Bye Bye Katamari

[kainemaxwell]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/katamari-damacy/bye-bye-katamari-161443.php

[Mr.FoodMonster]

This is bittersweet. The games are all awesome (I'm forcing someone I know with a PSP to buy the newest one so I can play it) but I can understand how the same old would get old pretty fast. Katamari is on my top 10 favorite games ever list, and it will always hold a special place.

I'm looking forword to whatever he comes up with next, as I'm sure its going to be very intresting.

[unwinddesign]

While fun, I think the game is way, way overrated. It's quirky, but it gets old and boring pretty quickly. There are some cool moments, but there were so many more times when being unable to pick up stuff pissed me off.

[Rockman Neo]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/katamari-damacy/bye-bye-katamari-161443.php

And good riddance, if you ask me. In my honest opinion, the Katamari Damacy games are for silly Japanophiles who like boring, repetitive games.

At least Parappa the Rapper had fun gameplay.

[dbiersdorf]

We Love Katamari proved the series has little leg room to expand on. Looks like they did it right the first time.

It's sad, but better to let it go then beat the horse dry.

[Mr.FoodMonster]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/katamari-damacy/bye-bye-katamari-161443.php

And good riddance, if you ask me. In my honest opinion, the Katamari Damacy games are for silly Japanophiles who like boring, repetitive games.

At least Parappa the Rapper had fun gameplay.
Repetitive games, and your username is Rockman? Hah, I love the games a whole lot, but the series has pretty much defined the term 'Repetitive.'

I dont understand why the bunch of you have already said that this game is overrated ect. It has a very 'classic' feel to it, and brings something new to the table, something that too many games today lack. I guess you're all OK with having hundreds of the same FPSers and Gangsta' games.

[Drexel923]

Oh well...now I know 100% I won't be seeing a Katamari DS game :( I still think it would have been a better choice than the PSP.

Though I was kind of getting sick of the series...I loved the first game and somewhat enjoyed the second...for some reason it just felt old to me. Though some levels were great...I loved the race track one.

If anything, I hope their next game is as unique and enjoyable as Katamari was.

[djbeatmongrel]

it is a sad day but it is a good decision imo. any more katamari would be milking the series horribly. What was done is the first 2 is more than i think anyone could have asked for: a fresh, fun, and original game. the only think i'd hope for is reissuing of the first 2 games for future consoles to keep the series availible for younger generations.

[Rockman Neo]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/katamari-damacy/bye-bye-katamari-161443.php

And good riddance, if you ask me. In my honest opinion, the Katamari Damacy games are for silly Japanophiles who like boring, repetitive games.

At least Parappa the Rapper had fun gameplay.
Repetitive games, and your username is Rockman? Hah, I love the games a whole lot, but the series has pretty much defined the term 'Repetitive.'

I dont understand why the bunch of you have already said that this game is overrated ect. It has a very 'classic' feel to it, and brings something new to the table, something that too many games today lack. I guess you're all OK with having hundreds of the same FPSers and Gangsta' games.

Ha, funny comeback there. And no, it's not sarcasm. I personally hate the X games. Anyone who calls that series "dark" needs to be castrated, because they've obviously never seen Rockman Neo. As for the original Mega Man titles, I thought 1, 2, 3 and 8 were particularly good games. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that Mega Man 8 was the most inventive title in the series.

As for the second thing you said, no, I'm not happy with all the first-person shooters out there. Eventually, the FPS market will become so bloated to the point where it will literally collapse into itself. At least, I hope so.

[cyberfluxor]

Man what a fun little game. It was so simple and yet it killed people's time, in a good way though because it was fun! It was a very interesting idea put into motion that proves there are still pockets of games that although there isn't must to expand upon to create sequals, they are good in their own ways for being shortly lived. I believe someone placed a link to a mini flash game even! Great title and hope they can create something completely new again!

[InsaneDavid]

While fun, I think the game is way, way overrated. It's quirky, but it gets old and boring pretty quickly. There are some cool moments, but there were so many more times when being unable to pick up stuff pissed me off.

Agreed. They're good games but not "OMG, this is the greatest most innovative unique game ever made!" There are quirky, strange, "Japanese" games released everyday - why this one took on a life of it's own is beyond me. Still a great game, not trying to argue against that.

[unwinddesign]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/katamari-damacy/bye-bye-katamari-161443.php

And good riddance, if you ask me. In my honest opinion, the Katamari Damacy games are for silly Japanophiles who like boring, repetitive games.

At least Parappa the Rapper had fun gameplay.

I dont understand why the bunch of you have already said that this game is overrated ect. It has a very 'classic' feel to it, and brings something new to the table, something that too many games today lack. I guess you're all OK with having hundreds of the same FPSers and Gangsta' games.

If you feel that way, then more power to you. However, just because I don't think it's the best thing since sliced bread does not mean I'm into the whole generic gangsta/shooter/platformer schtick that's going on in gaming right now. There are better games out there than Katamari; the "complex-simplicity" of Katamari is NOT enough for me to laud it as some sort of centerpiece of gaming ingenuity and innovation. The game has some serious problems, the major one being repetition. Other issues such as a wonky camera and bizarre moments of "why the hell can't I pick that up" syndrome had me put down the game long before I got close to beating it. Again, it was good, but I wouldn't consider it anywhere near the upper echelons of gaming.

[keiblerfan69]

Its a shame but I am sure it will be back.

[Haoie]

Yes, these things have a way of getting more sequals, and I for 1 would like to see the DS version sooner rather than later.

[Jibbajaba]

I really like the Katamari series, but I am not sorry to see it go. Better to stop now then to create endless sequels. They created a couple of really neat games for the PS2, and maybe one for the PSP (some of the reviews are not so great).

I don't think that they are totally wonderful greatest game ever types of titles, but they were new and innovative. Katamari Damacy was not an important game because of how great it was (which it was), but rather because it showed that even now, 30 years after the advent of video games, it is still possible to create something new and fresh.

And it had a cool soundtrack.

I'm looking forward to whatever these guys are working on now.

Chris

[Ed Oscuro]

They took down all the downloads?! That's pretty lousy.

[MichaeltheGreat]

Goodbye Katamari, Goodbye. We will always have 2005. No one can ever take that away from us.

[McBacon]

I think its a good thing, it will preserve its status as an excellent game, unlike Viewtiful Joe which has been so milked by Capcom, its harder to remember the original game for what it was.

[THATinkjar]

Oh dear. I haven't even said Hello Hello Katamari, yet. So, I'm certainly not ready to say goodbye.

We Love Katamari made it to Europe in February, but from what I've heard - for newcomers to the series, like myself - it isn't particularly recommended.

Should I wait for the PSP version (Me & My Katamari) to hit UK shores? Advice is welcome.

When I was looking for We Love Katamari a month back, or so, half-interested in picking it up... I went into a local shop, and told them what I was looking for...

Me: "Hi. I'm looking for a game called We Love Katamari on PlayStation 2."
Assistant: "What is it?"
Me: "Its a Japanese game. I can spell it for you, if that helps?"
Assistant: "I can't find it."
Me: "The word 'Love' may be a Heart symbol."
Assistant: "Erm... what do you do in it?"
Me: "Erm... you roll around in a big ball, really."
Assistant: "Those games are popular in Japan, aren't they?"

*pause*

Me: "Do you have the game or not?"

[JPeeples]

I enjoyed the first two games more than just about anything in the past few years, so this is kind of sad news. I plan on getting Me and My Katamari if/when a bare-bones PSP is released, and that should be a nice way to say 'goodbye' to a series that I'll likely never stop playing.

[s1lence]

I actually swear I remember reading something about this awhile ago, that the guy that created it didn't want to make Katamari anymore. I guess it was true, though I don't understand why they took everything on the website down.

[blissfulnoise]

The Katamari games are just a pure joy to play. Simple concept, high execution games will always transend nationality. To say they're for "Japanophiles" is ignorant to the point of being offensive.

[Push Upstairs]

I think its a good thing, it will preserve its status as an excellent game, unlike Viewtiful Joe which has been so milked by Capcom, its harder to remember the original game for what it was.

Capcom milk a game?

NEVER!

[PDorr3]

Playing the first KD was enough for me. I enjoyed it, however I wasnt a crazed fan like many. Its a nice game to just sit back and have fun with for a bit. I never got into W<3K because to me it was just more of the same. Maybe one day I will get around to the PSP version.

[Rockman Neo]

I think its a good thing, it will preserve its status as an excellent game, unlike Viewtiful Joe which has been so milked by Capcom, its harder to remember the original game for what it was.

Agreed, at least about what happened to the Viewtiful Joe series. The first one, when it came out, was probably the best GameCube game to ever come out.

That's why when I played Viewtiful Joe 2 it really, really dissapointed me. So much so, that when I was still running my review site (SmarterGamer) I wrote a huge rant about why it sucked and why the move to Clover Studios was both arbitrary and illogical. Okami better not suck that badly.

But the funny thing is, I don't think Red Hot Rumble, the recently released VJ game, isn't as bad as most reviews would state. Quite a fun button masher, actually.


The Katamari games are just a pure joy to play. Simple concept, high execution games will always transend nationality. To say they're for "Japanophiles" is ignorant to the point of being offensive.

Ignorant? That's a bit much. Japanophile is just another classification for an otaku. It has nothing to do with pedophilia, if you're offended by it because of that. Although, I find it hard to believe that someone could link otakus with that to begin with.

[blissfulnoise]

Ignorant? That's a bit much. Japanophile is just another classification for an otaku. It has nothing to do with pedophilia, if you're offended by it because of that. Although, I find it hard to believe that someone could link otakus with that to begin with.

I'm quite clear as to what your implied meaning of a "silly Japanophile" is. Your original comment, opinion or not, was so grossly incorrect it necessitated my response.

[Rockman Neo]

Ignorant? That's a bit much. Japanophile is just another classification for an otaku. It has nothing to do with pedophilia, if you're offended by it because of that. Although, I find it hard to believe that someone could link otakus with that to begin with.

I'm quite clear as to what your implied meaning of a "silly Japanophile" is. Your original comment, opinion or not, was so grossly incorrect it necessitated my response.

Hey, I've never met every gamer in the world, but from the people I know, Katamari Damacy mostly appeals to anime fans or people with Ultraman figurines. One person I knew even classified himself as a "Japanophile," so I don't think the term is as grossly inaccurate as you might perceive. Sorry if I offended you.

[Jibbajaba]

Ignorant? That's a bit much. Japanophile is just another classification for an otaku. It has nothing to do with pedophilia, if you're offended by it because of that. Although, I find it hard to believe that someone could link otakus with that to begin with.

I'm quite clear as to what your implied meaning of a "silly Japanophile" is. Your original comment, opinion or not, was so grossly incorrect it necessitated my response.

Hey, I've never met every gamer in the world, but from the people I know, Katamari Damacy mostly appeals to anime fans or people with Ultraman figurines. One person I knew even classified himself as a "Japanophile," so I don't think the term is as grossly inaccurate as you might perceive. Sorry if I offended you.

I don't like anime at all, and I don't even know what an Ultraman figure is.

Maybe I just like good games. You don't have to have a fetish for Japanese stuff to appreciate that.

Chris

[Rockman Neo]

Ignorant? That's a bit much. Japanophile is just another classification for an otaku. It has nothing to do with pedophilia, if you're offended by it because of that. Although, I find it hard to believe that someone could link otakus with that to begin with.

I'm quite clear as to what your implied meaning of a "silly Japanophile" is. Your original comment, opinion or not, was so grossly incorrect it necessitated my response.

Hey, I've never met every gamer in the world, but from the people I know, Katamari Damacy mostly appeals to anime fans or people with Ultraman figurines. One person I knew even classified himself as a "Japanophile," so I don't think the term is as grossly inaccurate as you might perceive. Sorry if I offended you.

I don't like anime at all, and I don't even know what an Ultraman figure is.

Maybe I just like good games. You don't have to have a fetish for Japanese stuff to appreciate that.

Chris

The keyword is "mostly."

[Mayhem]

Most people I know who like Katamari are the sort of people who know a good game when it slaps them in the face. Young, old, male, female, geek, casual (yes even them), single, married, you name it, people like it :)

[boatofcar]

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/bye_bye_katamari.jpg

What I wouldn't give for a large print of this to hang on my wall...

[FullCircle]

The Katamari games are always a hit with visitors to my house. Even if they dislike video games in general, they still love playing these, if onky for a little while. It's so simple to play that it caught on quickly. But it does get boring for those of us who need to 100% the games. We <3 Katamari was a pain to complete.

By the way, did anyone pick up every item in the Elephant level? Holy crap is that huge!

[blissfulnoise]

What I wouldn't give for a large print of this to hang on my wall...

I'm a bigger fan of the original wallpaper they had on the Katamari site.

http://www.blissfulnoise.com/images/Katamari.JPG

[kainemaxwell]

What I wouldn't give for a large print of this to hang on my wall...

I'm a bigger fan of the original wallpaper they had on the Katamari site.

http://www.blissfulnoise.com/images/Katamari.JPG
I just found my new wallpaper. Though wouldn't mind a Katamari wallscroll.

[boatofcar]

What I wouldn't give for a large print of this to hang on my wall...

I'm a bigger fan of the original wallpaper they had on the Katamari site.


I just found my new wallpaper. Though wouldn't mind a Katamari wallscroll.

Ditto.

[blissfulnoise]

I went ahead and uploaded the original full size picture to my website for anyone that wants it. I'll probably leave it up for a few days since the Katamari site is down.

Get it here (http://www.blissfulnoise.com/images/Katamari_Large.JPG)

[boatofcar]

Thanks Mr. Noise!