Get used to it now, because you're going to read the Pac-Man / Katamari comparison a lot regarding Namco Bandai's The Munchables for Wii. Check out this latest trailer and you'll instantly see why. Essentially, the goal of the game is to eat everything in sight -- that's the Pac-Man part, see -- which in turn causes the main character to grow larger -- and there's the Katamari part. Watch closely and you'll even notice areas that require players to reach a specific size before they can be accessed, which is also similar to Katamari. The opening cinematic also shares some of Katamari's distinctive eccentricity.
On a side note, we're really digging the old-school cartoon sound effects employed by the game. They really help to offset the grisly reality that this thing is eating every living creature in its vicinity ... and it's the good guy.
I have to admit, something eating everything in sight, including living things, is a lot creepier than having a weird alien dude rolling around a big magnetic ball.
I think Katamari has a much cooler point of view, which changes as you get more stuff. Though the Katamari camera does consistently make me nauseous.
Plus this guy isn't really eating everything. If it was true to the Katamari style of play, he'd start eating all those little fences, then the trees, and eventually the whole island...
Clearly The Maw and this are related in their gameplay, but don't confuse being similar with being "ripped off." The game mechanic of eating things and growing bigger has been around for a long, long time (going back to the old 2D snake games).
Also, even simple games will take a year or more of development to make. Being as The Maw was just recently released, this game was likely in development long before anyone had actually played Maw.
It's also possible that development on this game even started before The Maw, but just took longer to get out.
Man, no kidding about the Katamari thing. I wouldn't be surprised if this shared a game engine with Katamari. Everything from the interface layout to the motion blur as the camera zooms out.
Then again... both are Namco, so it wouldn't be unusual.
This looks fun. I'll wait for the reviews before making a final decision, but if the full game has a good length it and makes use of some online capabilities like Leaderboards, it might be worth a purchase...
I like games like this (like Katamari) that you can just throw in anytime and not have to worry about story or overly challenging goals/objectives.
Kinda reminds me of Crash Bandicoot. I dunno, Katamari Damaci was so much more special than this, so much more bizarre. I'm all for something else, something new, but this is neither.
Wow, this seems like a much cooler version of the DS title "Pac-N-Roll", a platformer spin on the Pac-Man series similar to Sonic the Hedgehog, only slower.
I haven't played it in ages, but it's remained in my library of DS titles with other obscure games like Super Princess Peach. (One of the more bizarre games to be released in the US, despite the sexist connotations it presents in the game play, utilizing emotional instability as a power-up.)
