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'Katamari Damacy' making clicky comeback on iOS and Android
That one game where you roll about and everything sticks to you, Katamari Damacy, is making a comeback on iOS and Android. The original PlayStation 2 game won over many hearts with its simple but charming world, and was followed up by sequels for numerous platforms, although series creator Keita Takahashi was only involved with the first two games). The iOS and Android title will be called Tap my Katamari, and is the first game in the series since the 2012 Vita title Touch My Katamari.
Custom-built Katamari controller is made from yoga ball, DualShock 2 pad, power of the cosmos (video)
Conventional wisdom would suggest that making a for-real Katamari Damacy ball would be tricky, but that didn't stop Chris McInnis, Ron LeBlanc and Tom Gwozdz from taking up the challenge. As part of the Nuit Blanche festival in London, Canada (which also included some building-projected gaming), they were able to fashion their very own Katamari ball from a yoga ball, some stickers, wood, an Arduino microcontroller, several optical mice and a dissected DualShock 2 controller. See how it steers after the break.
Giant Katamari controller crafted from yoga ball, dreams
Chris McInnis, Ron LeBlanc and Tom Gwozdz created this giant, extremely wonderful custom Katamari Damacy controller out of a yoga ball, a gutted DualShock 2, an Arduino microcontroller, some wood, a song in their hearts and the giant, cheshire-cat smiles on their assuredly happy little faces. The controller was built as the centerpeice of a larger, Katamari Damacy-themed installation at London-based fringe festival Nuit Blanche, which allowed attendees to play the game via building-side projection – there was also custom artwork and some pretty fantastic costumes. Chris, Ron, Tom, if you're listening, we only have one suggestion: Oculus Rift support. Eh? Eh? Think about it. [Thanks, Kellbot!]
Google Mine service reportedly leaked, lets Google+ friends share real goods
Google is big on sharing all things virtual, but it hasn't done a lot to spread the wealth in the physical world. That could change soon: Google Operating System claims to have spotted an in-development Google Mine service that can simplify lending tangible goods. Users can list what they're sharing, offer items to their Google+ circles and keep track of who has what. The web version can reportedly show a collection in 3D through a WebGL viewer named Katamari, and there's also an Android app in tow. The feature set sounds ideal for generous Google+ users; the real question is whether we'll get to use any of it. Mine is supposedly limited to internal testing for now, and only some of Google's initiatives ever leave its campus. Google hasn't confirmed the effort, but the company tells us that it's "always experimenting" with features and doesn't have anything to share "at this time." Connected borrowers will just have to be patient, then -- assuming the service launches at all.
Katamari comic starts soon, greet the sun and the King of All Cosmos
Katamari is taking on comic form with a new online series from Alex Culang and Raynato Castro, the pair currently penning Buttersafe. The comic run begins September 17 and will be updated every Monday and Wednesday at 5 a.m. PST, over at ShiftyLook. Destructoid has a preview of the Katamari comic, featuring the Prince of All Cosmos and his father, the King With A Chiseled Chin (name paraphrased). Culang and Castro will be at New York Comic-Con, running October 11 - 14, dropping all the details post-premiere.
'Man vs. Katamari' rolls us up into a ball of terror
Naaaaaaaaaa na na na na na na na, na naaaaa naaaaaa na naaaaa naaaaaaaaaaaa. Naaaaaaaaaaaaaa na na na na na na na, na naaaaa naaaaa na na naaaa naaaa naaaa naaaa naaaaaaaaaaaa.
Namco Bandai files for 'Katamari Amore,' 'Time Trip' trademarks
Siliconera has turned up listings for four trademark applications that Namco Bandai recently submitted to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (the trademark registry for the European Union). While all of the potential trademarks have been filed under general video game-related classifications, two are explicitly linked to the publisher's Katamari Damacy franchise. Filings for "Katamari Amore" and "Katamari Amore Rolling Whopper" indicate that Namco Bandai might be preparing to roll out a new entry in the ball-it-up series. (That, or maybe two great kings are forming a strategic alliance for fast food promotion.) It's been nearly seven months since Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi left Nacmo Bandai for good; though he wasn't directly involved with the last four Katamari games, which marked a steady decline for the brand. 2009's HD iteration, Katamari Forever for PS3, did little to update the played out formula, and Namco Bandai has shelved the series since. Namco Bandai filed two additional trademark applications, for "Time Trip" and "Have a nice trip!," along with the Katamari ones, but there's no clear relation between the set. Of course, anything "Trip" calls to mind one-half of the dynamic duo in last year's critical darling Enslaved -- not that we're calling these vague 'marks any indication of a sequel. [Pictured: Beautiful Katamari]
Katamari Hack rolls across your favorite websites, leaving swath of HTML5 destruction in its wake
Google Chrome may have come out of Pwn2Own unscathed, but you can rip through any website it (or another HTML5-compliant browser) displays -- just pull out your handy Katamari Damacy ball and wreak havok on the page. Na NAaaa, na na na na na na na, na na na na na naaaa... Alternatively, paste the following Javascript into a bookmark, and then click it when you're tiring of a page. javascript:var i,s,ss=['http://kathack.com/js/kh.js','http://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/1.5.1/jquery.min.js']; for(i=0;i!=ss.length;i++){s=document.createElement('script');s.src=ss[i];document.body.appendChild(s);}void(0);
Keita Takahashi 'not completely satisfied' with Noby Noby Boy, blames budget
Was Noby Noby Boy misunderstood by the gaming masses? Creator Keita Takahashi seems to think so, as he believes the game's limited resources didn't fully realize his vision. "Ultimately, with Noby Noby Boy, I wanted to break the barriers between toy and game," Takahashi explained to Develop. "But for me personally, a bit more could have been done to the game. I'm not completely satisfied with the game, in terms of quality, due to the restrictions on budgets."Takahashi, famous for his work on the original Katamari Damacy, has been surprisingly forthcoming on Noby's budget (or lack thereof). Had Takahashi been given additional resources he believes the game would have reached a much larger audience. "I won't go in to what I wanted to add to the game, because that's a really long list of things, but as an overall assessment, I think the game could have been much more detailed and easier for everyone to understand."It appears Noby's shortcomings won't stop Takahashi from working on an even crazier design. Already, he's thinking of a new project, one that "is even harder to explain than Noby Noby Boy." Fans of Takahashi's works wouldn't want it any other way -- but we wonder if publisher Namco Bandai will embrace an even more experimental game.
Katamari Forever rolls into stores with one final puppet video
Namco has released one last trailer for Katamari Forever to coincide with its release this week. Once again, the questionably-sober hand puppets return to talk about why they think Katamari Forever is the best Katamari game yet. It's a surreal video that makes us feel like we're watching Adult Swim while, um, eating brownies -- something Katamari creator Keita Takahashi claims he doesn't do. After watching this trailer, we're not entirely sure we believe him.%Gallery-51402%
Katamari Forever goes gold, rolls into stores on September 22
Namco Bandai has announced that their upcoming PS3 exclusive Katamari Forever has gone gold. That means it's done. Finished. Kaput.The upcoming Blu-ray release will retail for $49.99, which is about 17% cheaper than the average PS3 game, and about 250% more than what we wanted to pay for the game. While Forever promises a good deal of content and a variety of visual filters, we're not entirely sure if PS3 owners are willing to pay such a high premium on what is, essentially, an HD remix of past Katamari games. The temptation of an easy Platinum may attract Trophy hunters, but we have a feeling many of you will be skipping on this release until the (inevitable) price drop.%Gallery-51402%
Katamari Forever demo squashes Japanese PSN tomorrow
Alongside the Japanese release of Katamari Forever, andriasang.com reports that a demo is rolling out on the Japanese PSN tomorrow. While we're sure this information is particularly useful to our Japanese readers, it should also come in handy for those of you who have "friends" with a Japanese PSN account.For those that have somehow steered clear of the delightful madness that is Katamari Forever, this new entry in the series includes spiffy graphical filters, SIXAXIS support and some new twists on the classic Katamari gameplay. You can read all about it in our recent preview. Or, if you'd rather, you can just listen to some puppets explain it.
Video: Let the hand puppets explain Katamari Forever
Utilizing the most epic form of storytelling -- the hand puppet -- this new commercial from Japan sheds some light on the upcoming Katamari Forever game. Two animal puppets guide us through a series of gameplay clips, showing off some more of KF's classic levels (most seem to come from We Love Katamari, such as the Snowman and Race Track levels).Katamari Forever will hit Japan on the 23rd of next month, while a worldwide release hasn't yet been determined. But don't worry, it shouldn't be too long before the game rolls our way.
Video: Katamari controller hack for PS2
What better way to remember all of those people who died when the moon and the stars were destroyed by the King of All Cosmos than a Memorial Day game of Katamari? Rather than continue to half-ass it with her PlayStation controller, hackster and NYC Resistor member Kellbot has put together a real life spherical controller, utilizing such items as a large mirror ball (sadly, the Yoga ball proved too pliable to roll on the ball bearings), a mouse, a gutted PS2 controller, a digital pot, and -- of course -- the world famous Arduino. Interested in building your own? Hit that read link to get all the details, but not before you peep the video after the break. [Via Hack A Day]
A 'real' Katamari controller
In the photo above you'll see Kelly Farrell -- and she's a hell of a lot smarter than us. The twentysomething created, with the help of hacking collective NYC Resistor, a Katamari Damacy controller that uses a real ball. The big silver metal ball uses an optical mouse along with [technical jargon goes here] to make a very cool controller.Originally, Kelly wanted to use a full-sized yoga ball, but the rubber was too resistant and didn't play well with the other components. Check out her video after the break to get a more detailed explanation of how it all works.
Katamari Tribute features four adjustable visual filters
Can you spot the difference between the four Katamari Damacy Tribute images seen above? All four pictures showcase a different visual filter used in the game, and according to Siliconera, this change in art style and appearance can be adjusted by the player. The four filters are: classic, colored pencil, wood grain and cel-shaded. Now, the question is: Which image corresponds to the right filter? We could just tell you, but we thought you'd have more fun playing a guessing game. So which one is which? Answers are after the break, no peeking!
Katamari Damacy Tribute coming to PS3
Did Noby Noby Boy whet your appetite for more quirky Japanese magic? Keita Takahashi's original ball-rolling creation is returning in a brand new PS3 game, Katamari Damacy Tribute. According to Siliconera, the new title will be presented in full 1080p HD and will feature a "new visual presentation." The soundtrack features remixes from previous titles, which in conjunction with the title, suggests the Tribute may be a hodgepodge of previous games in the series. Stay tuned for more details.
I Love Katamari rolls (literally) into the iPhone's App Store
We don't cover a lot of games on Engadget Mobile -- or a lot of apps, for that matter -- but every once in a while we get graced with a franchise that's bound to get readers unusually fired up. This time around it's the cult hit Katamari Damacy in its I Love Katamari form, hitting the iTunes App Store courtesy of publisher Namco. The concept -- rolling a giant ball of crap around town -- seems almost tailor-made for the iPhone's control method, but unfortunately, we're hearing that the current version is a little rough around the edges with frequent slowdowns once you get enough stuff sucked into the ball. The platform's young, the game's young, and we're hoping it gets better over time, but only the most diehard Katamari fans may want to bite on the $7.99 asking price at this point.[Via TUAW]
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.
Katamari creator's Nobi Nobi Boy coming to TGS 2008
Two things surprise us about Namco Bandai's announced Tokyo Game Show lineup: the complete dearth of Katamari titles and, coincidentally, the inclusion of Katamari creator Keita Takahashi's Nobi Nobi Boy for PlayStation 3, a title we haven't heard about since October 2007. According to the publisher (via Siliconera), the game (the title literally translates to "Stretch Stretch Boy") will be shown in video form only, a bit surprising considering the playable prototype that appeared last year at GameCity. Namco Bandai's lineup includes 29 titles, including Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm and the multiplatform Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2. Interestingly, the publisher is also showing off four PlayStation 2 titles, edging out Sony's support of PS2 at this TGS by a margin of 4 to 0.
