The whimsical Katamari franchise has seen a resurgence in popularity after the hit classic Katamari Damacy was remastered as Katamari Reroll for Nintendo Switch and Microsoft Windows in December 2018, and later for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2019. Although the games' mechanics are simple and repetitive, the dark humor paired with cute animation make the Katamari series a refreshing experience to return to after months of sitting on the shelf. As fans new and old roll their colorful Katamaris across homes, cities, worlds, and ultimately the universe, many may be wondering what kinds of new Katamari content - if any - is in store for the future.
The original 2004 third-person puzzle action game introduced a unique concept of creation via means of destruction by allowing players to roll around a Katamari - a magical, bumpy ball that collects any object smaller than it upon contact. The premise of Katamari Damacy is a weird one: the King of All Cosmos wiped out everything in the universe after getting incredibly drunk, and it's up to his son, the player, to collect as much as possible in order to rebuild it. As more objects are collected, the Katamari grows in size until it can absorb practically anything - people, buildings, towns, and eventually entire worlds. Players have found rolling up their colorful surroundings to the catchy tunes of an imaginative soundtrack to be a deeply satisfying and oddly calming experience, making notable sequels like Beautiful Katamari and Katamari Forever just as enjoyable and entertaining as their predecessor.
While Katamari Reroll proves to be just as good over a decade and a half later, it reminds fans just how short the game is while leaving them wanting more features introduced in later entries of the series. For example, users can unlock but aren't able to play as cousins - a notable hallmark introduced in We Love Katamari and seen in other titles in the series. Will there be another remaster of a sequel or a new Katamari game altogether?
What Is The Creator Of Katamari Damacy Working On Now?
Unfortunately, there hasn't been any news of a new Katamari game appearing anytime soon. Yet this doesn't mean the franchise's creator, Keita Takahashi, hasn't been hard at work. The end of 2019 introduced another short and sweet Indie gem centered around friendship and discovery called Wattam. With over 100 gibberish-speaking characters to meet and befriend, a wondrous-though-childlike simplicity, and soothing graphics and animation, Wattam is worth trying out for those looking to fill their Katamari void.
Additionally, Takahashi has other projects in the works. A Tweet from January 2020 hints at what is going on with UvulaLLC, a tiny game studio comprised of Takahashi and Wattam animator Ryan Mohler. The little studio is working on two known projects: one is titled Crankin's Time Travel Adventure - a platformer about the protagonist trying to get to his date in time - for an upcoming yellow handheld mini portable console with a crank known as PlayDate. For Time Travel Adventure, the crank allows players to go forwards or backwards in time, promising to be an interesting gaming experience at the very least. After being pushed back from a 2020 release date, PlayDate hopes to debut some time this year.
The other project is much more mysterious. Takahashi's Tweet refers to it as a "new super VIDEO GAME project," and not much more information is supplied. Although it's not likely to be another Katamari game, fans of the series can expect something novel and magical from such a creative and talented mind. Still, as Katamari has developed quite the cult following over the years, it's certainly not outside of the realm of possibility for fans to see some kind of reemergence of this beloved series in the future.
Source: @KeitaTakahashi/Twitter