Once Upon A KATAMARI: Rolling back after 14 years

GAMING NEWS AlexP - 08-Oct-2025, 1:59 pm

After a 14-year break, the Katamari Damacy series is making a big comeback with Once Upon A KATAMARI, the first mainline game since 2011's Katamari Forever. Fans have been waiting patiently for this quirky, colorful series to return, and it's finally here to deliver the same wild fun that made it a cult favorite. For those new to Katamari, the idea is simple but weirdly addictive: you roll a sticky ball called a katamari, picking up everything from tiny candies to huge buildings, growing bigger as you go to rebuild the starry sky. This long-awaited game keeps the classic charm while adding fresh ideas to keep things exciting.

The story takes a fun twist with time travel, sending players to roll their katamari through different historical periods like the dinosaur-filled Jurassic era, ancient Egypt with its sandy pyramids, or the cowboy-packed Wild West. Each stage is packed with stuff to collect that matches the time period, making every level feel unique and lively. Whether you're grabbing cacti or mummies, the game's bright visuals and goofy humor make every moment a blast. It's the kind of game that makes you smile as you roll over a whole village by accident.

New features make rolling smoother and more fun than ever. You get cool tools like a magnet to snag faraway shiny objects or a sonar to dig up buried treasures, like artifacts hidden in the desert. The controls are easier now, with a dash move that lets you zoom around without the clunky old controls. You can also customize your character, picking from over 60 cousins or even creating your own. With new characters like Asura and Whaleson, there's plenty of personality to choose from.

New tools and smoother gameplay

One of the biggest additions is KatamariBall, a multiplayer mode where up to four players compete to grow the biggest katamari in a race against time. You can trade size for points, adding a fun strategy twist to the chaos. The music, always a highlight of the series, mixes new songs from artists like Chelmico with classic Katamari tunes, keeping the vibe upbeat and quirky.

If you like offbeat games with simple but creative gameplay, Once Upon A KATAMARI feels a bit like Donut County, where you control a hole that swallows objects in a chill, silly way. But Katamari's wild, cosmic energy and time-travel adventure make it one-of-a-kind. This game is a joyful return that's sure to delight longtime fans and hook new players with its weird, wonderful world. Don't forget to use our price comparison tool to find the best prices for Once Upon A KATAMARI.