San Jose, Ca., (September 22, 2004) – Leading video games developer and publisher Namco Hometek Inc. announced today that its captivating action game Katamari Damacy� has  shipped to North American retail outlets.  Available exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Katamari Damacy offers an intriguingly unique gaming experience for all ages.
 
When the great King of the Cosmos leaves the kingdom in disarray by destroying all of the stars in the sky, it is up to his son, the Prince, to restore the galaxy to its former glory.  In Katamari Damacy, which translates in Japanese to “clump of souls,” players assume the role of the pint-sized prince and must grow their “katamari” by rolling around cleverly designed locations to collect objects throughout the world in order to re-create the starry skies.
 
“If ever there was a game that combined outrageous sound effects, addictive gameplay, endless surprises, colorful entertainment and laugh-out-loud humor, it IS Katamari Damacy,” said Rod Nakamoto, Executive Vice President of Research and Development for Namco Hometek Inc.  “The game’s storyline is clever and loaded with hilarity, giving the casual gamer the ultimate pick-me-up.”
 
The Prince of the Cosmos starts off with a small “katamari,” but with every level he completes, the “katamari” can quickly grow from a fraction of an inch to a monstrous mass in no time.  The bigger the player’s “katamari” grows, the larger the objects the player can amass along the way -- ranging from playing cards and people to ocean liners and entire stadiums!  Failure to grow your “katamari” will result in a verbal tirade from the elaborately adorned and eccentric king.  
 
Katamari Damacy features a single-player story mode and a two-player battle mode to allow for optimal “katamari” pandemonium and object collecting chaos.  Katamari Damacy is rated ‘E” for “everyone” by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board and carries a suggested retail price of $19.99.  The game is now available in stores nationwide.  For more information, please visit http://www.namco.com.

Reported By: Jared Black