Rolling Mechanic

Roll up the universe, one object at a time.

U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Alexandra Shea · Public domain

The player controls the Prince as he rolls the katamari around houses, gardens, and towns in order to meet certain parameters set by the King of All Cosmos. The player uses the two analog sticks on the DualShock controller in a manner similar to the classic arcade game Battlezone to control the direction the katamari rolls. Other controls can be triggered by the player to gain a quick burst of speed, flip the Prince to the other side of the katamari and more.

Quick Facts

Primary goal: Grow the katamari to a specific size requirement
Key constraint: Objects can only be collected if they are smaller than the current katamari radi
Franchise origin: Katamari Damacy (2004)
Developer: Namco
Director: Keita Takahashi

Lore & Background

In a drunken stupor, an eccentric, god-like entity called the King of All Cosmos destroys all the stars, Earth's Moon and other such celestial bodies in the universe, except for Earth itself. Despite acknowledging his mistake, the King charges his five-centimeter-tall son, the Prince, to go to Earth with a 'Katamari'—a magical ball that allows anything smaller than it to stick to it and make it grow—and collect enough material for him to recreate the stars and the Moon. The Prince is successful, and the universe is returned to normal.

Reader's Guide

Objects that are smaller than the katamari will stick to it when the player comes into contact with them, while greater objects can be hurdles; colliding at high speed with any may cause objects to fall off the katamari, slowing the player's progress. The game uses size, weight, and surface area to determine if an object will stick to the katamari. This allows slender objects, such as pencils, that are longer than the katamari is wide, to be picked up, and these will alter how the katamari rolls until more objects are picked up.

Animals such as cats will chase the katamari, knocking things from it, but once the katamari is great enough, it will scare the animals away, and they can be rolled up once they are chased down. As objects stick to the katamari, the katamari will grow, eventually allowing objects that were once hurdles to be picked up, and creating access to areas that were formerly blocked.

Did You Know?

The game's plot concerns a diminutive prince on a mission to rebuild stars, constellations, and the Moon, which were inadvertently destroyed by his father, the King of All Cosmos.
Designer Keita Takahashi struggled to pitch the game to Namco's superiors, eventually seeking student aid from the Namco Digital Hollywood Game Laboratory to develop the project for less than 1 million.
Katamari Damacy received critical acclaim, becoming a surprise hit and winning several awards.

Gallery

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Rolling Mechanic in Katamari Damacy?

The Rolling Mechanic refers to the core gameplay loop where players control the Prince to roll a sticky, adhesive ball called a katamari. As the player maneuvers this ball through various environments, any object smaller than its current radius sticks to it upon contact.

How does the katamari grow during gameplay?

The ball expands by collecting items that are strictly smaller than its present size, starting with tiny objects like thumbtacks and ants. As more mass is added, the katamari becomes large enough to adhere progressively bigger targets, eventually reaching buildings or mountains.

Who created the Rolling Mechanic and in what game did it debut?

Director Keita Takahashi introduced this unique system in the 2004 PlayStation 2 title Katamari Damacy, developed by Namco. It established the franchise's identity as an action-puzzle experience centered on creatively accumulating the world.