Odd Dung Rolling Activity Continues

There’s only one thing odder than making a game about a dung beetle, and that’s making a second game about a dung beetle. PS2 owners outside of Japan have yet to experience the delights of Katamari Damacy, but Namco have revealed that they are already working on Katamari Damacy 2. The original was intended as a ‘dung beetle sim’ where the player controls a beetle, rolling a small sticky sphere over assorted household objects, harvesting everything in its wake until the ball has become a giant rattling mass of bric-a-brac. Obviously, that concept wasn’t strange enough, so Namco replaced the dung with a magic ball and replaced the beetle with an alien. That, of course, makes much more sense.

The original sold well in Japan, and was received well by the more adventurous, import-inclined British gaming press, yet there’s still no suggested release for Europe. It is sincerely hoped that Namco address this issue, as it is a great little game. Because the main principle is so endearingly simple, much like Super Monkey Ball, the sequel should logically follow the same path. So if Katamari Damacy 2 turns out to consist of anything more than new levels and power-ups, it would be a slightly unwelcome surprise.

Katamari Damacy 2 is due for release in Japan at the end of the year. If there’s any news on a European release for this or its prequel, it will be revealed here.