The absurdity returns to the 1001 list with We ♥ Katamari, the sticky ball roller that was such a surprise hit that even its designer had to question it all. Why was there so much love for such a strange little game? Can you even make a sequel to such a thing? Wouldn't it just dilute whatever the first one meant to people?
To give thanks to the fans, the Prince is back to give them what they want. More of the same, essentially.
Fun Times
We ♥ Katamari starts off as weird and wonderful as Katamari Damacy, with bold, colourful, nonsensical artwork and weird, but somehow compelling music.
The narrator takes us through the events of the first game, which is little more than 'The Prince rolled up, like, everything', before it begins to wonder just why that game was a success. The King here is confused. Why did players like it? It must have been his chin, he says. Clearly, these Earthlings are attracted to its might.
Frustrations
After a tutorial stage to familiarise ourselves with the twin-stick controls, we can confirm that We ♥ Katamari is, essentially, more of the same. I mean, have I played all of it to check? No. Not at all. Haven't even played all of Katamari Damacy to see how that game progressed. Do you know why?
Because it's boring. It's boring, and it's still a little fiddly to control. And not even the King seems impressed by what's going on.
Final Word
There is a co-operative mode in We ♥ Katamari. Is it enough to convince me that it's worth playing? I didn't try it. Well, more accurately, I didn't find it. But can we imagine a situation where I would play a co-operative Katamari game?
Yes. For a single level. Before it got old and we moved onto something more substantial.
The fact that We ♥ Katamari addresses the surprise success of the first game must surely show that these kinds of games are not meant to get a sequel, or perhaps that they're not even meant to be successful. Fun for a little while, certainly. A nice distraction, definitely. But successful enough to warrant a sequel? Wouldn't a sequel devalue the original?
I can't remember any of the details for Katamari Damacy, but do I need to? The gameplay is simple: roll up stuff to get big enough to roll up bigger stuff. Does that gameplay really need two must-play video games? What more do we get out of seeing it all over again?
If you liked Katamari Damacy, We ♥ Katamari has more of the same. It's probably a bit more polished, too, not that you could tell without a thorough look. At the end of the day, if you've not played either, play either. Only play both if you like the other. I don't, so I won't. Simple.
Fun Facts
The Wikipedia entry for this game has, at time of writing, a citation needed note regarding the co-op mode. It's not an interesting fact, whether a citation is found or not - it just sort of leapt off the page.
We ♥ Katamari, developed by Namco, first released in 2005.
Version played: PlayStation 2, 2006, via emulation.