Everyone's a critic
Katamari Damacy quite literally translated to either 'lump soul' or 'chunk spirit'. It's a game rich with color and personality and a fond memory from my childhood. The game originally came out when I was only ten and has remained in my game collection since then. The game focuses on novelty, ease of understanding, enjoyment and humor, managing to deliver in these areas continuously throughout the game's storyline and gameplay. The game follows the Prince of All Cosmos as he struggles to repair his binge-drinking father's terrible mistake of wiping out all the stars and celestial bodies "by mistake". Your father, while not all so pleased with having a 5 cm tall son, charges you with the task of going to Earth with a magical ball - that allows anything smaller than it to stick to it and make it grow - to collect enough material for the King to re-create the stars and the constellations. A side-story is also present, but isn't as important to the main story. The gameplay consists of rolling around your magical Katamari and gathering as much material as possible with it before it is launched into space and made into a star.
The characters are comical and creative while the gameplay draws you in and keeps you entertained long past the story. But don't take my word for it, go out there and play the game yourself or just watch this short video to get an overview of the game.
The gameplay is very simple and it is clear that the game doesn't take itself very seriously. This clearly isn't a bad thing at all. The game features a terrific soundtrack and animations reminiscent of what the west imagines Saturday morning cartoons would be like in Japan.
This blog is going to analyze Katamari Damcy and it's formal elements, breaking them down one by one and focusing on how they work well together in addition to why the game designers might have chosen them specifically to create a fun and immersive experience for kids of all ages.
Players
Katamari Damacy follows the trials and tribulations of the Prince a 5 cm tall...well I'm not sure what he really is...who will one day inherit All Cosmos (pretty much the entirety of the universe). You play as the prince on a mission to roll up as much as possible on to your Katamari so that your father and the King of All Cosmos may make them into stars and constellations. Katamari Damacy is primarily single-player with the possibility of co-op play with split-screen mode in multiplayer. From the main menu you are free to veer off to the Giant Space Mushroom where you and a friend may engage in play.
There are two distinct player interaction modes present in the game, the first of which is single player versus game where you as the Prince take on the world at large with nothing but your Katamari. The second interaction mode would be player versus player where you and a friend face off against each other, competing to build the biggest Katamari from everything in the world.
Objectives
The Prince's primary objective, as delegated by his father, is to make your Katamari as big as is required to turn it into a star and complete the part of the universe that the King so blatantly managed to destroy. Secondary objectives include picking up secret items in the form of gifts such as the camera that allows you to take in-game screenshots. The first is a royal present that contains an item the Prince can wear while many of the others come in the form of the Prince's many cousins who are then used in the multiplayer modes. Other secondary objectives include substantially surpassing the kings expectations of Katamri size as well as various side quests. These include more specific collecting rules such as gathering as many items (swans, crabs or pairs) within a given time or collecting the greatest item possible (a cow or bear). The player may even attempt a score attack mode in a level where the objective changes to making the greatest Katamari possible in the time allotted. In eternal modes, the player's objective becomes to explore the level with absolutely no time limit.
Objectives in the multiplayer mode includes collecting the most objects in a three-minute time span as the primary objective with knocking items of your opponents' katamaris being a secondary objective. If the player leads by a large amount, they are able to consume their opponent's katamari.
The objective categories covered in Katamari Damacy include capture (gathering items in the environment) and exploration (discovering everything in the level as in eternal mode). Smaller objective categories include chasing (chasing creatures in a level or being chased if you're too small) and alignment (where you align items rolled up in the optimal orientation).
Procedures
The starting action in Katamari Damacy is the globe menu from where you may navigate to various options and game modes. You use the standard D-pad and analog sticks paired with the 'X' button to move around and select whatever you want to expand on. The progression of action here can be found through the control scheme where Katamari Damacy chooses to go with a "tank style" approach with the dual sticks. A 'charge and roll' move may be performed by flicking each stick up and down repetitively and a 'quick turn' can be accomplished by depressing both analog sticks. The shoulder buttons are used here to activate look mode from which you can view your surrounding from where you currently are in the world. With the jump move you can launch the Prince up in the air to and beyond the height of his current Katamari in order to look at your surroundings from a different vantage point.
There are no special actions in the game because although there are special objectives, the basic gameplay mechanics, controls and, most importantly, procedures remain the same throughout the game. As far as the resolving action goes, no special action needs to be taken to complete the level, instead, you just wait for the time to run out as dictated by the system procedures. However, one of the side quests requires the player to decide and select when to end the level. Procedural limitations include not being able to roll over object bigger than the Kartamari and not being able to roll to places that are not accessibly to the Prince. Also, in certain situations (like jumping off a table), the limitations include not being able to get back to the platform you were previously on, unless you consume that platform altogether.
Rules
The rules in Katamari Damacy have been implemented as system procedures. They define the objects and concepts, restrict player actions and determine the effects of these actions. There are explicit rules like the time limit and system procedures such as the AI which is limited in what it can do, what it responds to and how it will interact with the player. Even collision detection may be considered a system procedure in that it works when the Prince collides with another object. Rules defining objects and concepts encompass the Katamari itself as an object the Prince pushes to pick up various items. Most of the objects are simple and represent those from the real world. The time limit, physical boundaries (areas the Prince may not go), and when paths are blocked by obstacles are all examples of rules restricting actions.
Rules determining effects can be seen through the most basic mechanic of picking up an object when you choose to roll over it. An attempt to roll over a big object will cause the Prince to bump up against it and might even knock some items on the Katamari loose. Small animals run away while bigger animals attack the Prince. In this way, proximity to these objects behaves as a rule that determines what happens when within a certain distance of the object.
Resources
Although all objects in the game can technically be considered resources, small objects are especially valuable and can be collected without throwing off the orientation of your Katamari. Time is the other crucial resource in Katamari Damacy as you need all the time you can get to create the biggest ball possible.
Conflict
With its simple gameplay and minimal story, some of the only conflict present in Katamari Damacy comes in the form of obstacles, opponents and dilemmas. Obstacles that stand in the Prince's way are large items that may not be added to your Katamari right away due to its relative size. Another important obstacle to note would be the actual terrain upon which the Prince runs around. Often time the terrain can go up and down or have certain areas that stand in the way of the Prince achieving his objective due to their size or shape. Opponents in the game are mainly animals who will chase and attack you if they are bigger than your Katamari in an attempt to try and eat you or hurt you - either way they conflict with your objective by knocking items off and preventing progression. Dilemmas are one of the core mechanics in Katamri Damacy and are one of the many reasons that the game is so fun. The primary conflict in the game stems from deciding where to go when you begin and in what direction to continue rolling your Katamari. Additionally, what objects to pick up right away and which to avoid as well as what areas you should visit and which ones you should stay away from out of fear of being chased by bigger animals.
Boundaries
Boundaries in Katamari Damacy are especially interesting as they remain dynamic throughout gameplay and are constantly evolving based on perspective. The size of your Katamari dictates what is a boundary and what you may roll over and collect. When your Katamari is too small you may not be able to roll over steps or fences and might bump into larger objects. However, as your Katamari grows, you will automatically be able to explore new areas of the level by rolling over bigger objects and consuming them. At the same time, however, boundaries also exist in preventing you from reaching certain areas of the level if you're too big. Many passage ways and narrow streets will be blocked off when you're too large to go through.
Outcome
The outcome of meeting the King's objectives is moving on to the next level. This is the sequence of the entire game as you will complete a level and move on to the next one until all levels are complete and the King of All Cosmos has essentially re-built the stars and constellation he managed to destroy. The outcome of successfully completing the game will be to find out how the story ends as you will be rewarded with the ending cutscene. The outcome of failing a level is simply to try again. The outcome of finding a present is having a new item available to use as you move on through the game. Most of these are outfits and decorations as well as characters that are made available to the player in multiplayer mode. Through this system, the player may opt to set a personal best by replaying the level again and again with no real consequence to failing. This makes sense from an enjoyment point of view as the game is made solely for casual humorous play.
In Conclusion
Katamari Damacy is an excellent video game with a simply concept and brilliantly crafted formal elements that work well together to create an addictive experience. The objectives are plentiful with side quests and special items bringing you back to replay this unique adventure again and again. Part of the brilliance of the game is the manner in which it determines which objects will be able to stick to the ball and which ones the Prince will bounce off. The colors, the music, the animations and the characters bring the game full circle and make it as funny as it is enjoyable. The challenge stems from comprehending the physics behind rolling a giant ball all around town and getting used to where you can and can't go. One of the most captivating details is the interaction of the Prince with the environment he is in and learning the rules that bind gameplay. The game designers really have thought of everything in this game - from the decision of how the rules are portrayed in the level to how the camera is going to work for the Prince to have an overview of everything. without being crushed by the ball itself. I can't see how this game couldn't have been fun to create.
All the game elements have been laid out here in perfect harmony to create a truly unique and memorable experience for the kid at heart. I feel like the creators went above and beyond in reaching their goal of making Katamari Damacy a novel title that will be remembered a long time after all of its sequels are gone. This game is proof that fresh and original ideas have a strong presence in the gaming industry and that "playing it safe" may be financially sound but won't be remembered fondly as the years go by.
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