Fatal Attraction

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:45 pm

Who here still hasn't played Katamari Damacy? Because I give Popcorn the right to ban you.

plasticwingsband · Post by **plasticwingsband** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:54 pm

Color me BANNED. I can't find it anywhere.

Although I am quite eager to play it.

Neo Yi · Post by **Neo Yi** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 11:00 pm

I haven't yet because I'm unable to leave the house because 1.) I can't drive legally and 2.) I don't have any friends who can drive me, and 3.) Even if I could drive, my parents take both cars to work early in the monry and come home late.
~Neo

Cuckooguy · Post by **Cuckooguy** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:17 am

I haven't, because I don't own any of the three major systems that are out now. And I'm in the middle of the Arc the Lad Collection anyway. I've owned it for at least two months and haven't beaten the first game yet, either.

I guess that means I'm banned, huh? Or is there possibly a deeper meaning in this message? Could it possibly mean that the fact the administrator gives someone permission to ban anyone who hasn't played said game mean that he wants everyone and anyone to play the game right now? Or could it possibly all be a scheme to give Popcorn more control over banning, and eventually GG! will give more and more opportunities to Popcorn for banning, and then it all builds up to a banning spree from Popcorn which allows him to ban people left and right for not doing the conditions set by GG! (ie not playing Katmari Damacy), and that he wants to make Popcorn look like the bad guy, because Popcorn's the one doing the banning, not GG!? Or maybe there's a hidden message that GG! doesn't have banning capabilities, because he has to resort to telling his subordinates to do his banning, or maybe it's all a conspiracy to make Popcorn GG!'s slave! Like a dog that does anything his master tells him to! First, he'll give Popcorn a lot of freedom to ban people until Popcorn is corrupt, and then when he gets accustomed to such power, GG! will take his privileges away, and Popcorn will come begging to GG! to become a moderator again, thus making Popcorn GG!'s slave in exchange for giving him back his moderator powers, only because Popcorn's brain has become polluted for banning power?!?!?

Post by **Delphine** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 8:19 am

A+ for effort, but the delivery was lacking.

Zeta · Post by **Zeta** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:01 am

Wal*Mart doesn't carry it. So I'm shit out of luck.

Ash Holt · Post by **Ash Holt** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:32 am

I'd see if Newegg has it, but their site is being iffy.

I don't even have a PS2 yet; I'm waiting on that damn PSTwo coming November.

Ngangbius · Post by **Ngangbius** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 10:07 am

Someone at Namco of America decided to release this gem of a game in limited copies. For some odd reason you can't buy this game on Amazon but you can purchase it on Amazon Canada. =P

So far the only places that has it available according to various reports are:

EBGames--but in very limited copies so get it as soon as you can. This is where I bought my copy(the last one also) last Friday.

Gamestop--even more limited than EBGames and not only that it is backordered for a couple of months if you want a new copy.

Certain Best Buy's--or so I heard. Heard you have to ask upfront for the game since they kept them well hidden. Not sure it it's 100% true this is just what someone else on another MB said about tha avaliblity of this game.

Fry's--don't have Fry's where I live, but to anyone who lives near one they are on sale for $14.99. No excuse not to buy it unless they are outta stock.

I'm guessing they have copies avalible at Circut City, but I could be wrong. Wal-Mart is probably one of the last places to look though. You have better luck with the video game chain stores and rental places are definately out of the question.

Even if you don't have a PS2 yet, buy the game anyway, it's really fun, addicting, and the soundtrack is excellent. I say this just in case it gets really, really hard to find later on and if Namco fail to print anymore copies. The only level that pisses me off so far is that Cygnus level. I mean how can you tell the difference between chick, duckling and swan eggs? They look the same to me.

Also, the King of the Cosmos is a real douche.

chriscaffee · Post by **chriscaffee** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 10:13 am

I guess I'm banned again. If it isn't on Xbox, chances are I haven't played it. In fact, even if it is on Xbox, chances are I haven't played it.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 11:01 am

Maybe Toys R Us. Back when Rez was released, we only got three copies (ever) at the store, but Toys R Us had, like, a dozen factory-sealed copies long after they were going for $80 on eBay.

I only have the Japanese version, though if I stumble across the US version and it really is only $20, I'll probably buy it on principle. Since I only ever vaguely understand what Ou-sama of the Huge Package is saying, there are a couple of things I don't quite get... at the end of a stage, for example, he gives me two choices with my score. If I choose the first choice, it overwrites my old score even if it was higher. The second choice just seems to add stars to the sky around. What's the point of that? And why would I want a lower score to overwrite a higher score?

I'm desperately seeking somebody who understands how profoundly cool and important this game is. Everyone I show it to is all like, "Yeah, it's cool, I guess." And I'm all thinking, "No, you ignorant, uncultured pig fucker, it's not 'just' cool!"

And I will own the soundtrack. Oh, yes.

Post by **G.Silver** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 11:29 am

I'd like to think I understand how profoundly cool the game is. I mean, isn't it the dream of everyone to roll shit up in a ball that gets bigger and bigger? Every kid on the playground at my elementary school wanted to roll up the biggest snowball, but we knew we'd never achieve it without combining all our forces to make it as big as possible. We rolled a ball so big it could have rolled up other children if they didn't get out of the way (they did), until finally our combined might wasn't enough to get the ball rolling anymore, and the effect of what snow remained on the ground on our giant snowball was small. The ball was just too damn big. Katamari Damacy has no limit on size, just how long recess is, it's Winter every day, and the stuff you pick up is way better than snow. This game peers into the human condition and gives it exactly what you want on the most carnal level (well, maybe the second-most).

Or maybe it's just a brilliantly simple game is all. I also think it's good that developers are making games that take advantage of the fact that 3D can make things as big as you want. Gigantic Drive/RAD was also good for this, so was Mr. Mosquito (maybe Pikmin also? Probably not) and Wanda is also headed in this direction, but I don't think any other game quite takes advantage of 3D's inherent scalability, and they used it to make a game where every surface of every object is totally interactive.

There's also the fact that a weird and "obscure" (though launched with considerable fanfare in Japan, so I hear) has been released as a budget title in the US, and it'd sure be nice if it happened more often. I guess that's important too. What are you getting at exactly?

at the end of a stage, for example, he gives me two choices with my score. If I choose the first choice, it overwrites my old score even if it was higher. The second choice just seems to add stars to the sky around. What's the point of that? And why would I want a lower score to overwrite a higher score?

He asks if you want to replace the current star with the new one. Yes is on the left, No is on the right. You can see your previous score over to the right, if you haven't noticed it. I don't know what the advantage is of giving the player the choice, but it records the time you reached the size required for the level, which may be a factor in getting the "eternal" option (this will allow you, on the map screen, to play the level with no time limit). Also, by picking up golden items (they made a distinctive sound and make your ball sparkle) you can make your star brighter. I don't know what exactly the point of that is, if it effects the star when viewed in the night sky option on the Prince's planet or what. But if I remember right when you do the North Star stage (one of the constellation levels) you're supposed to grab shiny things to make it extremely bright.

Post by **Popcorn** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 12:06 pm

It's a fucking acely ace game. Silv, would you mind explaining the different stage types and their symbols to me? I never quite understood which ones were proper stages, which were bonus stages, the different objectives etc, and as a result never really knew what I was meant to be doing in the general scheme of things.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:37 pm

Yeah, I mean, you turn it on and while the system is reading your memory card data there's this guy la-laing in the background and then there's this purple king dude with a package that would make King Kong self-conscious and his robe lights up while the BGM is all like "ka-ta-ma-ri-da-ma-shiii-iii-ii-iiii" sort of disco 80's or whatever. Then there are singing mallards and red pandas, and then when the intro has finished wreaking its havoc upon your grasp of reality, the title screen comes on and it's all subdued with this relaxing, ambient BGM, then you appear on this tiny little planet and when you fly to the giant mushroom or the earth, it's all byuudododododo just like the sound when Lum flies, then you're in the low-rent house of some blocky Japanese woman who is sleeping soundly, and the next thing you know you're rolling low-poly shit -- like, PS1 low-poly, and I can't tell if it was a hardware limitation due to the sheer amount of crap on screen at any one time or simply an aesthetic choice, because it works beautifully -- and then when you pick up the pencil the rotation of the ball becomes messed up and things are going well for a while, but suddenly you realize that the world is getting smaller as your ball of shit increases and you don't even remember when it happened, but now you can easily pick up that can you slammed into earlier and then you can dash into that stack of playing cards or those legos and they just connect right to your ball. And all the while the only buttons you're even touching are the analog sticks, which you're groping and massaging as if they were boobies, and there's this crazy-ass Japanese singing going on in the background and it doesn't specifically fit into any particular genre but it's cool, and then when you finish the stage the big nutsac king vomits up a rainbow and warps you away, and then later on there are all these crabs and this king crab wearing sneakers... Even the data load is cool.

Katamari Damacy is everything that is right about everything. Not just games, but everything.

Post by **Esrever** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 1:51 pm

I... I will buy this game! I don't own my own PS2, but I'm sure my GF will let me borrow hers. The game isn't epically long, correct? I can compact my experience into an extensive weekend marathon, right?

*edit*: Jesus, it's only $25 Canadian on Amazon.ca? That's less than two pizzas. I can even get the shipping free by ordering it with the next Zim DVD.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 2:14 pm

So it's not too late to buy this online, I hope?

Post by **Delphine** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 2:23 pm

<a href="http://www.ebgames.com">EBGames.com</a> has it.

Post by **Segaholic2** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 2:30 pm

I ordered mine! *pleased*

Dunjohn · Post by **Dunjohn** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 2:43 pm

Does it count against me if I've never heard of it?

Post by **Esrever** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 3:06 pm

Nah, it only counts against you when you've heard of it but don't care.

Post by **Popcorn** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 3:20 pm

What's the most satisfying thing to pick up in Katamari? My answer: fences.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 3:37 pm

I've only made it to level 4 so far (not counting the crab stage), so I haven't picked up any fences yet, but so far my favorite thing to roll through are those lego constructions.

Ngangbius · Post by **Ngangbius** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 3:37 pm

I got up to Make a Star 7(haven't beaten it yet) and my favorite things to roll up so far are those huge blue gates and Sumo westlers. There is just something so satisfing finally being able rolling up huge-arse objects such as those after starting out as a teeny clayball in a level.

Green Gibbon! wrote:Yeah, I mean, you turn it on and while the system is reading your memory card data there's this guy la-laing in the background and then there's this purple king dude with a package that would make King Kong self-conscious and his robe lights up while the BGM is all like "ka-ta-ma-ri-da-ma-shiii-iii-ii-iiii" sort of disco 80's or whatever. Then there are singing mallards and red pandas, and then when the intro has finished wreaking its havoc upon your grasp of reality, the title screen comes on and it's all subdued with this relaxing, ambient BGM, then you appear on this tiny little planet and when you fly to the giant mushroom or the earth, it's all byuudododododo just like the sound when Lum flies, then you're in the low-rent house of some blocky Japanese woman who is sleeping soundly, and the next thing you know you're rolling low-poly shit -- like, PS1 low-poly, and I can't tell if it was a hardware limitation due to the sheer amount of crap on screen at any one time or simply an aesthetic choice, because it works beautifully -- and then when you pick up the pencil the rotation of the ball becomes messed up and things are going well for a while, but suddenly you realize that the world is getting smaller as your ball of shit increases and you don't even remember when it happened, but now you can easily pick up that can you slammed into earlier and then you can dash into that stack of playing cards or those legos and they just connect right to your ball. And all the while the only buttons you're even touching are the analog sticks, which you're groping and massaging as if they were boobies, and there's this crazy-ass Japanese singing going on in the background and it doesn't specifically fit into any particular genre but it's cool, and then when you finish the stage the big nutsac king vomits up a rainbow and warps you away, and then later on there are all these crabs and this king crab wearing sneakers... Even the data load is cool.

Katamari Damacy is everything that is right about everything. Not just games, but everything.

And despite all this, it won't get game of the year or even PS2 game of the year from various, gaming publications and websites...

...except for something like Insert Credit.

It does have one of the best intros I've ever seen in a game. It's more drug-induced than the entire line of Super Mario games.

Post by **Popcorn** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 3:56 pm

so far my favorite thing to roll through are those lego constructions.

Yep, those lego bricks are the fences of the small-ball world. Fences are like those lego bricks, but better.

Post by **Esrever** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 4:05 pm

Man, I'm looking forward to this.

Post by **Green Gibbon!** » Tue Sep 28, 2004 7:26 pm

Hey, how do you get presents? King Dong keeps promising me presents if I do well, but I don't know what criteria I'm supposed to meet. I got this blue scarf, but that's it.