Katamari Forever

Did You Know?

• The soundtrack includes 36 tracks spanning two discs and was released in Japan on August 19, 2009.
• Sound director Yuu Miyake used a combination of electric and organic sounds for the music.
• Miyake employed artists and remixers to help create the soundtrack.

Story and gameplay

Katamari Forever contains 34 stages, with all but three taken from previous titles. Half of the stages occur within the mind of the King of All Cosmos, who has amnesia after being knocked in the head; these levels are black-and-white, and the player rolls up junk to restore color and the King's memory. The other half take place in the present, where RoboKing, a robotic version of the King created by the Prince and his cousins, rampages and destroys all stars, feeling remorseful. New gameplay additions include the Prince Hop, which lets the Prince jump by flicking the controller up or pressing a shoulder button, and the King Shock, which magnetically pulls nearby objects onto the katamari. The game lacks online multiplayer but includes local multiplayer and online leaderboards. It uses full high-definition video and offers graphic filters such as cel-shaded, colored pencil, or wood grain.

Reception

Katamari Forever received positive to average reception. GameRankings gave it 77.80%, and Metacritic gave 74 out of 100. Famitsu scored it 33 out of 40. It was the sixth best-selling game in Japan during its release week, selling 28,000 units. IGN awarded 7 out of 10, noting persistent issues from past entries. GameSpot also gave 7 out of 10, praising gameplay but stating the title brought nothing new. PixlBit awarded 4 of 5 stars, recommending it to both fans and newcomers.