Katamari Damacy PSP!

by James Ransom-Wiley { Sep 14th 2005 at 11:00AM }

PSP411 is listing Boku no Watashi Katamari Damacy for the PSP. The entry includes a single sentence: "Nothing known aside from WiFi multiplayer capabilities." We were unable to confirm this information elsewhere, but considering that the original console version and its sequel are PS2 games, a PSP Katamari game seems inevitable—but without dual analogues, how are the controls going to be handled? Despite this (pseudo) announcement, let's keep in mind that the rumor of a DS Katamari was recently shot down.

[via PSP411]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Oshi @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Finally, something good for the PSP. Although I have a DS, and a DS version would be awesome! I love Katamari! :)

Imp @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I heard the DS version was nixed/faked

Rappateng @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I thought the DS version was vaporware? Though I'm excited to hear about a PSP version, I still think this game would be best suited for the Nintendo DS (quiet down for a moment and let me explain).

Namco could take the control scheme they used for Pac N Roll and apply to controlling your Katamari. This way not only could you control direction, but you'd have control over momentum as well. Just seems like a perfect fit in a 'marble madness' sorta of way. If I'm not mistaken, this is similiar to what is being implemented for Super Monkey Ball DS.

Either way, DS or PSP, I'll be happy to take my Katamari on the road.

Supervlieg @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Woohoo! Finally a game to look forward to. That and GTA, GT psp ofcourse.

soco @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

namco still hasn't confirmd the DS version, to my knowledge. i think the idea of the DS version is still based around the nintendo power article

InfoMofo @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Oshi, everyone loves Katamari!

YoYo-Pete @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

It would be easy to control with 1 analog stick...

Use the Up and Down direction pad along with the X and Triangle buttons. Easy.

White Rose Duelist @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

A friend and I were discussing, among other things, the Revolution controller, and we came up with the best possible way to play Katamari Damacy.

Trackball.

Imaginbe it - you roll, it rolls. There can be buttons for the 180 degree turn and to walk around the katamari without moving it, but most of the gameplay is just rolling the trackball.

White Rose Duelist @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I'm kind of curious why they would call the game "My Me Katamari Damacy" or "My My Katamari Damacy". The title sounds fake.

White Rose Duelist @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Yo Yo Pete

That only works for moving in a straight line. You have to move in arcs to play KD, unless you don't intend to turn while moving.

n8 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I thought this was well known already - I've seen news of KD on multiple sites and I think I even saw a release date of this year somewhere.

I'm looking forward to it, despite never having played the PS2 version. Multiplayer WiFi sounds like it could be very cool, especially if it is cooperative not competitive. Could be just the thing to get PSP some good buzz.

CapAmerica @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

First game was fun cause it was differnt, Second game... not so much fun. DS version could be pretty cool, PSP version would be pretty lame since you only have one control stick.

I'm pretty much done with the series. Its really not a game that should have sequals.

32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

First off, "Boku no Watashi Katamari Damacy" sounds like a title devised by either a Japanese kindergarten student or an American whose knowledge of Japanese derives from one DVD's worth of subtitled anime. That alone has me doubting this rumor.

But consider the control scheme. Nuanced turns are going to be impossible without a second analog stick. Imagine trying to do the Katamari Charge with the analog stick combined with the control buttons. And how are you going to do the Katamari Jump (the instant 180 degree turn) on the PSP?

You'd either have to butcher the control scheme or make the game a hollow shell of its console brethren, if not both. I think this rumor is less credible than the Katamari DS rumor.

Jigster @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

White Rose Duelist, you're mistaken. The title translates as "My Katamari Damacy".

metal_gear_jello @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Seeing as the only control scheme used was both analogue sticks. I don't see how difficult it would be to adapt the original controls to the PSP or DS. The four buttons on the right can be used as the second stick. The 180 spin can be used as the shoulder buttons. I think the PSP has shoulder buttons.

I've never used the buttons that allow you to see the world in first person or to see it in birds eye view. So you can do away with that.

Honetsly, all you need are two sets of directional buttons and another button scheme to 180 your way around.

"DS version could be pretty cool, PSP version would be pretty lame since you only have one control stick."

Aren't you contradicting yourself here?

ROG27 @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

MGS 4 scans just in on gamesradar forum:

http://forum.gamesradar.com/viewtopic.php?t=69421&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=150

32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Jigster, the title being bandied about is "Boku no Watashi Katamari Damacy." "Boku no" by itself would mean "my" (and fairly informally at that, and mostly male-slanted). "Watashi" is the first-person noun as well, so you have two first-person pronouns in one title, one of which is modifying the other. It is, effectively, the same as saying "My me Katamari Damacy." Given how goofy it looks linguistically, I'm smelling a rat.

metal_gear_jello @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Actually, its goofiness is probably and indicator that it's legit. I'm not saying it is. But the very essence of Katamari Damacy is plain silliness.

By reading what the King of all Cosmos says, it makes sense.

Jules @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

""DS version could be pretty cool, PSP version would be pretty lame since you only have one control stick."

Aren't you contradicting yourself here?"

Duh, hes a fanboy.

32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I've got the Japanese version of the sequel. The King might have a ton of strange quirks, but bad grammar and syntax are not among them. It's pretty clear in the second game (when the King of All Cosmos speaks during the game's introduction and during his own musical number, "Song of the King of Kings").

You need a better fig leaf than "the King is oh so wacky!" to explain the bad use of Japanese.

Guy N. @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Is it official that there won't be a Katamari Damacy for the DS? Says who?
That's too bad, with the touchscreen/trackball the controls would have been even better than on the ps2. Namco already has the prototype for these contols in pacNroll. The hard work is done people.
KD is my favorite game for the ps2 (one of the only reasons I got that instead of an xbox) and I'm really looking forward to the sequel but I'm not too disappointed that I already resold my psp. I just can't understand how the controls (one of those simple things that made the game so great) will work on psp. Will the right pad buttons (the shape buttons) work as directionals? It can't be as cool.
I think namco would spend their time much more wisely if they'd make the DS version instead. Do they have some sort of contract with Sony that doesn't allow them to make this game for other companies?

brent @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

and how many of you can speak/read japanese fluently?

32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Fluently, no. However, you can detect the immediate problem with the would-be title's wording after about a year of college-level Japanese instruction. Heck, someone who has watched a sufficient amount of subtitled anime could probably pick up on it. We aren't talking about translating "The Tale of Genji" from scratch here.

(Not Impressed) Dmitri @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I have a good question. Who the hell is stupid enough to turn down a DS for a PSP, especially a game like Katamari Demacy.

Rare Hare @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

i don't think some of you people even read the article... it seems like a lot of you either just saw the title and said "YES, KATAMARI DAMACY IS GONNA BE ON PSP!!!1!ONE!!1!" or you skimmed it briefly and said "YES, KATAMARI DAMACY IS GONNA BE ON PSP AND DS!!!1!ONE!!1!"

come on people, if you're going to comment please at least read the paragraph or information on the subject. it wouldn't kill you.

LaughingTarget @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

Gonna go with 32 on this, and my knowledge of the language has no formal training whatsoever. My entire Japanese knowledge is derived from subtitled anime for 6 years. That title is simplistic (i.e. bad) even compared to (at least from what I've been told) the already simplistic anime language use. From my standpoint, it looks like the Japanese version of "ain't got none".

Dorkus Malorkus @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

late to the thread, but... I searched the net for "boku no watashi no katamari damacy" and found some sites, so, since that would make more sense as "my my katamari damacy", then the PSP411 site is probably wrong. And, the name could change a few times before they even have a product to sell, right?

Jason Anderson @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

At least We Love Katamari will keep me busy for a while. (Can't wait until Wednesday.)

I still wonder how they'd handle controlling. Maybe one control stick for back and forth and maybe L and R for turning. It's the only thing I can think of seeing as I'd much rather not have to use the four buttons on the right for movement. (I can't STAND that on the DS in Metroid Prime. Buttons aren't D-Pads!)

DarkMirage @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

The title is perfectly fine. "Boku no Watashi" and "Katamari Damacy" can be two seperate clauses for all you know.

32_Footsteps @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

I personally love it when people who obviously don't know Japanese try to lecture me about Japanese. It was just my minor in college, after all.

Joku @ Dec 18th 2005 10:00PM

http://namco-ch.net/katamari_mi_psp
or
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://namco-ch.net/katamari_mi_psp/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dboku%2Bno%2Bwatashi%2Bkatamari%2Bdamacy%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official_s%26sa%3DN
for those that can't read Japanese.
It is the official site and should tell all there is to know. For instance. D-pad and shape buttons will be used in lieu of analog sticks.