Aug 16, 2007

We expected more than a simple VS mode in Namco's Beautiful Katamari on 360, but the bonkers rolling game has got way more planned...

A new "Thingy Battle" scenario will have four players from around the world take on each other in a competition to roll up the most of a specific item chosen by the King of all Cosmos (your giant dad). The player to finish with the most of that item apparently wins the "love of the king," if you really want it.

And in addition to the usual selection of online Leaderboards, the game will keep track of the rolling antics of every player around, and totals everything that's rolled up in a typically bizarre "Everyone's Katamari" mode, in which a grazing cow grows as players around the world roll stuff up.

Wacky new level scenarios will also add extra depth to the usual rolling antics, like one stage that has you specifically rolling up hot objects to raise the temperature of your Katamari above 10,000 degrees Celsius, while avoiding cold objects that will cool you down.

We love it, and have been thrashing the demo that comes with the latest issue of the Official Xbox Magazine for days (the one with GTAIV on the cover), and by the looks of the new screens, the full game's going to be ace.

Beautiful Katamari is expected for release later this year.