We ♥ Katamari

We ♥ Katamari (みんな大好き塊魂, Minna Daisuki Katamari Damashii lit. "Everybody Loves Katamari Damacy") also known as We Love Katamari, is a video game published by Namco for the PlayStation 2. It was released in Japan on July 6, 2005, in South Korea on July 28, 2005, in North America on September 20, 2005, and in Europe on February 2, 2006. It is the sequel to the previous year’s sleeper hit, Katamari Damacy.
On June 2, 2023, a remake to the game titled We ♥ Katamari REROLL+ Royal Reverie released.
==Story==
We ♥ Katamari tells two stories, both of which are centered around the King of All Cosmos: The first story is about how the King reacts to the unexpected success of Katamari Damacy, and the second story is an origin story detailing how the King became the ruler of the Great Cosmos, met the Queen, and had the Prince.
===Reaction to the Success of Katamari Damacy===
After the stars in the sky have been restored, the King of All Cosmos is surprised to discover that he has many fans down on Earth. So he orders the Prince, alongside the Prince’s cousins to fulfill the requests of the fans by rolling Katamaris. At the game’s conclusion, the player discovers that they too love Katamari.
===The Origin of the King of All Cosmos===
The King of All Cosmos’s history is told in We ♥ Katamari’s cut scenes, interspersed between the game’s stages.
The King of All Cosmos was not always the King. His father was the previous King of All Cosmos (also called the High King, or Papa). The future King of All Cosmos grew up either on Earth itself or a planet very much like it, in a giant castle on a hill surrounded by green fields. 
His father was a strict man, always pushing his son to go further, a trait which his son would inherit. He was a boxer in his younger years. While good, he was not the best. In a telling scene, after losing first place in a boxing tournament the High King throws his son’s second-place trophy into the river out of disappointment.
Later in life, after an argument where he had snuck a piece of strawberry shortcake one late night, the future King of All Cosmos runs away from home. During this period of rebellion, he gets into fights with street punks who in one altercation slice off the front of his pompadour haircut. In the next scene, the dejected future king meets the woman who would become his queen, after the severed end of his pompadour is pieced with her half-eaten loaf of bread to create the shape of a heart. During a subsequent date, the father shows up, as disapproving of his son as ever. In frustration and anger, the son lashes out, knocking his father to the ground. Instead of fighting back, the High King just stands up and walks away, the prince feeling regret for what he'd done.
Later that evening, he inadvertently spies on his father deep in thought, staring at the second-place boxing trophy. Recalling the incident from his childhood, and imagining his father scooping to fish the trophy back out of the river, he suddenly realizes the love underlying his father’s stern exterior all these years. He bursts into the room, crying, and kneels before his father to beg forgiveness. In the most demonstrative gesture of affection to date, the father places a hand on his son’s head.
After this reconciliation, all is well between the High King, the son, and his fiancée. But soon afterward, the High King falls ill, and calls his son into his bedroom. Upon entering, the father crowns his son as the new King of All Cosmos, and then collapses, seemingly dead (but is, in fact, only sleeping).
Moving forward, we see the King as a grown man, pacing back and forth in a waiting room. A nurse appears from a doorway, and introduces the newly-born Prince of All Cosmos, the character that the player controls during the game.
==Gameplay==
The concept for this game is as idiosyncratic as its predecessor. Since the release of the original game, The King of All Cosmos and his son the Prince have acquired a fan base. The Prince receives a request from a fan at the start of the game. The objective of the game is to have the Prince fulfill each fan’s request, which will make more fans (stages) appear until the whole game is mobbed with fans. Upon fulfilling each fan’s request, the Katamari is given to the king, which he uses to create a new planet in the cosmos. This continues until there are enough planets in the cosmos to roll up the sun using the Earth as a katamari. If the player has save data from Katamari Damacy on their system they can import Stars to help with this task.
The gameplay follows the same core mechanic: To collect objects, the Prince pushes around his katamari, a strange, highly adhesive ball capable of grabbing anything smaller than itself. Initially, the katamari can only pick up smaller items like loose change and discarded pencils. As more items accumulate, the katamari grows, allowing it to pick up “vaulting boxes, pencils, erasers, postcards, ramen, robots, cows, sheep, this girl, that boy, moms and dads, bicycles, motorbikes, homes, buildings, rainbows, clouds, islands, hopes and dreams”. Once the level is successfully completed, the katamari is launched into space by the King and becomes a planet, satellite, or other celestial object. If the planet has already been created, the katamari can replace it or be shattered into “stardust”.
The sequel adds many new objectives, including: making the katamari as large as possible with a limited number of objects, collecting objects for their monetary value, rolling a sumo wrestler over food items to gain body mass (and then into his opponent to win the match), pushing a snowball around to create the head of an enormous snowman, and a number of “fast as possible” time attack challenges. Many levels have both a “big as possible” and a “fast as possible” objective, and some even have three similar objectives of increasing difficulty or size.
The sequel also adds some quality of life improvements to the gameplay and design. Rolling relies less on momentum making it easier to control, and it’s much harder for objects to fly off your Katamari when hit. On top of this, the maps seen throughout the game are far more open when compared to the original game’s tight corridors and cramped spaces.
In the previous game, finding the prince’s cousins only unlocked them for use in 2-player mode. We ♥ Katamari allows the player to use the cousins in single-player. Additionally, two Royal Presents can now be worn at the same time: one on the head or face, and one on the body. The appearance of presents may differ depending on the character that wears them.
===Cooperative mode===
In addition to the standard, single-player mode, this game features a two-player cooperative gameplay option, in which each player controls half of the katamari. Players must work together to effectively maneuver the ball. Any stage in the game can be completed in solo or cooperative mode; however, in cooperative mode, some extra time is usually added to the game clock to compensate for the difficulty in coordinating the players.
In the Snowman level, which has no time limit, this method of play is eschewed in favor of a more traditional one: each player rolls one half of the snowman. Similar to the single-player version of the stage, the snowman is completed as soon as the two players collide; however, because the bottom half is also being rolled by someone, players are not limited to forming the snowman in the middle of the area.
In the Japanese and PAL version of the game each player’s gamepad is depicted on-screen, illustrating how each player is currently manipulating the dual-analog sticks. This feature was omitted from the American version due to copyright issues.
===Battle mode===
As in the original game, there is a two-player competitive mode, wherein the opposing players each control their own "katamari". Control of the katamari is identical to the regular game, and the objectives are similar. The winner is the player who most fulfills this objective, which is either to collect the most of a small object (such as pencils in the House, or pudding in the Town) or to have collected a single large object at the end of the game (such as a Ginkgo leaf in the House or a ghost in the Town).
Unlike Katamari Damacy, battle mode maps are drawn directly from the single-player world (albeit with fewer objects due to technical limits as to how many polygons can be rendered at once), offering a wide variety of diverse regions in which to compete.
==Secrets and Easter Eggs==
Being highly non-linear, We ♥ Katamari lends itself easily to numerous Easter eggs, in this case, the deliberate placement of in-game items to create humorous scenes. Since the environments are typically very large, and a player’s current katamari size determines what objects a player can physically see with these “hidden” situations found literally anywhere. For example, in one level, the player can find the Prince sitting on a photocopier, with Slip (the Cousin who is a flat 2D clone of the Prince) emerging from the paper tray. Other combinations of objects or situations derive their origins from folklore. For example, in one of the outdoor levels, there is a female ghost that rises up and down out of a well, like the character Okiku in the Japanese folktale Banchō Sarayashiki. (This is also reminiscent of the character Sadako in the Japanese horror movie "Ringu".) Another example is the Tsuchinoko, a snake which can be found in the flower bed stage. As in reality, only a few people claim to have seen this snake, and so it is very hard to find in the stage. Also, if the player continues to collect every object again and again in the “credits level” the ending movie will change slightly each time. Another secret is there is a creature very similar to a Kappa in the game (actually named as a Kappa in the Japanese version). In fact, there is a level where the “kappa” creature is found swimming in a pool near children. In the flower level, a lady titled 'God' when rolled up can be found in the pond with a bear.
===Bonus level===
After collecting all of the cousins and beating the level given by the Hoshino boy, a rose that stayed silent throughout suddenly begins to speak , telling the player to roll up 1,000,000 roses. These roses are scattered about the level as single roses or bouquets of 10 roses, both types respawning after a short time. At first, one may think it is a joke, but it is possible. The roses do not all have to be rolled up in one play session; the player can return to the Select Meadow, save the game, and come back where they left off. The rose “fan” in select meadow appears to grow taller and taller as more roses are collected. When 1,000,000 roses have finally been rolled up, the level will be “completed”; that is, the King will take the prince back and give him a little speech, after which the entire clump of roses will be thrown up.
Gamers have created makeshift inventions to help them in completing this time consuming task, such as positioning the analog sticks of the DualShock controller in a fixed position with rubber bands in order to automate the collection of the million roses.
===Bonus movies (PAL Version) ===
As this is the first game in the series to be released in the PAL regions, two bonus movies from the original Japanese "Katamari Damacy" can be unlocked: the introduction movie from the game, and the Hoshino family cut scenes edited together as a single movie, along with the dubbed versions in English, Japanese, and Korean. These scenes are also included in the Japanese (NTSC) version.
===Cousins' Planets (PAL Version)===
Since the previous game in the series was not released in the PAL regions, to replace the function of importing your planets from Katamari Damacy, the PAL Version instead included postgame content in the form of 'Cousins' Planets' - a separate category of items which can be collected in the 'Roll up the sun'/Dog level. They are planets which typically inhabit two cousins, with names such as 'Honuey' (Honey/Huey). There are 22 Cousins' planets, including the Prince's 'Planet Prince'.
==Soundtrack==
The official soundtrack album (catalog number COCX-33273) for the game was released in Japan on July 20, 2005. The soundtrack consists of eighteen songs from Namco composers Akitaka Tohyama, Asuka Sakai, Hideki Tobeta, Tomoki Kanda, Yoshihito Yano, Yū Miyake, and Yuri Misawa.
Japanese beatbox artist Dokaka is prominently featured in the game’s soundtrack, performing an a cappella version of the series theme “Katamari on the Rocks”, both with and without lyrics.
There is a mentionable tribute to the original Katamari Damacy on the soundtrack (titled “Sunbaked Savanna”). The song is a medley containing many of the songs found in the original game using “animal noise” samples as the main instruments.
Another tribute can be heard in the song "Disco Prince" with a short clip from “The Moon And The Prince”. Both songs were performed by Kenji Ninuma, one of only two returning performers from the original game.
Tracklist	Tracklist 	Tracklist 	Tracklist	Tracklist	Tracklist	Tracklist	Tracklist	Tracklist	Tracklist
No. 	Title 	Japanese title 	Length 	 	 	 	 	 	
1. 	"Introduction" 	Introduction 	0:24 	 	 	 	 	 	
2. 	"Katamari on the Rocks (Arrangement)"	塊オンザロック 	6:37 	 	 	 	 	 	
3. 	"Overture II" 	Overture II 	1:16 	 	 	 	 	 	
4. 	"Katamari on the Swing" 	塊オンザスウィング 	4:40 	 	 	 	 	 	
5. 	"Kuru Kuru Rock" 	くるくるロック 	5:10 	 	 	 	 	 	
6. 	"Everlasting Love" 	Everlasting Love 	4:45 	 	 	 	 	 	
7. 	"Bluffing Damacy" 	つよがり魂 	5:32 	 	 	 	 	 	
8. 	"Beautiful Star" 	ビューティフルスター 	3:08 	 	 	 	 	 	
9. 	"Angel Rain" 	天使の雨 	7:11 	 	 	 	 	 	
10. 	"Houston" 	ヒューストン 	4:16 	 	 	 	 	 	
11. 	"Blue Orb" 	Blue Orb 	5:00 	 	 	 	 	 	
12. 	"Katamari Holiday" 	塊ホリディ 	5:37 	 	 	 	 	 	
13. 	"Baby Universe" 	ベイビーユニバース 	5:06 	 	 	 	 	 	
14. 	"DISCO☆PRINCE" 	DISCO☆PRINCE 	7:01 	 	 	 	 	 	
15. 	"Sunbaked Savanna" 	灼熱のサバンナ 	5:32 	 	 	 	 	 	
16. 	"The Royal Academy of Katamari" 	The Royal Academy of Katamari	3:35 	 	 	 	 	 	
17. 	"A Song for the King of Kings" 	キングオブキングのうた 	4:41 	 	 	 	 	 	
18. 	"I Love You" 	Bonus Track 	0:15 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Info==
Developer(s) 	Namco, Now Productions
Publisher(s) 	Namco, Electronic Arts
Compatible System(s)	Playstation 2
Release Date(s) 	
Japan- July 6, 2005
South Korea- July 26, 2005
North America- September 25, 2005
Europe- February 2, 2006
Australasia- February 6, 2006
Rating(s) 	
CERO: A
KMRB: All
ESRB: E
PEGI: 3+
OFLC: G
Rating Content 	Fantasy Violence
==Reception==
We ♥ Katamari was generally well received by critics, often stating it as being an improvement over Katamari Damacy. While maintaining the feel of the original, it expanded on many concepts and introduced new ones, as well as bringing an even larger, more detailed and highly explorative world. Many fans collectively agree that We ♥ Katamari is the best title in the Katamari series.
==Demonstrations==
===View We ♥ Katamari's demonstrations here===
==Levels==
See List of We ♥ Katamari Stages.
==Manual==
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==Gallery==
File:Wlk logo.svg|We ♥ Katamari's English logo
File:Minna daisuki katamari.svg|We ♥ Katamari's Japanese logo
File:We Love Katamari Cover Art.jpg|We ♥ Katamari North American region boxart.
File:We❤️KatamariCoverMockup.jpeg|We ♥ Katamari North American region boxart mockup
File:We❤️KatamariNaDisc.jpeg|We ♥ Katamari North American region disc.
File:Wp46 1.jpg|thumb|Full art
WLK Japan.jpg|Japanese box cover.
3259659-everybodyloveskatamarijp.jpg|We ♥ Katamari Japanese box cover mock up.
CxhddyVWgAAJyFW.jpg|We ♥ Katamari Japanese disc.
File:Minna_back.jpg|Backside's full artwork
PAL region WLK boxart mockup.jpg|We ♥ Katamari PAL region mockup.
WLK PAL Box Art.jpg|We ♥ Katamari PAL region boxart mockup.
WLK PAL Disc.jpg|We ♥ Katamari PAL region disc.
File:we-love-katamari-keyart.jpg|Full artwork
WLK Korea.jpg|We ♥ Katamari Korean region boxart.
WLK K.jpg|We ♥ Katamari Korean region boxart mockup.
WLK Korean Disc.png|We ♥ Katamari Korean region disc.
File:Wp39 1.jpg|Full art
Firstcousinswlk.jpg|First Cousins We ♥ Katamari concept art
Princeroll.jpg|Prince We ♥ Katamari rolling concept art
WLK EB Games.png|EB Games poster of We ♥ Katamari
===Alternate Box Art===
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==Awards==
*E³ 2005 Game Critics Awards: Best Puzzle/Trivia/Parlor Game.
*4th Annual Game Audio Network Guild: Best Original Vocal/Pop Song “Katamari on the Swing”.
*Gaming Target’s 52 Games From 2005 We'd Still Be Playing.
==External links==
*Official US website (Requires Flash)
*Interview with developer Keita Takahashi on 1up.com
*We ♥ Katamari at IGN
*We ♥ Katamari soundtrack at MusicBrainz
*We ♥ Katamari at EA.com
*We ♥ Katamari at GameFAQs
*We ♥ Katamari at MobyGames
*We ♥ Katamari guide at StrategyWiki
==Sequels==
*Me & My Katamari
*Beautiful Katamari
==References==
Category: Katamari Games
Category:Game
Category:We ♥ Katamari
Category:Main Series Games