Old Games for New Kids: Katamari Damacy
In our series Old Games for New Kids, we suggest a great past-generation game to play with your new-generation children.
Katamari Damacy (2003)
by Namco – PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, Vita, Xbox 360
(Okay, I realize this series is about “old” games and I’m talking about a series that’s available on all of the current systems. But since this franchise reaches back to the PlayStation 2, it’s fair to say that you’d be “old school” enough to yank the ol’ PS2 out of your closet and set it up in your kid’s room.)
If you yourself have never played the Katamari Damacy series, you’re missing out on a real treat. In every game in the series, you play the Prince, whose father is the King of All Cosmos – a foppishly dressed dude in charge of making stars. So, he has you, a little green prince, roll a ball around, picking stuff up (which you use to make stars…don’t ask). Literally, that’s the whole game! But whereas you start in small areas like a bedroom, picking up paperclips and candy, you later find yourself outside, rolling up whole buildings and oil tankers. As your ball gets bigger in a given level, you’re able to access more areas. The bigger your ball of stuff when the timer hits zero, the more pleased your dad-king is. And if you roll up hidden items in the level, you get extra royal rainbows!
Check out an old IGN trailer for it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-uovmeJfVU
This is a great game for kids: it’s colorful, it’s wacky, and there isn’t a lick of violence. Also, the incredible soundtracks were a mainstay in our son’s nursery for play times, which we think is why he’s so odd. What kid wouldn’t love to play a game where they get to roll up everything from pencils to chairs to cats to cars to airplanes? The simple two-stick controls might be harder for little ones to perfect, but that’s what makes Katamari Damacy fun; when they’re younger, you can have them control the movement stick while you control the directional stick. That way your kid is moving the ball, but you’re steering. As they get older, they’ll enjoy the open-worldness of it, and being able to pick up every day items in this colorful setting.
Now, there is, in fact, a Katamari Damacy game on Sony’s Vita handheld that was released in 2012. But if you’re a little justifiably nervous about handing your Vita over to your kid, the series has also seen releases on the PlayStation 2, 3, PSP and Xbox 360, which really, all have the same core gameplay, with small tweaks in each release. Katamari Damacy games are a great time for any age player, but for kids especially: they’ve got a lot of character and are easy to progress through using a simple skill set. If you’ve got an old PlayStation 2 collecting dust in your closet, it might be time to consider hooking it back up for your kid, though if you’ve already got a 360 hooked up, Beautiful Katamari should be priced just right at your local used game store.
April 24, 2013
Katamary Damacy is the main reason I retained my PS2. This game is awesome. I felt “We Love Katamari” was well done, too, but “Beautiful Katamari” came out early in the XBOX 360 livespan and I feel the online components / multiplayer were lacking. Still, all three were innovative and very fun.
April 24, 2013
“Me and My Katamari” on the PSP was a little clunky since it only had one stick, but I really appreciated having a handheld version of the game. And “Touch My Katamari” on the Vita is again a fun handheld game, even if you’re forced to use the gimmicky touchscreen stuff to get around some of the levels. The first game though – man was that a great time when it came out. It really was one of a kind and it was surprising that something SO Japanese could do well here.
April 26, 2013
I Love Katamary Damacy! It’s one of my favorite games to pull out when company is over. it’s so silly and easy to pick up and play. You say there’s not a lick of violence…. if you don’t count knocking over people and rolling them up into a ball then turning them into stars as violent, then sure. (I’m kidding though- seriously, this game is great for all ages!)