Touch My Katamari

It's not the game you want to justify your purchase of a Vita, as it won't have you signing the merits of its various technical features and thanking the Lord for a rear touchpad. But it's something more important than that – fun.

Far better than the recent PSP and iOS versions, this is Katamari's most fun portable outing to date. More new stuff would have been nice, though. [March 2012, p.91]

Eccentric and bursting with charm. [Apr 2012, p.58]

Doesn't stray from a winning formula, offers the portable world dual analog sticks (which cements the experience), and brings in a new touch-based mechanic that actually affects the gameplay in a positive way. There isn't quite enough content, the camera does seem to be a bigger problem than in past entries, and I miss a few of the more unique modes found in other titles, but there's no denying it: this is Katamari and the fans should really enjoy it.

We're having a ball with this sticky-ball game that really sticks to you.

We love the game, but if you already have another Katamari game in your collection, you won't find many changes here, and it seems more like an expansion of the second game.

Touch My Katamari does little to break the mold, but with its odd humor and addictive simplicity, it's a great game to have on the go. Plus, at $30, it's one of the more reasonably-priced Vita launch games.

The AMOLED-screen on the Vita really works in favor of Touch My Katamari since it comes with a rainbow of colors. Unfortunately the story mode isn't particularly long, which cuts the fun assignments, quirky Japanese humor and happy J-pop short.

Touch My Katamari is a step in the right direction for the franchise, it's a lot of fun. Best of all, it doesn't cram the Vita's touch controls down your throat and makes good use of the hardware.

it's a nifty trick when you need to fit your big blob through tight spaces or want to cut a wide, steamroller-like swath. But it's also a bit erratic, and players may find themselves invoking the feature accidentally, when their insolent fingers drift from the slivers of non-touchpad space that the Vita so generously provides on its rear end.

Touch My Katamari isn't a revolution for the series, but it does add enough odds and ends to keep the series (excuse me) rolling along. The quirky and bizarre visuals are still here, the solid gameplay persists and you'll still find rolling up sumo wrestlers funny. At least I do.

Touch My Katamari looks and plays better than ever, has a hilarious new story, and new touchscreen controls give players additional ways to roll their own, but that all doesn't change the fact that this is basically the same game we've played so many times already.

If you never clicked with the series' ball-rolling insanity, Touch My Katamari isn't likely to win you over. However, I do think that the morphing is a significant enough tweak to warrant giving it another shot.

The game feels right at home on the PlayStation Vita, with its short levels that only last a few minutes and intuitive combination of the classic controls and the touchpad which you use to expand or shrink your rolling ball of mayhem. [March 2012, p.62]

If you absolutely need to look at the fanciest graphics, or if you just simply hate weird Japanese humor, Touch My Katamari is not for you. However, for anyone who can handle it, this title offers gameplay so addictive you'll struggle to put it down, despite its flaws.

It seems the devs really just adapted the controls and didn't really add anything in terms of content and features.

Touch My Katamari is based upon the core episodes of the series and works well to take 100% bonus from the PS Vita features, giving players tons of fun.

A little more polish and some much-needed rethinking and this would've scored much higher. [May 2012, p.81]

Middling execution. [May 2012, p.98]

It still has that Katamari Damacy charm, but if you've played one Katamari game you've played them all. The game uses the Vita's capabilities in a competent fashion, but I'd much rather use the joysticks to control the ball instead of the touch screen.

Damn, this title sounds wrong after a couple of drinks… A lack of innovation, a short runtime and weak graphics keep this game from becoming a must-have. Fans, however, will most definitely enjoy some more Katamari.

Touch My Katamari makes little changes to the core gameplay and art style, but it's still so much fun.

Clearly, for some this won't be enough – they might find the experience too familiar. Some might even take offense to the fact that Namco Bandai divided something by six, which was once truly unique. … I, too, had taken issue with the recycling factor of it all. But if you decide to give it a chance, the games' disarming charms will have you hooked halfway through the introduction. At that point you'll be able to laugh again at the balance between heart and insanity the developers so effortlessly strike.

Touch My Katamari is a fun return to form that ends long before it has a chance to wear out its welcome.

Touch my Katamari offers a slightly low amount of amusing levels to roll through and with the addition of ball-morphing, it's more fun than ever. The weirdness also makes a triumphant return, though it is starting to show its age.

Despite being light on levels, the replayability and charm of Touch My Katamari is likely enough to keep gamers interested for months to come. The changes shrinking and expanding add to the formula shouldn't be downplayed, as they really are the most significant additions since we first laid eyes on the wide-faced Prince, and we're happy to see the developers experiment with great success to create one of the most charming entries in the series yet.

It is loud, brash and bizarre; but that's what makes this a Katamari game and goes a long way in making up for some of the minor niggles.

Whether you're new to the series or a veteran, you may find the later levels to be pretty challenging - and by challenging I mean annoying.

I'm torn by Touch My Katamari because I liked the game, I'm sure I'll get a lot of use out of it in the future, and yet I still feel disappointed by it due to the lack of content, relatively poor music given the series' usual high standard, and the comedy simply not being funny this time around. It gets the basic idea of a katamari game right and does deliver fun, but not as much as prior installments. I'd recommend it as a rental or a heavily-discounted purchase, but there's no way I can recommend it as a full-priced purchase for anyone.

It's also overly familiar, too short and full of irritating load times. [Apr 2012, p.113]

Stood by itself, or put into the hands of a new player, Touch My Katamari might feel pretty great, but for experienced high rollers it misses the mark by nestling too close to the series' past. Though it attempts a new thing or two, it's not enough. Touch My Katamari's still fun at its core, but more clearly than ever it indicates that the series is dearly in need of another twist or a refreshed design.

Not a bad game, but it is a polarising one. [Issue#119, p.99]

It's great to finally have a portable Katamari as playable as the console versions, but we already saw this game seven years ago…and six years ago…and five years ago…and...

Most disappointing is the game's conclusion, which lacks the kind of all-encompassing, universe devouring qualities of some of the series' best entries, switching instead to a sort of Rainbow Road-esque fantasy land that just tosses a bunch of random giant things from the other games together into a technicolor slurry.

Touch My Katamari is still a decent series entry, and if you don't know the franchise there's some enjoyment to be found, though the authenticity and soul of Takahashi's Katamari games remains lost.

Touch My Katamari is well-controlled and fun while it lasts, but it feels like the series has stagnated. The touchscreen controls are welcome, but I wish the developers had been a bit more creative with the Vita's functionality.

So on the content side of things, the game isn't really lacking, it's just failing in innovation or uniqueness when compared to the rest of the series. Again, it's great to have this game in a portable format that finally works, but unless you've been away from the series for quite some time, or find yourself a ridiculously hardcore fan of the Katamari games, I hesitate to call this a must buy. I've still had some fun with it, but I found it to be one of the weakest launch Vita titles I've encountered so far.

Touch My Katamari is peppered with small, satisfying innovations, but it never strays far from its old rolling grounds. If you have any measure of experience with the series, then despite its gallons of charm, Touch My Katamari's all-too-familiar set of challenges will feel old hat, and fast.

In many ways, Touch my Katamari feels more like game for your phone than a Vita title: incredibly accessible, yet designed for small bursts only. [April 2012, p76]