 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Katamari Forever
- PlayStation 3
- Price: $49.99
- Genre: Action/Adventure
Common Sense Media says
Quirky action game now has two cosmos to explore.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that while Katamari Forever is an action/puzzle game that is appropriate for all ages, controlling the giant sticky Katamari ball (which involves using both thumbsticks simultaneously) requires a certain amount of motor control that might be beyond the ability of very young children. The King's pessimism and neurotic behavior, while part of what makes the game so offbeat and endearing, might confuse younger players too. With two-player and cooperative modes, this is a fun game for friends and family to play together.
What's it about?
The fourth installment in the quirky Japanese Katamari series finds the King of the Cosmos suffering from amnesia after being bopped on the head by an asteroid. The Robot King constructed to take his place goes haywire and destroys all the stars in the cosmos. The Prince has his work cut out for him trying to put everything right by, once again, rolling up objects, people, animals, and scenery into a giant sticky ball. Unique to KATAMARI FOREVER is that players will be exploring two parallel worlds. In the first, they'll help RoboKing restore the cosmos by creating balls of a certain size in a certain amount of time that will be turned into new stars and planets. In the second, they'll help the real King restore his lost memories by clearing away the "clutter" inside his head and completing challenges, like rolling up a specific item (such as a bear or a sumo wrestler), collecting items of a certain type (such as Zodiac symbols), or lighting up a dark Katamari by rolling up fireflies.
Is it any good?
The addition of two worlds to explore not only injects freshness back into a franchise that was in danger of becoming stale, but also beefs up the length considerably where past iterations have been criticized for being too short. The game's playful and offbeat presentation is once again completely charming, and there's plenty of replay value too: players can replay levels aiming for a higher score, or challenge each other in two-player versus or co-operative modes.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about how games can be fun without conventional videogame challenges like defeating opponents or progressing from Point A to Point B in a level.
What were some of the craziest objects you rolled up in the Katamari?
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AGE
A great family title
Okay, so role models are kind of out there, but it is a truly great game. While the concept of the game is weird (rolling a ball to clump up objects), it certainly is fun. Also, everyone I knew could play it (a four-year old family friend? Yup. My gamer friends? Yup.)
Unfortunately, the time limits in this game are a bit stricter, but that's the only gripe for newcomers.
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AGE
i have this game and only the roboking is depreeso. but trying to beat this game is rage quit material
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| Platforms: | PlayStation 3 |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Developer: | Namco Bandai |
| Release date: | September 22, 2009 |
| Price: | $49.99 |
| ESRB rating: | E for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Comic Mischief, Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Language |
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