Summary
Few video games embody the philosophy of “be yourself” quite like theKatamarigames. Originally, the quirky action-puzzle games conceived by creator Keita Takahashi were a niche addition to thePlayStation 2’s Japanese game library before the first game got a translation and became an unlikely sleeper hit. A sequel appeared a short time later, and a franchise was born.
The premise of a tiny alien pushing a sticky ball that gets bigger the more objects stick to it is an unlikely but successful recipe for gaming greatness. Renowned for their offbeat humor, brilliant soundtrack, and off-the-wall visuals, the games emphasize joy, playfulness and cheerful absurdity. There has been a steady stream of titles since the series' inception, so here is a rundown of everyKatamarigame, ranked.
This list includes only the originalKatamarigames and not the updatedRerollversions.
9Tap My Katamari
This Mobile Title Might Not Click With Everyone
Keita Takahashi’s originalKatamari Damacytook a PlayStation controller and fit a game around it. The makers ofTap My Katamaritried to do something similar, only with a smartphone touchscreen and a player who is willing to tap repeatedly to progress through the game.
The clicker game sees The Prince push aKatamariforward with each tap of the screen. Once he reaches an object, it is automatically rolled up and the player gets points. There are infinite levels, so there is the potential for endless tapping. However, the game, like its DSi comrade, is more of a curiosity than anything else.
8Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacy
Blocks Fall From The Sky In This Obscure Spin-Off
Released for the Nintendo DSi’s digital download service all the way back in 2009,Korogashi Puzzle Katamari Damacyis included in theKatamarilibrary thanks to its name, visuals, and not much else. If anything, the game has more in common with a title likeTetris.There is no sign of a sticky ball to be rolled or any objects to be collected.
The player must stack items and then drop a katamari to sweep them away all at once. A line of six blocks disappears once it’s formed/ Should the Prince fail in his stacking duties, the King will then duly order his offspring to try again and do a better job. The game is a fun means of passing time, but feels more like a cash-in than a stand-out game.
7Katamari Amore
This iOS Iteration Gets Things Rolling — At A Price
Unlike the previous mobile games,Katamari Amoreis an experience more in tune with the source material. The Prince must roll a ball and accumulate objects to meet objectives laid down by The King Of All Cosmos. The game makes use of different control schemes, and players can use an iPhone accelerometer to tilt the katamari in whatever direction they choose.
However, to get the most value for money, iPhone users must pay additional fees for level packs, meaning that the full game isn’t available on first play. This, plus a control scheme significantly less responsive than the consoleKatamarigames, mean that this is an experience for die-hard completists only.
6Me and My Katamari
A Bespoke Experience For A Sony Handheld
Sony’s PlayStation Portable was home toMe And My Katamari,a pint-sized experience which aimed to put an authenticKatamarijamboree in the palm of the player’s hand. It was also the first of the games to be made without the involvement of original mastermind Keita Takahashi.
Unfortunately, his absence is felt. The game replicates much of what made the original games so enjoyable, but the quirks and subtle touches that distinguished the originals are absent from this title. It’s still a good time, but it feels like a “good enough” attempt at reproducing an outstanding experience.
5Touch My Katamari
A Touchy-Feely Spin On The Formula
The unique selling point forTouch My Katamariwas that it made use of features exclusive toSony’s ill-fated Vita handheld. The use of analog controllers is still there, but players can use the Vita’s backscreen to manipulate the Katamari in all sorts of ways.
Players can stretch or squash the katamari, a mechanic that adds more gameplay depth. Stretching lengthways will mop up more objects, whereas pinching will enable the player to fit into tight areas. The game is by no means terrible, and the new gameplay feels like a fresh touch, but it doesn’t match the quality of other games.
4Beautiful Katamari
A Colorful Surprise For Xbox Owners
AnXbox 360 exclusive,Beautiful Katamarileaves the core gameplay virtually untouched and feels more than anything like a concerted attempt to woo non-Playstation owners into the world of the franchise. It succeeds, more or less, but mostly due to the pre-existing winning formula that it builds on.
Exclusive levels were made available for Xbox Live Marketplace, the first time that downloadable content was introduced to the series, and players could track their progress online. A PlayStation 3 version had been in development, but was canceled, with content funneled off into a later PS3 game.
3Katamari Forever
A Mixture Of Love Letter And Reboot
Thehorsepower of the PlayStation 3enabled developers to give theKatamariseries some visual improvements, and the 2009 gameKatamari Foreverlooks back over the series so far while trying to throw some new elements. Of the 34 stages in the game, nearly all are taken from previous games, and each stage is split into different sections.
A visual setting enabled the player to choose different filters for the levels, including cel shading and colored pencil. The soundtrack is comprised of remixed versions of tunes from the earlier games. The whole experience feels like it was put together with a deep reverence for the source material.
The PlayStation 2 library wasdominated by horror titles, high-octane driving games, sports games, and shooters around 2004. Suddenly, and from seemingly out of nowhere, came a game no-one asked for. Its tone and feel was completely at odds with the PS2 zeitgeist, but it was brilliant, and players flocked to it. It also introducedone of the worst PlayStation dads.
20 years later,Katamari Damacyis still a great game. The sensory overload of gameplay, music, and esoteric visuals feels just as fresh now as it did then. Crucially, its replayability is intact, and the whole thing received a fresh coat of paint and an HD spruce-up for 2018’sKatamari Damacy Reroll.
One of the most joyful games ever made,We Love Katamariis the perfect sequel. It takes everything that made the first game so successful and adds new levels, gameplay elements, and other little tweaks. The result is a game that can sit comfortably in the library of all-time great PlayStation 2 titles. Its soundtrack in particular is so good that it works as a stand-alone album.
The game added multiplayer and different level objectives, and a sense of exuberant creativity is evident across the whole game. It’s telling that this is the last game in the franchise which creator Keita Takahashi would work on, and every game that came after it would fail to match its greatness. As a result, it sits proudly at the top of this list.
