Katamari Damacy
A quirky game about rolling a huge ball that picks up objects.
Where Katamari Damacy comes up1 episode or test
Katamari Damacy has players push a huge ball of garbage with both analog sticks, like two hands, so the controls echo the on-screen action. Game Maker's Toolkit groups it with Skate, Grow Home, Fight Night and Brothers as games that broke control conventions. The sources give no numbers. The lesson: map standard inputs to the physical action on screen when it makes the core interaction fresh.
- 1Hold a standard padNo special hardware needed
- 2Push both analog sticksLike two hands on the ball
- 3Giant garbage ball rollsFingers echo the action on screen
From Game Maker's Toolkit
What was said about Katamari Damacy
1Katamari Damacy's two-stick controls
Katamari Damacy lets players push its giant ball with both sticks like two hands. The game uses both analog sticks to push a gigantic ball of garbage, so the movement of the player's fingers echoes the action on screen. A standard pad ends up feeling inventive without any special hardware.
Game Maker's Toolkit groups it with Skate (right stick wiggles and flicks for ollies and tricks) and Grow Home (triggers mapped to left and right hand grabs) as examples of remapping standard sticks and triggers to mimic the physical action.
Katamari Damacy shows that breaking control conventions can create fresh fun. Mark Brown lists it with Skate, Grow Home, Fight Night and Brothers as games that reinvent how a standard pad is used. His point is that amazing games can come from ignoring expectations.
He says "designers should be careful to not fall victim to convention because amazing games can be made by ignoring expectations altogether." If a game truly does not suit a traditional pad, he suggests other inputs such as a motion remote, multi-touch screen or Steam controller.
Controllers Control Everything
Uses both analog sticks to push a gigantic ball of garbage like two hands, echoing the on-screen action.
Katamari Damacy lets players push its giant ball with both sticks like two hands. The game uses both analog sticks to push a gigantic ball of garbage, so the movement of the player's fingers echoes the action on screen. A standard pad ends up feeling inventive without any special hardware.
Game Maker's Toolkit groups it with Skate (right stick wiggles and flicks for ollies and tricks) and Grow Home (triggers mapped to left and right hand grabs) as examples of remapping standard sticks and triggers to mimic the physical action.
Katamari Damacy shows that breaking control conventions can create fresh fun. Mark Brown lists it with Skate, Grow Home, Fight Night and Brothers as games that reinvent how a standard pad is used. His point is that amazing games can come from ignoring expectations.
He says "designers should be careful to not fall victim to convention because amazing games can be made by ignoring expectations altogether." If a game truly does not suit a traditional pad, he suggests other inputs such as a motion remote, multi-touch screen or Steam controller.
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