Katamari Damacy mini-game
Andy of Rendermouse was the first to send word of this official Katamari Damacy mini-game [originally*] hosted on Namco's Japanese website. If you're unfamiliar with the original PS2 console game, then so far you're missing out on a tremendously gratifying gameplay experience: Crazy, quirky, innocent fun.
As far as the mini-game is concerned, it appears to have been designed to illustrate the main concept of the game, which is to joyfully roll the katamari over smaller objects to collect them and make the katamari bigger so that you can then roll over even larger objects. To this end it works quite well; however, the mini-game does not even come close to the fun of the original.
When the game begins, you choose the number of katamari you wish to play with at once: 1, 2, 3, 6, or 48*. The mouse cursor becomes the King of all cosmos and the katamari follow him around the screen rolling over—or bumping into—various people and objects. *Note: the option to choose 48 is hidden inside the pyramid on the game's main menu.
This is where things begin to get strange, because I am unsure of what the actual object or purpose to the game is—if there is even one at all. You can click the mouse button to 'explode' the katamari, freeing everything picked up thus far, which basically starts you back from the beginning. Otherwise, the ball will continue to roll up everything, including the King, and eventually reveal a large watercolor painting. Oooh.
And yet the game never ends. It just keeps going and going with no clear objective, nor apparent win condition, in sight. Or else I have missed something terribly obvious.
What the mini-game did accomplish, however, was to remind me of how much fun I had playing the original. And now I must get back to my PS2, for I think I've made the King quite angry.
Play Katamari Damacy mini-game
*Update: It appears that the game is no longer available to play at Namco's website, so we are mirroring the game here for posterity.
Awesome! I was hoping a game like this would come out, seeing as that I'm very much lacking that game for the PS2.
; )
The game seems to be over when you get so big that you absorb all the grass and all that is left is the background painting. Then you can explode and start all over if you like. Neat game, I have been meaning to pick up the PS2 version.
Eventually the ball gets so big that you have peach and red, green and blue striped platforms that things attach to.
Great game Jay. You have made me want the PS2 game
The graphics remind me a bit of South Park. :p
When the PS2 game was first released, it was only $20. That was reason enough to pick-up the unique and original title.
Now, it's still $20. What are you waiting for? It ain't gonna get any cheaper. =p
my guess is that you have to reveal the whole background image, without the head becoming part of the ball aswell.
So you'll have to both lead and avoid them.
Ah, an official Katamari mini game. This is a pretty good game. Also, someone on newgrounds made a Katamari mini game, but not as good as this one.
I loved the last level in Katamari Damacy. Anybody else?
I don't feel like I am really "getting" this game... but it looks fantastic!! Makes me very curious to the original "bigger" version, you're talking about. Can you play that on PC??
Tsuken - That's what I thought at first, but now I'm not so sure. My guess is that it doesn't really matter if the King gets balled-up.
Tammetuk - no PC version available. PS2 only for now until March, then a PSP version.
What the heck do i have to do. AH so confused!
Roll over smaller objects to make the katamari bigger so you can then roll over even larger objects. That's all there is to this game. =)
I love this one! I don't have a PS2 and have always been curious about this game after reading a news article about it. Definitely addictive!
great game, tons of fun. the music reminds me of maniac mansion.
we have an xbox at home, so a ps2 is out of question. BUT: thank god for this minigame, because i would SO buy a ps2 for only playing a katamari game!
In 48 player mode after you suck up the earth itself. Stuff will keep coming. My ball filled up the entire screen! ^^
HAHAHHAHAHAHAA!!!! This made me laugh so hard!!! especially after i ate my fellow ball roller and the head!! Ohhh, so funny!! i liek eating the dudes that look liek elvis presly and the firetrucks. AWESOME JAY :)!!
i love this game
The PSP version of this game has a bouns 8bit version (which looks a lot like this) but its side scrolling... Its pretty awesome. I love all of the Katamari Damashi games.
Just a tiny niggle, but I noticed today's featured game, Fizzball, has the tag "katamari", and this one doesn't. :P
i think the katamari goes automatic after you absorb the king so you might want to avoid that...also be careful when you are very small because the king can actually dislodge your stuff if you swipe your mouse across the stage.
i have the video game for this and we love katamari and this game wont work for me
i pulled out the grass! :)
i tried this game and it is really good and i accidentally left the game on when i was taking a shower and after that i realized that the music was still playing so i ran over to the computer and it got so huge and when i blew it up it was just filled and overflowing with all kinds of stuff and i couldn't go nowhere and then i had to quit. thank you jay for putting it on i might want it for the ps2
a year and a half after you posted this, and now i'm being inexplicably drawn to my PS2 as well... darn you Jay! ;D
I have the PS2 version and I'm stuck on star 7 TT_TT But it's still really fun! LOVE the music, lol, maybe I'm crazy (Danger mouse!). So, anyway, good game!
if you click on the ufo, the king pops up,and you can then click on the king to get a rainbow!
Hold on, Zan, you can BLOW it UP?
cool!
(also i'ts KING not HEAD)
I LoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOove Katamari!!! I have Katamari Damacy, We Love Katamari, And Me and My Katamari for the PSP. BUT, I can't get Beautiful Katamari because of Namco putting it on the XBox.
I'm also hearing that they aren't coming out with another katamari game and that the series is over!!! Is this true!?!? PLEASE SAY IT ISN'T SO!!!!! Woagh.... I forgot that the game was still running.... It's really big now.....................
katamari is my most favorite ps2 game. i just wish i owned it myself. my borthers friend joe has it and i see him like 2 times every 5 months. it's kinda hard to borrow it.
wish i could put this on my myspace for my friends to play.
has anyone who's actually palyed the game ever been able to pick up ALL the continents at the end of the game while the credits are going?
I wonder why my We Love Katamari game just stopped working. (It kept getting slower and slower and slower.)
Update