Once Upon a KATAMARI

I couldn’t stop smiling as each melon, shoe, playing card, traffic cone, and house satisfyingly snapped into place on my whirling clump of stuff as I rolled across time and space. The only time Once Upon A Katamari broke my delirious grin was when it tickled my ears with riffs so funky the bassist practically reached through my TV’s speakers and slapped a stank face out of me (and that’s meant as a compliment). This appropriately ostentatious, energetic return is the best the Katamari series has been since the PlayStation 2 era. With cleverly implemented tweaks to the ever-satisfying gauntlet of rolling delights, a stellar soundtrack, and offbeat charm in spades, there will always be room on my hard drive for Once Upon A Katamari.

Once Upon a Katamari is another excellent title in the series. The game design is still timeless, and the act of picking up everything in your path never gets old. The additions of power-ups don't change the game dramatically, but the solid level design and varied objectives do a good job at keeping the game fresh. The time travel concept also helps in that regard. Still bathed in that joyful but lo-fi presentation, Once Upon a Katamari is a game that's benefitted from long stretches between releases and remains a great title for both veterans and newcomers alike.

Once Upon A KATAMARI remains as iconic, colorful, and fun as the rest of the franchise, once again using its signature formula to create an entertaining and unique puzzle game. While the title does not do anything different or reinventive for the franchise, it does not necessarily need to, providing another delightful helping of the series for fans and new players alike. PC players will be pleased to have another KATAMARI title on the platform, though they are better off avoiding the awkward keyboard controls and using a dedicated controller.

Overall Once Upon a Katamari doesn’t stray from the game’s core formula and makes some concessions which smooths out some of the rougher edges of the gameplay. I might say having such a troublesome father might make me reconsider my loyalties, but how can you stay mad at that face! If you haven’t been on a roll in a while, this is a perfectly suitable entry to get back on the ball!

Once Upon a Katamari successfully preserves the essential fun of rolling a ball and sticking everything to it, while also adding a delightful new layer by having players travel through various time periods. As the first new Katamari series title in 14 years, it serves as a welcome gift for long-time fans.

Once Upon a Katamari is a delightfully bizarre and captivating experience that thrives on absurdity. Rolling up everything from dancing cockroaches and mermaids to entire ships or orcas creates a strangely hypnotic rhythm that grows more satisfying over time. For completionists, it serves as a treasure trove of challenges and oddities; for others, it offers a blend of laughter, bewilderment, and gentle confusion. It may not resonate with everyone, but its unapologetically eccentric charm is precisely what makes it special – every piece of joyful madness eventually finds its devoted audience.

Once Upon a Katamari feels like it is as strong of an entry as a game like We Love Katamari. The time traveling element really suits the series. The character customization is a lot of fun. I’m not a KatamariBall fan and think the Simple control scheme option is far from it. But overall Once Upon a Katamari is a great installment that captures the essence of the series.

Evolving arcadey mechanics that have already been perfected is a tough challenge that Once Upon a Katamari rises to meet. Time travel and set pieces across Edo Japan, cowboy escapades, and more make this the most inventive evolution of the series yet. Katamari is on a roll.

Once Upon a KATAMARI is a strong return to the series that every fan should experience. Everything that made the originals great is still here, along with a few new additions. Not all of them land perfectly, but none take away from the fun. While it’s on the shorter side, the game’s replayability and incredible soundtrack keep me coming back for more.