source for Katamari apparel. Apart from the soundtrack, this is the only merchandise that has received Katamari creator Keita Takahashi's approval.Takahashi designed the shirts himself and each one features a short paragraph explaining his inspiration. There are five new shirts, each retails for $24.95. Previously only available in a few areas, Panic can now ship to the following countries: USA, Japan, Canada, Korea, UK, France, Germany, and Spain.
Mr. Katamari not interested in Revolution
For how quirky and unique a game Katamari Damacy is, I find it odd that its creator is not interested in the Revolution at all. When conversing with Gamasutra's sister-publication Game Developer at GDC, Keita Takahashi claimed "So, there's nothing I really want to do with it right now." He went on further to say "I'm not really interested in it. I don't think a controller should have that much influence on the enjoyment of games."Don't you think he's kind of missing the point? Isn't it not so much that the remote influences the game, but more that it adds a whole new dimension to the gameplay? Red Steel isn't a brand new type of game forced to compromise to the remote's characteristics, it takes the unique properties of the remote and aims to mix it with conventional first-person gameplay to create something new. How can you possibly not be interested in that?! Of course, comparisons to Red Steel aren't all that valid since noone has tried it, but you get the point, right?
