Namco Bandai files for 'Katamari Amore,' 'Time Trip' trademarks

Siliconera has turned up listings for four trademark applications that Namco Bandai recently submitted to the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (the trademark registry for the European Union). While all of the potential trademarks have been filed under general video game-related classifications, two are explicitly linked to the publisher's Katamari Damacy franchise.

Filings for "Katamari Amore" and "Katamari Amore Rolling Whopper" indicate that Namco Bandai might be preparing to roll out a new entry in the ball-it-up series. (That, or maybe two great kings are forming a strategic alliance for fast food promotion.)

It's been nearly seven months since Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi left Nacmo Bandai for good; though he wasn't directly involved with the last four Katamari games, which marked a steady decline for the brand. 2009's HD iteration, Katamari Forever for PS3, did little to update the played out formula, and Namco Bandai has shelved the series since.

Namco Bandai filed two additional trademark applications, for "Time Trip" and "Have a nice trip!," along with the Katamari ones, but there's no clear relation between the set. Of course, anything "Trip" calls to mind one-half of the dynamic duo in last year's critical darling Enslaved -- not that we're calling these vague 'marks any indication of a sequel.

[Pictured: Beautiful Katamari]