Here’s a question for you: Have you ever come across something, let’s say a record for example, that has been around for years and has seemed to pass you by, but it turns out to be some of your favourite music that will now be listened to on repeat?

I had an experience like that recently, only it wasn’t for a record. That’s right stop the presses, I’m talking about a videogame again.

The game, or in fact games in question are 2004’s Katamari Damacy and 2005’s We Love Katamari, both directed by Keita Takahashi and both very well received.

To set the scene, this was the same sort of time as when Arsenal FC finished the Premier League season with no losses, Shrek 2 set a new record when it made almost $1 billion worldwide, and Green Day released their album ‘American Idiot’, annoying parents throughout the land.

At this time, I was around six to eight years old, and evidently had no idea of the gaming masterpieces that were being created in Japan. In fact, I only heard about these games because somebody who’s videos I like to watch on YouTube was saying that these two games were a nostalgic favourite of his.

That must have lodged the game’s name in my head, because shortly after I noticed that a remastered version of Katamari Damacy was available on the Nintendo Switch, so I bought it.

It is at this point I would like to say that the 2018 Switch remaster is technically the first official release of that game in the UK, so I was only about a year late… (although in reality I was 15 years late).

Keita Takahashi has said when making these games, he was setting out to make games that were simple, silly and fun.

I’ll explain the game and you can decide for yourself if it fits these criteria.

The main idea in the Katamari games, is that you play as one of the princes of the King of all Cosmos. As this prince, you must travel to earth and roll a ball (a Katamari) around that will stick to anything smaller than it, and slowly increase in size. Each level sets you a new target size you must meet by rolling up any and everything you see. It starts off very small, rolling up thumbtacks and buttons, but by the end of the game, you’re rolling up entire islands and even rainbows.

Very silly, and very fun.

So much so, that I replayed Katamari Damacy again and again and enjoyed it just as much each time.

The sequel, We Love Katamari, is only available on PlayStation 2 and due to its cult status, it’s still pretty expensive too. Luckily, I still have a means to play PS2 games so after the enjoyment I had playing the first game, I asked for the second for my birthday.

My birthday was already a little strange this year (shoutout to everyone else who had a lockdown birthday!), but add on the fact that I unwrapped a game that was new when I was eight, it was like I had time travelled.

Needless to say, you should play these games. Katamari Damacy is currently available on the Switch but it is also being released on PS4 and Xbox One in November. The second is harder to come by, but when you finish the first, you’ll want to keep playing.