X360's 'Katamari' still wacky, but not much different
Quirky and original, the "Katamari" series was a colorful cult hit when it first rolled onto PlayStation 2 in 2004. Immediately, we wondered where Namco's formula for playful gameplay lay in the game's code: There was something infectious about its music, pastel visuals and simple mechanics. After a sequel and take-along version on the PlayStation Portable, "Katamari" has found a new home on Xbox 360 where the experience is just as lighthearted and enjoyable even if the novelty's begun to erode.
The King of the Cosmos, that crazed, cylinder-headed overseer, has ruined the galaxy during a game of tennis, popping a hole in the fabric of space. A black hole vacuums up all matter in the universe. The only solution? Your character, the pint-sized prince must roll his Katamari over trees, candy, continents and kitchen appliances until he collects enough material to re-populate the galaxy. Silly? Undeniably. But don't try to comprehend the premise; just enjoy the ride.
In "Beautiful Katamari," players roll their sticky ball across different environments, picking up things as they go. You start small, gathering items of minuscule scale and weight, and as the item count increases so does your ability to roll up larger objects. Your cute character, The Prince, starts with thumbtacks and sets his sights on the stars. And that's it! No complicated button-mappings, no intimidating enemies: The ball is completely controlled with your analog sticks, and you're only playing against yourself.
Previous entries in the series were a little short. The single-player experience remains brief, but a bevy of added bells and whistles do extend the playtime some. The menu screen is called the "princedom," a play space where you can wander from planet to planet and have simple interactions with objects and other people. As players collect more of their cousins and presents, this area comes to life. This is where players can attempt a high score in each area or hop into time attack mode after playing an area to completion. There's a photo mode, item collection stats and more extras that make even the menu fun.
These extras are a nice diversion, but unfortunately, the primary content in "BK" didn't get the same attention to detail. Rolling with your friends over split-screen co-op is confounding. Instead of the natural choice -- serving separate Katamaris to each player -- you and your friend both roll the same ball independently, each in control of an analog stick. Even the most cooperative gamers will find this difficult, and it's still just a slightly more frustrating way of playing the same game.
The better option is battle mode, in which players snowball up specific objects while bashing into each other to shake stuff loose from their opponent. Should you focus on the items or be a jerk and chase the other player? Battles aren't exactly engrossing, but like the rest of the game, they're good for some playful, lighthearted fun.
Over Xbox Live, battle mode is available for up to four players at a time online. There are some sorting options to determine whom you will compete against, including region, type of battle and signal strength, but the basic gameplay is identical. There were only a few stutters when we rolled with our friends, and the only real annoyance is waiting for competitors to scroll through the menu text to advance matches and collect rewards.
The Xbox 360 presents new visual opportunities for franchises as they enter the next-gen, but alas, "Katamari's" are remarkably average, and sneakily similar to its PS2 predecessor's. We're not asking for high-res textures or a shift in "Katamari's" wonderful art design, but gamers get only higher resolution, more visible items and a slight background blur effect. Even worse, these modest additions come in company with some slowdowns and graphical jittering in later levels.
Beautifully, "BK's" audio meets and exceeds expectations. Giddy tunes flow from your speakers during each level, adding a liveliness to the already nonsensical play. It's hard not to smile at the sound effects that, like the visuals, are weird beyond description but extremely satisfying.
"Beautiful Katamari's" wacky atmosphere, playful premise, and accessible mechanics make a welcome addition to the barren category of family-friendly games on 360. Still, held against other content-laden games on the console, "Katamari" rolls by all too quickly. There's a decent attempt to extend the game through online multiplayer, but this time around, "Katamari's" biggest down-fall is that the magic is short-lived, and just a recycled, mashed-up ball of what you've played before.
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Puzzle
Developer: Namco-Bandai
Publisher: Namco-Bandai
Rating: 2 stars