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Beautiful Katamari

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6.6 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 52 critic reviews
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Based on 16 votes
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Game Info

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

Developer: Namco Bandai Games

Genre(s): Action, Puzzle

Players: 4

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Release Date: October 15, 2007

Summary

Experience the new high-definition, next generation sights and sounds of Beautiful Katamari as the Prince takes on a new high-rolling adventure, with his famous cousins in tow, to save the Katamari universe once again after the King of All Cosmos has a very un-royal and unfortunate accident. As usual, the King of All Cosmos demands the service of his son, the Prince, to roll anything and everything up into massive clumps and set things right, bringing harmony once again to the Katamari Cosmos. To keep his son inspired, the King of All Cosmos will provide another fresh and memorable soundtrack that will have players moving and grooving to the beat as they roll through the absurd, yet wonderful world of Beautiful Katamari. One is a lonely number, but thankfully the Prince can humbly ask the aid of over 50 of his cousins to get the ball rolling through his quest. The cousins have discovered new games to play since last time out, and love to compete with friends in multiplayer Katamari rolling games either together or online over Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. The Prince and his cousins' online adventure don't end there as a variety of downloadable content is available, continuing to expand on the amazing world of Beautiful Katamari, long after the game's launch. [Namco Bandai Games]

Also On Metacritic

GAMES: Katamari Damacy We Love Katamari

Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central GameFAQs

Also On The Web: Official Website

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

AtomicGamer

Really, there's no way you can go wrong with this purchase, especially considering it is only 39.99 for a complete package. And at 2.50 a stage, the downloadable content really isn't all that badly priced, either.

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Gaming Target

Beautiful Katamari is a great game for fans, but not something that will interest those who didn't like the first three.

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Game Revolution

Sure, Beautiful Katamari is a little short on new ideas and online play has yet to prove itself. But the game is still blindingly bright, and a bargain at $40.

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GameTrailers

The novelty of the series may be gone, but its core stands as a good game idea. It won’t win any beauty pageants, but a big enough Katamari could win a county fair.

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GameSpy

There's a reason that people fell in love with Katamari Damacy a few years ago -- it's an addicting and utterly charming experience.

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Games Radar (in-house)

If you miss Beautiful Katamari... you're just missing out.

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Computer and Video Games

Not a massive improvement on the PS2 games, but Beautiful retains all the humour and joy you'd expect. For 360 owners, especially, Beautiful Katamari is a refreshing change of pace.

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Official Xbox Magazine

It clearly aims to include everyone and exclude no one, and that's just plain refreshing amid a holiday season stuffed full of deadly serious, high-learning-curve me-toos. [Nov 2007, p.96]

GameDaily

Expanded multiplayer options would've made this even more remarkable, especially with online co-op. As it stands, however, Katamari's a ball.

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Official Xbox Magazine UK

Never has picking up rubbish felt so good. [Jan 2008, p.92]

360 Gamer Magazine UK

Mad as a brush and all the better for it, Katamari’s combination of a very simple concept coupled with some wonderful physics, brilliant level design, challenging objectives and charming visuals gives it a goofy charm that’s hard to dislike.

Gameplayer

Feels reassuringly familiar, but also fresh and new.

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Games Master UK

Worth your money by virtue of being totally unique. [Mar 2008, p.67]

Talk Xbox

Those who have lost interest in the katamari series may feel disappointed as no advancements on the formula have been made since the inception of the series.

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IGN

There’s a decent attempt to extend game through online multiplayer but once again Katamari’s biggest downfall is that the magic is short lived. Even with the few problems I’ve mentioned the game is still a joy to behold and a guaranteed smile in a box.

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Cheat Code Central

The game is entirely addictive, and even when things are going wrong for you, you'll have this ridiculous desire to continue playing to see if you can beat the level once and for all. That's why I call it "good ol' evil Katamari."

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GameZone

Nothing much has changed in the world of Katamari and this is both a good thing and a bad thing, but one thing is for certain and that is that Beautiful Katamari for the Xbox 360 is still charming and fun.

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Game Over Online

For people new to the series, download the demo and see if the gameplay clicks with you. If it does, then you’ll probably get your money’s worth out of a purchase.

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Xbox World 360 Magazine UK

Bonkers beyond belief, it's not the best in the series, but it's certainly good enough. [Apr 2008, p.74]

IGN AU

It's as addictive and amusing as it ever has been, so if you can put up with the quirks and shortcomings, take The Prince for a roll.

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Pelit (Finland)

Beautiful Katamari is the same old Katamari with high definition graphics. That's it - and it's also very short. Still the original quirky idea provides a few hours of gay old time.

GamerNode

It combines most aspects of the older titles and upgrades them into the world of high def. While the original "wow" factor is no longer there, it's still worth it.

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GameSpot

Beautiful Katamari includes few surprises, but it does offer up more of the enchanting gameplay and charming atmosphere the series is known for.

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Planet Xbox 360

Was I ever surprised when I found myself recommending this game for my ten-year old nephew as well as my twenty-three-year old wife. This game can remind even the most serious gamer of what it was like to play games when they were a child. The storyline is ridiculous, the gameplay is simple, the controls are somewhat difficult, and the graphics are old school but overall this game pulled me in and got me hooked.

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Gaming Age

It's a routine that does need a bit of innovation. Just don't stray too far away from the formula or you may find your fanbase decrease like the stars in the sky after a day with the King.

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GamePro

The game is also rather short, but when every outrageous environment is so chock full of goodies, and the atmosphere so relentlessly positive, it's still hard to resist playing just one more time.

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My Gamer

Without question, Beautiful Katamari is an entertaining game, especially for newcomers to the series.

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Game Informer

The game’s title screams of beauty, but in truth, with the single player experience not being up to spec, this is the ugly duckling of the Katamari series. It just doesn’t have that wow factor going for it like the previous entries did.

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Game Almighty

If you haven’t played this game before, chances are strong that you’ll have a good time with Beautiful Katamari. Newbies may be confused by the unique gameplay or bizarre story, but this series has a way of endearing itself to you rather quickly.

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Gamer 2.0

Despite the admittedly addicting gameplay, Beautiful Katamari falls short on every other front. From sub-par graphics, mediocre sound, lack of story, and few stages supported by a lack of fresh new gameplay mechanics, the title fails to justify its $60 price tag.

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Team Xbox

Highly addictive gameplay that lasts for a few hours. A bit basic for a standalone title.

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GameTap

For those who didn't check out the PlayStation 2 and PSP games, it will feel fresh and fun. For the rest of us? It's still fun, as long as you're not looking for much in the way of change.

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1UP

Given that Beautiful Katamari's graphics don't look a whole lot different from those in the PS2 original, it's hard not to appreciate the irony of the game's title.

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Video Game Talk

The game hasn't changed the formula which is probably a good thing but the length, camera, multiplayer, and HD visuals all lead to disappoint in some degree or another.

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Maxi Consolas (Portugal)

We Love Katamari left us with a deep and good impression, but this sequel – or maybe we should say this add on to the series – only manages to add the online play. It doesn’t want to be a killer game and it doesn’t even take advantage of the hardware to fix some graphic flaws, but it’s still one of the most original concepts of the industry. [March 2008]

PTGamers

Fans of the series will welcome this new version with open arms. Don’t expect any revolutions in gameplay, but be prepared for something even more epic than previous games.

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PALGN

Definitely an above average game, but significant longevity issues bring an otherwise great game down.

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Total Video Games

A solid debut for Katamari on Xbox 360, though the frame rate issue proves all too noticeable.

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Thunderbolt

To say the Katamari series is becoming stale is something of an overstatement, it’s still as enjoyable as ever but if the next instalment (if there is one) doesn’t take the series in a new direction both on and offline, then this cult series in great danger of killing itself off by the lack of the one thing it brought a bundle of, originality.

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Worth Playing

Beautiful Katamari holds out as a well-crafted cash-in of the Katamari formula, seeking to bring it to a new, potentially larger, audience. Unfortunately, "cash-in" still applies, and in spite of some great additions, it's still the same old Katamari.

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Hardcore Gamer Magazine

With its budget price and most of its bizarre humor intact, you could most certainly do worse than pickking up a copy of Beautiful Katamari. [Dec 2007, p.65]

GotNext

It's too hard at the beginning for newcomers and young ones, too simple in its stage and artistic direction, and overall, it plays like a prototype to the previous and superior Katamari titles.

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Edge Magazine

That's how it feels: brand extension, dilution rather than enrichment. [Mar 2008, p.102]

X360 Magazine UK

Too little's been spent on making Katamari feel at home on 360, and that makes us sad. [Issue#30, p.90]

VideoGamer

Whether the King of all Cosmos is getting a little old or the designers have just lost their way slightly, this latest Katamari game lacks the quirky humour of previous games, favouring more obvious quips, and in turn the whole game feels a little forced.

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Eurogamer

Lack of coherency, imagination and self-awareness.

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NTSC-uk

While it’s great to see it on the newer generation of systems (and on a Microsoft system at that), it doesn’t feel like it’s progressed very much at all since its first iteration, a problem that dogged even We Love Katamari, but which feels even more apparent here.

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G4 TV

If there’s anything to complain about in Beautiful Katamari, it’s that vets will likely tear through the game in a matter of hours. Still, there’ll always be the online multiplayer aspect to keep them going.

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DailyGame

The third time is definitely not a charm. Multiplayer is better in concept than practice, and the rest of the game just feels "tired." Even fans of the series will lose interest.

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GameShark

The bottom line is if the gameplay grabs you it carries with it an addictive quality. However there is nothing remarkable about it; this is just an over produced and pricey 360 Arcade title. Only those looking for the truly bizarre need apply.

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Electronic Gaming Monthly

Beautiful Katamari does something very wrong--it tarnishhes the series' hallmark simplicity and ease. [Dec 2007, p.126]

MS Xbox World

I can see that some fans will gain enjoyment, and those gamers tired of the norm, but for my tastes, the appeal of the game was lost pretty early on.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this game is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 16 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Gary W gave it a0:
'NAMCO RIPS OFF FANS ' There, I said it. Im a long time katamari fan and have loved them all but this is decidely lacklustre. Clearly the game has been made to bleed Katamari fans dry. The game is criminally short (around 3-4 hours for experienced 'katamaras') and the levels arent as imaginative as they have been in say, we love katamari. There is occasional camera problems in one level which can annoy, although I think the Katamari is easier to control than the PS2 or PSP versions. Im not sure this is a good thing as the struggle to control it gave the game some difficulty, I flew through this one only failing the stage where you have to get 10,000 degrees. Of course, its still katamari so it still great fun but at the end of the day, it is FAR too short, and has clearly been an experiment in how far a games company can rip the fans off (lots of downloadable content from day one that has to all be bought seperately and could have easily been fitted into the full game for the asking price). I paid £24.99 and despite being a Katamari fan I feel like ive been robbed. I call on Namco to do the right thing and either bundle all the extra stuff into one pack for 800 points, or give them away for free to the people who went out and paid for half a game. The real killer is that you cant get all the achievements without buying the extra content. This is ridiculous, despite my love Katamari, I agree with the other fella who says boycott this game, if you can find it for a tenner used buy it and have a great time, but dont give Namco the full RRP for a game that you cannot fully complete without paying more money.

Gerry B. gave it an8:
Ok let me just say this game is better then most people say have any of you played the game in hd? or an lcd monitor it looks a lot better when I first saw this game on the ps2 i though what a stupid game then i tried it as a demo and was hooked I got both of them for the ps2 as for the 360 version i like it 1 thing i would say could make it better would be to add more levels I'm thinking like oh maybe lol 30 but thats a pipe dream i guess hahahanyway I like the game.

Cassie B. gave it a7:
Of the 3 games in the Katamari series this is by far the weakest for so many reasons: camera issues, control, bipolar difficulty, lack of the Katamari humor, graphics that could have been updated, etc. I really could go on. But it's not a terrible game by any means, but it settled for "good" when it could have been "great"...easily.

Allan M. gave it a0:
No matter how good this game is it HAS TO BE BOYCOTTED. All of the downloadable content is already on the disc it just needs to be paid for and unlocked on xbox live. This is exactly where xbox live can not go. Do NOT support a game that aims to rip off the customer by not allowing them access to content already on the disc without paying for it TWICE.

Jake S. gave it a10:
This games stays true to its roots. Its still amazing.

Uncle Douggie B. gave it an8:
A solid game, but it all ends to fast. Controls have a steep learning curve and can be frustrating with the camera, but everything else is great. Leaderboards and multiplayer are a cool feature and the downloadable content will add depth, but it's just too short.

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