The game industry wouldn’t be where it is today without unique games that shake it up. Creative developers with wild, unprecedented ideas can redefine game genres, create new kinds of gameplay, introduce new ways to tell stories, and leave marks on the video game industry. One franchise that’s accomplished some of those things is Bandai Namco’s Katamari series. There’s really no comparing the colorful and quirky Katamari games to anything else. The franchise’s central conceit of rolling up objects into a ball to turn them into stars, planets, and other celestial bodies results in both central game mechanics and aesthetics that no game really shares with Katamari.
It’s interesting, then, that there hasn’t been a brand new Katamari game for a gaming console since 2011. Although Bandai Namco released a couple of mobile Katamari titles during the 2010s, it hasn’t made a mainline Katamari entry since Touch My Katamari for the PlayStation Vita. Sony is on to very different consoles by now, as are most other console developers. Katamari has reestablished some presence on modern consoles with a successful remake and an Xbox Game Pass appearance, but the best way for Katamari to get the ball rolling again would be to add a brand new game to the series.
The Current State of the Katamari Series
Katamari’s latest game was very well received. In 2018, Bandai Namco released Katamari Damacy Reroll, a remaster of the original Katamari Damacy, for Nintendo Switch and PC. The remake came to PS4 and Xbox One in 2020 and found fans on those consoles too. Katamari Damacy Reroll boasts some of the highest Metacritic reviews of the entire Katamari series, proving that not only is there still interest in Katamari games but that the franchise’s simple formula still works. Reroll was approachable for totally new fans, yet engaging enough for longtime fans to revisit the original game, which is exactly the sweet spot that the charming Katamari wants to land in.
However, Katamari’s recent titles have a somewhat more complicated reputation than Reroll itself would suggest. When reviewing later entries in the Katamari series, some critics felt that Bandai Namco was letting Katamari games get too repetitive, reprising ideas too often and recycling whole levels on a regular basis. The positive response to Katamari Damacy Reroll is, therefore, a big step toward restoring Katamari’s reputation, but there’s still more that Bandai Namco can do to dispel doubts about the series. A brand new Katamari game full of new mechanics and original levels would be a breath of fresh air for fans new and old.
Katamari Has Plenty of Room to Grow
There’s plenty of things that Bandai Namco could do with Katamari to make it feel new again. For one thing, it could introduce any number of new obstacles or status effects, cosmic or terrestrial in nature, to add a new level of challenge to Katamari. The franchise is wacky enough that it could justify all kinds of bizarre antagonists or hazards that raise the difficulty this way. Bandai Namco could also explore more ways to change the way that the Prince of All Cosmos’ katamari handles, giving him new forms of mobility to evade obstacles as well as new ways to roll up trash and treasure alike.
Katamari’s simple concept lends itself to all kinds of adjustments, so Bandai Namco has tons of liberty to revamp it. Hopefully, Bandai Namco’s recent usage of the IP indicates that it wants to return to Katamari games in full force. Katamari Damacy Reroll is a positive sign, as is its inclusion on Xbox Game Pass this August. The Katamari games tell lighthearted, whimsical stories that are always good for a laugh while offering simple but engaging gameplay, charming art, and excellent music. Considering all the traditional strengths of the Katamari games, it seems clear that the series deserves a large-scale comeback. It could become a heavy-hitter for Bandai Namco once again.
Katamari Damacy Reroll is available now for PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.