Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Gaming, Software, Odds and ends, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
I Love Katamari in the App Store, optimization not included
Can't believe we didn't think to ask of this before Namco gave it to us, but here it is -- there is already an official version of I Love Katamari (otherwise known as Katamari Damacy) right there on the App Store and playable on the iPhone. What a perfect game to put on the iPhone -- it's casual, it's easy to pick up but tough to master, and the analog controls, while perfect for a pair of analog sticks, work great on a touchscreen as well.
Unfortunately, it's not quite perfect yet -- the game slows down fast, and quickly becomes unplayable with all the stuff on the screen. But lots of people are hoping for an update from Namco, and while that hope might not quite be justified (is Namco really going to commit to making this game great, or are they just taking advantage of a hot property?), you never know. Pac Man has been a winner for the company for sure, so maybe they will make sure that Katamari plays as well as its console versions. As much as we appreciate original games on the iPhone, there's nothing wrong with quality ports of console gems as well, and if Namco can patch out the bugs to everyone's satisfaction, there's no question that's what this will be.
Unfortunately, it's not quite perfect yet -- the game slows down fast, and quickly becomes unplayable with all the stuff on the screen. But lots of people are hoping for an update from Namco, and while that hope might not quite be justified (is Namco really going to commit to making this game great, or are they just taking advantage of a hot property?), you never know. Pac Man has been a winner for the company for sure, so maybe they will make sure that Katamari plays as well as its console versions. As much as we appreciate original games on the iPhone, there's nothing wrong with quality ports of console gems as well, and if Namco can patch out the bugs to everyone's satisfaction, there's no question that's what this will be.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mmmm. Katamari said 9:29PM on 12-15-2008
oh man this game is the bomb. i remember playing it back in the dorms on my friend's playstation
for those of you having trouble finding the itunes store link: http://tr.im/katamari (opens in itunes)
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Frank Tinsley said 9:51PM on 12-15-2008
The about screen listing the version as 1.0.0 gives me hope that they're hard at work finishing the optimize phase. Also, they're gonna want to increase that rating if they expect to keep selling the game. That said, even at the snail pace, the addictive gameplay still had me pinned to my seat at Jack in the Box way past the reasonable time to leave.
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austin said 11:04PM on 12-15-2008
is it bad that i have never heard of katamari before in my entire life?
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dialing_wand said 11:22PM on 12-15-2008
Not bad.
But now that you have, you.... must... roll... things... up!
balls said 11:33PM on 12-15-2008
So much for "Dreamcast level" hardware.
Soul Calibur 1 never slowed down at 640 x 480.
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Orion said 8:28AM on 12-16-2008
It has nothing to do with the hardware. There are more impressive graphics and physics done on the iPhone already.. it's called it's a lazy port. IE: unoptimized code.
Technically the iPhone is more powerful than the PSP. But like with all consoles and handhelds, it's going to take more then 6 months until developers get the hang of utilizing it. If you want an example look at the PSP, PS3, and 360.
optimus said 12:51AM on 12-16-2008
God damn, this thing is unplayable. I own Katamary Damacy and We Love Katamary, so I love this game. But this is so insanely slow, it's unbearable.
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high fivers said 1:13AM on 12-16-2008
If you're new to the game you'll probably find the speed acceptable, but there definitely is major room for improvement. Hope updates happen soon. Otherwise why rush it through development?
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required said 1:30AM on 12-16-2008
That looks horrible. Here is what it wishes it was:
http://media.psp.ign.com/media/771/771963/imgs_1.html
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Camperton said 7:04AM on 12-16-2008
I find the tilt sensor lame as a primary control. I much prefer the games that use touch.
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Frank said 9:47AM on 12-16-2008
man i love this game. i'm willing to wait for it to be ported right, though. but i agree -- why didn't we think of this before??
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J said 11:57AM on 12-16-2008
I'm with you on waiting for a better port. As soon as developers really get the hang of the iPhone things are gonna be awesome!
I just hope they hurry up :)
Melis said 11:55AM on 12-16-2008
This game was awesome on the PS2, its pretty darn good on the iPhone 3G. The most obvious part that shows the game isn't optimized for the iPhone 3G, versus the iPod touch...5 minutes of game play takes way longer than 5 actual minutes.
I've been waiting for this game for the iPhone for so long...and now that I have it, I love it, and can't wait for the next update.
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Kweenie said 1:10PM on 12-16-2008
Hahaha, yeah - at least the clock slows down in relation to your katamari (well, for now, anyway).
Bryan said 7:08AM on 12-17-2008
The price is $7.99 if anyone's wondering.
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