The sequel to Katamari Damacy is coming soon to a PS2 near you!
The story is even wackier than the predecessor. The Prince strolls around Earth accepting requests from his fans, who ask him to complete this or that goal. The objective is, of course, to fulfill the requests of the fans.
The game will feature the same basic rules and goals as the first title (reach a certain size, reach a certain size in a time limit, pick up a certain type of things) but with some new additions.
Some of the new features include three new levels to explore while you assume the role of tiny little Prince of All Cosmos Oji (yes, he does have a name): Classroom, Underwater, Snacks, Zoo and Racing Track.
The Classroom stage contains everything from pencils and books to students and teachers. The Underwater level allows you to pick up all sorts of marine life. The delicious Snacks level is composed of several candies, cookies and other sweet items and a sort of gingerbread house. The Zoo stage obviously features different animals. The Racing Track looks like what it sounds, and features different vehicles.
Another new feature regarding the Royal Presents that you find throughout the game, is the addition of chest pieces (such as t-shirts) along with the already known head gear for the little Prince to wear. Some of these new items include a bikini, a rainbow and a Pinocchio nose, and you can wear two of them as long as they’re meant for different parts of the body. There are also tons of new characters to be found in the game.
A good improvement regarding the gameplay is that certain objects that would normally block your view in certain camera angles will now become transparent, making it easier to get out of some “sticky situations”.
A co-op mode has also been added, where two players can control a single katamari. Namco as released that each player will be playing the part of an analog, so this seems to be a game of coordination. I don’t think I like this idea too much, it would have been more interesting if both players had to synchronize their movements to roll the katamari properly. I think this mode will cause more frustration than enjoyment.
The battle mode has been improved as well, and you no longer have a tiny arena, but three arenas and three different sizes to start playing (small, medium and large).
I have no information regarding an online mode, but I can still hope for a large arena with no time limit and a ton of players trying to roll each other up. A girl can dream….
Minna Daisuki Katamari Damacy (translated as Everyone Loves Katamari Damacy) supposedly will be entitled “We Love Katamari Damacy”, but I still think the original name should be kept. The game was to be relased this spring, but was pushed back to the summer of 2005, which means we’ll have to wait a little while longer for the second part of the addictive crazy fun that is Katamari Damacy. The release is scheduled for July 7th in Japan.
Note: If you are unfamiliar with the peculiarity that is Katamari Damacy, feel free to read our complete review of the original game.