There are games you just can't help but love because they are your kind of crazy. This is very much the case with Katamari Forever and all of the games it represents. This is a large collection of levels through games of the Katamari franchise. The entire idea is so simple, but the game itself is very hard to master. This is in no small favor to the level designs and the different rules you need to adhere to with each challenge. On the surface, it just looks like a game where you roll things up into a big ball. It is that, but there's a lot more when you swim deeper into the iceberg. Brrrr.
The best levels come from when you start the smallest but end up the biggest. There is a level where you start no taller than a grown man's shin, but then end the level having rolled up an entire galaxy and the King! You roll up anything from men riding pegasi to a coffee grinder. When you start, it is very important that you gage your size in comparison to what you are trying to roll up. You can only roll up a certain maximum size, any bigger and you run the risk of stopping your momentum or even knocking some things off of your Katamari.
Oh yes, friends of the Planet of all Virtuas, a Katamari is what you are rolling up. Apparently, because the King sneezed, he wiped out the universe and now we need to replace all of the stars, planets and moons. We do this, strangely enough, by rolling up what is needed for the ingredients or just roll up everything and act like there's a theme to it all. You roll up cheese to make a moon, if that tells you anything about some of the humor.
This is just part of this weird, oddly flamboyant plot. Not only is there a King, but somehow he is asleep, but not asleep (????) and we needed a replacement. This replacement King is RoboKing! He is stronger, faster, and basically just as pompous, arrogant, and closeted in his inferiority complex. They give you shame if you give them anything less than perfect or better. Yes, I know what I said, unlike most of the time.
This game can be beautiful, but it's mostly just whatever it wants to be, which is random. Sometimes, you are rolling up an entire super market. Sometimes, you are rolling up one or two specific types of things, like candy or snow. There are also secrets, like in a level where you roll up expensive things. If you stay in one room long enough, there is a room that opens up to reveal large gold bars that are surprisingly easy to get.
Katamari Forever is not a perfect game, because there are levels that are very much an acquired taste. One level, where you roll up an entire fireball, you have to stay out of the water. You need to do this while rolling across a bridge over a lake. This is all in a time limit and some of these levels can get very tense, because you not only need to keep the flame going, roll up things to burn and stay out of the water, but you also need to get big enough and get to the end of the level to roll on top of a gigantic bonfire. If you get wet, are not big enough to roll on top or just flat out burn out, it's to the beginning of the level for you. There is a hot and cold level that is almost exactly the same amount of clutch. That's right, clutch.
There are levels that can be rather boring and samey, but there are some levels that you will want to play just by compulsion. Sometimes, you just want to play it just to beat your score or fill out your high scores with different player icons. Yes, your character starts as Prince, but throughout the game, you gather different trophies, presents and people called "Cousins". They are small things that roll the Katamaris and they are many. You can choose one that is best suited for you, as they come in many colors, shapes and sizes. They will decorate your scores and hang around your menu screen, making it easy to switch over to them.
It is rare to see a game live up to its genre to the utmost and Katamari apparently did that. The complexities with developing a game with such minute detail while also having the most mundane graphics yet beautiful exterior, all at the same time, is something to marvel at. This game is something to play when you want to relax, have a challenge, have a laugh, and of course, have fun. This game is pure fun. You can either beat your scores, play the Eternal Mode to relax, or even play on a 2-Player Mode. The 2-Player mode is not great, but with two real players, it can be a lot of fun. If this sounds even partially interesting to you or you're looking for one of the best and latest iterations of the Katamari franchise, this is the one you should turn to. It is among some of the rawest forms of what can be called a "game" and is so simple to learn, anyone can play it with just a simple set of motor skills. Now, let's roll Planet Virtua a new moon, shall we? Where's the cheddar?
