Me & My Katamari Review
I have a PSP. The ONLY reason I have my PSP is to play the game "Me & My Katamari". I don't want to hear about the PS2 version, I've never played it. I can't attest to it. I'm sure it is awesome but PS2 "Katamari Damacy" fanatics always seem to dis the PSP version. So I hate them. Not "hate hate" like I wish them harm but hate in a PSP versus PS2 sort of way. Sort of in the way that I "hate" Tar Heel fans because I'm a Duke Blue Devil college hoops fan (nat'l champs 2010 btw). Except with Tar Heel fans it is more of a real "hate hate". Like I hope they stub their toes kind of hate. But this hub isn't about haters it is about lovers - lovers of the game "Me & My Katamari".
This game is awesome. It has slightly difficult to learn controls but once you get the hang of it, it is just like typing or playing Rock Band... you just control that prince as he pushes around this ball. Which is the object of the game. To push around this sticky ball, called a katamari, and it balls up other things. Because it is sticky. First you ball up small things like ants or marbles or tacs or legos, etc. But as it gets bigger you can ball up even bigger things. Eventually you are balling up big things like people or cars. I love to roll over people because you can hear them scream and complain as you ball them up. Then you can hear their cries become increasingly muffled as you ball up more stuff and they become the center layers of your ball. It isn't sadistic at all because these "people" are not real - they are dots on your psp screen.
If you haven't clicked onto the youtube intro above then you should. It gives you the title screen intro which you will only watch once and then you'll bypass it. But it gives you a good indication of the people involved in this game. Namely a god-like King called The King and his queen (who is called The Queen) and then YOU, and you are "The Prince". You can actually change out your character as the game goes on but I prefer to remain the prince because I like him... and he's... well, a prince. Why would I want to be one of his cousins? I don't. But maybe you will. So go watch that intro and then check out a sample of the game play in the second youtube I've provided below. I work hard to find these youtubes so you could at least check them out. Not that I want to sound bossy or anything. On the second youtube video, if you jump up to around the 6 minute mark you'll get to hear all those people screaming as you ball them up. I find this super relaxing. No, I do not feel this is a sign of mental anguish - these are not real people!?!?
"What's so great about this game?" What's so great? What's so great?!?! Oh wait, I asked that. What is so great is everything. It is an entire world you get to escape to. The music is unique and varied and I recommend playing it with your headphones on. The colors are bright and awesome and the environments go from dessert to mountains to lakes to oceans to cities to shopping malls. All the while you are balling up whatever gets in your way. The King is a riot, although a tad threatening and at times pouty. But the King overall wants you to do well. If you fail a stage, sure he ties you to the end of a rope and punches you with monster god hands but you failed the stage. You learn to understand he is a stern but fair King.
The game is similar to games like "Loco Roco" or "Little Big Planet" in that it incorporates fun, interesting characters, colorful landscapes and backgrounds and combines it with fun, trance-like music. You get lost in a whole 'nother world in the same way you do when reading a book, except a lot better because you aren't reading a book. You are playing a game. I've definitely learned to enjoy some other PSP titles but by far "Me & My Katamari" is what makes my PSP special to me. To be able to sit down and ball up some people or things and just escape the hectic real world for awhile makes owning this game and my psp worthwhile.
