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Can you imagine? Katamari rolling to PS3
While at the Tokyo Game Show, 1UP was able to confirm with director Jun Morikawa that Beautiful Katamari would not be arriving on the PlayStation 3. But, fans of rolling take heart! Morikawa says that the series will "definitely be making its way to the console soon," just not in the Beautiful Katamari state. So, will this be the Katamari that evolves the series at least a little bit past the roots established in the 2004 original? Well, what does your heart tell you? Because ours is walking away, shaking its head and laughing, which we can't imagine is a good sign.[Via PS3F]
Thingy Battle in Beautiful Katamari multiplayer
Ever since we heard Beautiful Katamari was headed to 360-land, we've dreamt about the various multiplayer modes and options. We wondered, would our multiplayer be straight up co-op rolling or would we get some other new goodies? Well, Namco has put our anxiety ridden brains to rest, officially detailing what Beautiful Katamari's multiplayer will entail including a gametype called Thingy Battle. For the curious, Thingy Battle pits four Katamari rollers in a battle to see who can get the most of one specific object (chosen by the King of All Cosmos) in their Katamari and, as a result, feel the King's love. Other gametypes include trying to get your ball to reach 10,000 degrees Celsius by rolling over hot objects while avoiding cold ones and an Everyone's Katamari mode that keeps track of every object you've ever rolled up ... ever. Yes sir, Beautiful Katamari will be the best multiplayer version to date. Now only if we could get used to that tricky control system.
Katamari demo rolls up (get it?!) Marketplace
Beautiful Katamari's demo just landed on Marketplace and has been rolling up a storm. At first, it was available on a recent OXM demo disc, but now it is available for the whole world Canada, America, and Mexico (read: North America) to download. It weighs in at just under 435 MB, so it's not going to break the disk space bank, although X3F reader Magic Whiskey tells us that it's also on the short side, but enough to get the premise of the game. Give it a download and tell us what you think.
Beautiful Katamari demo on Xbox Live
Sometimes a checkbook, a life-sized model, a shirt, a Play-Doh model, a Lego version or even Catamari isn't enough. Sometimes you need the real deal, the mainline Katamari. Your Xbox Live dealer has prepared a hit just for you on Xbox Live with a new demo: Just remember, only the first one's free.If you're among the uninitiated (and if you're solely a 360 gamer, there's a good chance you are) prepare for ... well, for insanity that you control with two sticks. If you try to figure it out, your brain's going to sprain it's ankle, so just roll with it. ... Do you get it? Roll. It's funny. Cause it's a ball.
Today's most introductory video: Beautiful Katamari
Still playing is-it-or-isn't-it-an-exclusive, (hey, can you spare $50 million?), Beautiful Katamari's opening sequence has surfaced on GameTrailers. Having finished the other, less beautiful Katamari games, our joy in seeing the introduction video wasn't as great as we imagine a virgin Katamari player's amazement. And with this title landing on the 360, we expect a lot of gamers will be introduced to the delightfully quirky franchise with Beautiful.See the opening video after the break, or rock it in HD directly from GameTrailers.
Beautiful Katamari demo available in Sept OXM
If you're dying to get to roll a Katamari on your Xbox 360, you just might have to plop down a few bucks and pick up the September issue of OXM. We just learned that a Beautiful Katamari demo is included on the demo disc in the latest issue of OXM, but we aren't totally sure what it entails. We also aren't sure why the Beautiful Katamari demo hasn't been caringly placed on the XBLM for everyone to enjoy, but we're thinking the King of All Cosmos has something to do with it. Neverless, we can guarantee that Beautiful Katamari is playable in OXM, so use such information as you deem fit.[Thanks, Jkelly888]
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Joystiq hands-on: Beautiful Katamari
Katamari Damacy is a strange, strange game. This is a fact of which its fans are patently aware. I'm an Xbox guy, so my experience with Beautiful Katamari at E3 was my first with the series. Considering this is also the first time the series will be showing up on Xbox, it seemed like a good fit for me to try it out. For the uninitiated, the object of Katamari is to roll things up into a ball. By things, I mean all things. Thimbles, cats, bushes, people, cows, buildings, boats, everything: it's all up for grabs. You do this by manipulating the thumbsticks. That's it. That is the game. But most of you already knew that, so the next question is "why should I buy this game again on the Xbox 360?"
X3F Hands-on: Beautiful Katamari
Katamari Damacy is a strange, strange game. This is a fact of which its fans are patently aware. I'm an Xbox guy, so my experience with Beautiful Katamari Damacy at E3 was my first with the series. Considering this is also the first time the series will be showing up on Xbox, it seemed like a good fit for me to try it out. For the uninitiated, the object of Katamari is to roll things up into a ball. By things, I mean all things. Thimbles, cats, bushes, people, cows, buildings, boats, everything: it's all up for grabs. You do this by manipulating the thumbsticks. That's it. That is the game. But most of you already knew that, so the next question is "why should I buy this game again on the Xbox 360?"
Beautiful Katamari to be 360 exclusive
Again, the rumors turned out to be true! Beautiful Katamari is headed to the Xbox 360 exclusively with no PS3 version in sight. In the latest issue of Japanese magazine Famitsu, they state that production on the PS3 version of Beautiful Katamari has been halted and that the Xbox 360 version is set to roll out this Fall. Famitsu also uncovered a few new multiplayer details including split screen co-op and online battle modes. Heavenly.And so another game completes its journey to becoming an Xbox 360 exclusive title. Maybe Namco would be kind enough to tell us exactly why they decided against developing Beautiful Katamari on the PS3. Because god knows we'd love to gush over all the juicy details.
Rumor: Beautiful Katamari drops PS3, picks up Wii
Rumors surfaced over the last couple of weeks about Beautiful Katamari rolling itself away from PlayStation 3 and towards Nintendo Wii. An Xbox 360 version, already weighted its own speculation, is the only confirmed version to be shown at next week's E3. Now comes word that Famitsu (via PS3 Center) has validated the rumors and that Namco Bandai has indeed quietly canceled a PS3 iteration in favor of rolling the Prince of All Cosmos onto the Wii. As we have yet to see the purported issue of Famitsu, we're still labeling this as rumor fodder. We've contacted Namco Bandai for a statement. In the meantime, take a stroll down memory lane with our recent b[ack]log on We Love Katamari.[Via Evil Avatar]
Namco E3 lineup confirms Katamari exclusivity?
If you needed any more confirmation that Beautiful Katamari will only roll on the Xbox 360, you need look no further than Namco Bandai's recently released E3 lineup. Eurogamer has the list and was quick to notice that the Xbox 360 was the only platform designated for the title. Is it ironclad proof that Beautiful Katamari is 360 exclusive? No, but it's pretty damned close. Other Namco Bandai 360 games to be shown at E3 include Dynasty Warriors Gundam, Ace Combat 6, Eternal Sonata, and Culdcept SAGA.
The universe really is full of Katamari rumors
var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/gaming_news/The_universe_really_is_full_of_Katamari_rumors'; Remember the rumor that Beautiful Katamari was going to roll onto the Wii? It won't die. It's come back again, this time with psychotic reasoning behind it.IGN's Matt Casamassina has "100 percent reliable" word from mysterious, anonymous sources that Bandai Namco is planning a version of the game on Wii. As the story goes, they encountered difficulty porting Beautiful Katamari to the PS3, so Namco decided to scrap it and create a new Wii version instead.This is really the part that arouses our suspicion. A port is too hard, so they switch over to an all-new game? It just sounds like an excuse to troll the PS3 and make the Wii look better at the same time. It may be true, but we're not taking that reasoning as an explanation for anything.We still aren't sure we should even care, with no Keita Takahashi involvement, but we can't help but become wistful when we think about a new Katamari. We wish we could hear some final word about this. We're tired of the emotional rollercoaster![Via GayGamer]
Beautiful Katamari fact sheet shows only Xbox 360
According to an official Namco Bandai fact sheet (found after the break) Beautiful Katamari is coming to Xbox 360 ... and that is all. Siliconera dug up the sheet and adds another log to our crazy katamari of news surrounding this title. Even though the game is just more of the same gameplay we've come to enjoy from the series, the story behind all this maneuvering is becoming the interesting tale.Maybe it is time to just to make an absurd list of what people think will happen next and we'll check back on it when the next Beautiful Katamari incident occurs -- see if anybody is on the mark. Siliconera goes on to say that the game is probably a timed exclusive, considering GameFly still has their info up for all three systems (and they don't just make stuff up), it's the best information we've got until Namco Bandai makes a clear statement on what's really going on.
Beautiful Katamari isn't XBLA material
When Gamespot posted their hands-on Beautiful Katamari preview they mentioned that the game would be available exclusively on the XBLA. Which caused a little confusing to how much the game was actually beefed out and what would have to change since it would have to fit the XBLA size requirements. But it looks like we don't have to worry about any of that, because Gamespot retracted their Beautiful Katamari on XBLA talk and now say that the game will be released in a "full retail package". So, believe what you wish. But we ask, which would you have preferred? A cheaper Arcade Katamari or the whole big shebang retail Katamari?
Gamespot: Beautiful Katamari coming to Xbox Live Arcade [update]
[Update: We shouldn't have doubted you, Ross! Gamespot has stated that the information in the article was indeed "total crap". Original post follows.]As the extreme and possibly insane cynic might ask, "Isn't there already a colossal ball of junk on Xbox Live Arcade?" To that we answer, "No sir, but there soon will be. Although, Feeding Frenzy was a bit rubbish, wasn't it?" The destined arrival of Bandai Namco's next Katamari game on Xbox Live Arcade is announced in a rather blasé manner by the first sentence in Gamespot's hands-on preview of the title: "The big, huge Katamari ball of junk just keeps on rolling, this time with a new installment called Beautiful Katamari slated to hit Xbox Live Arcade in October."The news sticks to yesterday's word from Newsweek's N'Gai Croal that Beautiful Katamari would be an Xbox 360 exclusive, and neatly contradicts previous XBLA portfolio manager Ross Erickson's "total crap - not happening". Something obviously changed in the months since then, an observation not befitting of the Katamari franchise, it seems. Gamespot's Brad Shoemaker labels the game as "more of the same," noting the presence of new levels, high-definition graphics, 4-player online gameplay and, perhaps most importantly, an original soundtrack. Despite losing momentum in terms of moving the series forward, we suspect there's still plenty to heart about Katamari -- especially if the price is right.
Newsweek: Beautiful Katamari rolling exclusively with Xbox 360
Striking a blow to symmetrical ball-rolling controls everywhere, Newsweek's N'Gai Croal reports that Beautiful Katamari's royal rainbow will extend only to the Xbox 360. He explains that an exclusivity deal is already "very close to fruition" and is likely to be announced formally at July's Min-E3 event in Santa Monica. The trail of digital crumbs leading to the deal seems especially obvious in retrospect, with Ridge Racer 6, Ace Combat 6, Eternal Sonata and Pac-Man: Championship Edition all indicating quite the chummy relationship between Namco Bandai and Microsoft. With the Katamari franchise not being nearly as unstoppable as its clutter-collecting cosmic prince, PlayStation 3 alarmists shouldn't view this as the end of their fragile and constantly beeping world. That being said, seeing a distinctly, almost obviously "Japanese" game picking up Microsoft's system alone certainly points to interesting times ahead. It also makes completing the level that much harder. [Thanks, Matthew]
More Beautiful Katamari screens to roll you up
Screenshots, screenshots. What good are you? Indeed, you show off the power of the current-gen systems for people to gawk at and wonder "gee golly, how'd they do that?" or to set as wallpaper because it's that impressive. These aren't the only reasons why screenshots are valuable items to stay up to date on, to see what the game looks like across iterations, sequels, platforms, etc. Probably the best reason to keep on top of these is to watch a work in progress evolve, even if you aren't interested in it. The change from Okami, for example, from realistic to incredibly artsy would have been much more subdued without those screenshot things.We come now to some more Beautiful Katamari screenshots. They more or less make everything we just said a whole lot of "what?" and a whole lot more of "ooh, neato." The game hasn't necessarily evolved from previous installments, but that's okay. Art allows that freedom. The game's still colorful, still weird, still fun. Looking. Anyway, if you want some totally awesome wallpapers of giant balls of random stuff, check out the new ones and let us know your favorite moment in the crazy Katamari universe. Ours is simple -- the opening video for Katamari Damacy. It really set up the entire experience.
Beautiful screens of Katamari Damacy
Xboxyde is on the ball again, this time bringing us some bright and colorful screens of Beautiful Katamari Damacy. Pictured is the roll of over seven thousand kilometers in diameter, taking a chunk out of the Earth that even Galactus would be proud of. Other screens are a little less planetary in scale and still show off the addicting gameplay that PS2 and PSP owners have been enjoying for years. Beautiful Katamari is looking to live up to the legacy, are you ready to start rolling, rawhide?
More of those Beautiful Katamari screenshots
As we've said before, we love rolling up trash, people, buildings and whatever else into gigantic balls of sexy, but there's one thing we just can't roll up -- screenshots. They defy every kind of rolling (unless you print them out, of course). Well, a few more screenshots have rolled in depicting our hammerheaded hero doing what (s)he does best in Beautiful Katamari. In fact, we wouldn't be surprised if in the final game, you can roll up entire planets and consume an entire solar system into your ball o' filth. Check out the new screenshots, sing a crazy song, and wait. It's going to be a while.
These Beautiful Katamari screenshots are, well, beauteous?
We don't have much to say on the subject of the Katamari games -- where you roll around a ball of, well, everything and complete objectives or whatever. They're pretty trippy in presentation, which isn't a bad thing -- it's quite hilarious, actually. The next-gen consoles have recently welcomed the newest iteration, Beautiful Katamari, into their fold but from the screenshots we can see the graphics are largely the same. No big deal, it's a style choice. The extra processing power will be used to allow the creation of bigger, badder balls of trash. Sounds good enough.There's no release date yet, but you can scroll through the Japanese website if you'd like a giggle or two. We've got some screenshots over here for you to look at, too. Yep. There will be mayhem and ball-rolling for everyone to enjoy.
