I Love Katamari
Encyclopedia
is a third-person
puzzle-action video game published by Namco
for the iOS. It is a continuation of the Katamari Damacy
series of games. It was released worldwide in the App Store on . In 2010 Namco announced a Windows Phone 7
version of the game. In this game, the King of the Cosmos instructs the game's protagonist — the Prince — to gather as many objects as possible to grow a highly-adhesive ball called a Katamari large enough so that he can pick up special objects to bring to the King so that he can regain his memory.
The gameplay is identical to that of Katamari Damacy, where the player rolls a highly-adhesive ball called a Katamari, collecting various objects of increasing size until it becomes large enough to transform into a star. The game utilizes the specialized technology from the iPhone and iPod Touch in which players tilt the device to move the Katamari across the playing field. I Love Katamari received mixed reviews. While it has been praised for its game presentation, it has also been criticized for performance and control issues. The performance and control issues were improved in an update, but not entirely fixed.
In I Love Katamari, the player controls a highly–adhesive ball called the katamari. The object is to make the katamari as large as possible by running over and collecting objects of increasing size. The more objects players collect, the larger the katamari becomes. One reviewer described the game as follows: "Basically, the object is to roll a ball around a level and pick up as much junk as you can to make the ball bigger. It sounds lame, but it’s fun to play and kind of addicting." Instead of using analog controllers to control the katamari as in the home console Katamari games, players roll the katamari by tilting the iPhone/iPod Touch in the direction they want the katamari to go. The goal is to collect specific objects requested by the King of the Cosmos within a specified time limit.
praised the game for its intuitive usage of the iPhone/iPod Touch technology, other reviewers such as Luke Plunkett from Kotaku
and Levi Buchanan from IGN
have heavily criticized the game for its lack of responsiveness in controls and handling of the katamari as well as software lag that could cause the game to freeze. Namco Bandai
released an update for the game, improving some performance and control problems previously experienced by users.
Virtual camera system
A virtual camera system aims at controlling a camera or a set of cameras to display a view of a 3D virtual world. Camera systems are used in videogames where their purpose is to show the action at the best possible angle; more generally, they are used in 3D virtual worlds when a third person view...
puzzle-action video game published by Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
for the iOS. It is a continuation of the Katamari Damacy
Katamari Damacy
Katamari Damacy is a third-person puzzle-action video game that is published and developed by Namco for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It was first released in Japan, and then later in South Korea and North America...
series of games. It was released worldwide in the App Store on . In 2010 Namco announced a Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone 7
Windows Phone is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft, and is the successor to its Windows Mobile platform, although incompatible with it. Unlike its predecessor, it is primarily aimed at the consumer market rather than the enterprise market...
version of the game. In this game, the King of the Cosmos instructs the game's protagonist — the Prince — to gather as many objects as possible to grow a highly-adhesive ball called a Katamari large enough so that he can pick up special objects to bring to the King so that he can regain his memory.
The gameplay is identical to that of Katamari Damacy, where the player rolls a highly-adhesive ball called a Katamari, collecting various objects of increasing size until it becomes large enough to transform into a star. The game utilizes the specialized technology from the iPhone and iPod Touch in which players tilt the device to move the Katamari across the playing field. I Love Katamari received mixed reviews. While it has been praised for its game presentation, it has also been criticized for performance and control issues. The performance and control issues were improved in an update, but not entirely fixed.
Gameplay
Reception
I Love Katamari has received some praise and some criticism from various reviewers. While some reviewers, such as Nicole Lee from CNETCNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
praised the game for its intuitive usage of the iPhone/iPod Touch technology, other reviewers such as Luke Plunkett from Kotaku
Kotaku
Kotaku is a video games-focused blog. It is part of Gawker Media's "Gawker" network of sites, which also includes Gizmodo, Deadspin, Lifehacker, io9 and Jezebel. Named to CNET News' Blog 100, Kotaku is consistently listed in the top 40 of Technorati's Top 100...
and Levi Buchanan from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
have heavily criticized the game for its lack of responsiveness in controls and handling of the katamari as well as software lag that could cause the game to freeze. Namco Bandai
Namco Bandai
, also known as the Bandai Namco Group, is a Japanese holding company formed from the merger of Namco and Bandai. It has interests in toys, video games and arcades, anime, and amusement parks. The new entity was founded on September 29, 2005...
released an update for the game, improving some performance and control problems previously experienced by users.