Gamernode: Reviews - Beautiful Katamari

..article continued from page 1

• Beautiful Katamari
• Xbox 360
• Namco Bandai Games
• Namco Bandai Games
• October 16th, 2007

The one other major drawback of the original was the unanimous complaint of how short the single-player mode is. Unfortunately, this is another aspect of Beautiful Katamari that keeps true to the original. It took me only a few hours to plow through every level, and just a couple more to collect and perfect. That being said, there's something about this game that makes me never want to put down my controller. On top of that, this is probably the coolest game to show your friends, because they'll first think the concept and graphics are ridiculous, but later find themselves strangely wanting to make their balls huge. (Eh... Sorry about that.)

Up to this point, nothing has really changed from the older titles in the series, but if there's one aspect that's drastically different, it's the inclusion of an online mode. Thanks to our beloved Xbox Live, you can now battle with up to three other players in a competition to roll up the most junk. Inherently, this mode isn't all that it's cracked up to be. But like the game as a whole, even the online mode is different from anything I've ever experienced. This may have been me getting lucky over and over, but the gamers satisfying their online Katamari needs seemed to be extremely chill and laid back, even over Live. When I jump onto Halo 3, it's almost like out-swearing your opponent is a competition. I suppose that's just the type of game Katamari is, though.

There are five different worlds to play online, each with a different time limit and overall feel. Though, after a while, these levels get stale, I still managed to throw away a good four hours the first time I tried out the online multiplayer. But if Live isn't your style yet you don't want to play alone, you'll be glad to know Namco tossed in a co-op mode. Unfortunately, this mode is about as useless as foreskin. Instead of split-screening the game and throwing in an extra ball, each player simply takes control of one analog stick. No matter how you try playing this mode, it's not fun and should certainly be left out of the next Katamari incarnation.

But if there's one aspect that Beautiful Katamari truly shines in, it's audio. The Katamari games have always been praised for their fantastic soundtracks, and the new one provided to us is just as wonderful. Again, though, this is music that cannot be described; it simply must be heard. Along with the catchy tunes (all of which I currently have on my iPod), the sound effects are all filled with quirkiness. (That's a word I just don't get to use enough.) Your speakers will be overcome by blips and beeps as you roll up different objects, and it's great to hear certain items make their own unique sound. I'd say the soundtrack of Beautiful Katamari is easily worth 20 bucks.

When you boil down this latest edition of Katamari, there's really not a great deal of new content compared to the older games. The online mode gives the game a bit more length, but Namco cursed its series, once again, with an ultra-short single-player campaign. I definitely appreciate the jump into high-definition, and the soundtrack keeps everything nice and fresh. If you own a 360 and have never tried a Katamari game before, go out and snag this one right away. It's a budget title, set at 40 dollars, and it's completely worth it for new gamers. But if you've already experienced the joy of Katamari on another system, it wouldn't hurt to pass this one up.

• (1)
• 
• 
• 
•