Nobody could explain it in a meeting — so he built it instead, and everyone understood.
The idea was this: you roll a ball, and everything that touches it sticks, and the ball gets bigger. Keita Takahashi came to Namco as a visual artist in 1999 with game ideas his supervisors could not picture. He could not sell it in words. So he borrowed students from a game school, built a prototype, and let people play it. They understood it immediately. Namco gave him a fraction of a normal budget and a year and a half. What he made became one of the first fourteen video games the Museum of Modern Art chose to collect. Sometimes the things you cannot explain are the ones you have to build.
— inspired by Keita Takahashi
About this game
Released in Japan in March 2004, Katamari Damacy is a game about rolling a ball that grows as it collects everything it touches. Directed by Keita Takahashi and developed on a fraction of Namco's usual budget (under $1 million) with help from students, it became an unlikely cult classic. The game features no combat or enemies — only pure rolling, collecting, and absurd humor. In 2012, it became one of the first fourteen video games acquired by the Museum of Modern Art.
The Story Behind
Katamari Damacy was released in Japan on March 18, 2004, and in North America on September 21, 2004, for $19.99 — less than half the price of a full-priced PS2 game. It was developed on a fraction of Namco's usual budget (under $1 million) by a small team including students from the Namco Digital Hollywood Game Laboratory. The game was never officially released in Europe. In 2012, it became one of the first fourteen video games acquired by the Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection.
Tricks & Tales
Director Keita Takahashi joined Namco as a visual artist in 1999, not as a game designer. His supervisors in the art department had no authority to approve game proposals, so he found an alternative route through Namco's student training program. The game features no combat, no weapons, and no enemies — only pure rolling and collecting. It won Best Game Design at the 2005 Game Developers Choice Awards.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The PS2 is region-locked. A machine and a disc must belong to the same region to work together: NTSC-J (Japan and parts of Asia), NTSC-U/C (North America), or PAL (Europe, Australia). A Japanese console plays Japanese games. It is also Japanese 100-volt hardware — a fat model used in North America's 120 volts or Europe's 220–240 needs a step-down transformer; the slim models use an external adapter that can be swapped for the right one. DVD films carry their own separate region code, fixed to the console as well.
Maintenance Tips
The PS2's most vulnerable part is its optical drive. The laser pickup weakens with age, producing the famous Disc Read Error — discs that load slowly, read intermittently, or read games but not DVDs (or the reverse). Keeping the vents and internal fan free of dust matters, especially on the larger 'fat' models, which run warmer. Replacement laser units are still made, but match the part number to your exact model before buying, as several incompatible types exist. DualShock 2 controllers commonly develop sticky or drifting analog sticks with age; the rubber and contacts wear, and both are repairable.
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Katamari Damacy copies regularly.
Will this NTSC-J version work on my PS2?
This is the Japanese (NTSC-J) version of Katamari Damacy, and it is region-locked. It will only run on a Japanese PlayStation 2 console, or a console that has been modified to play Japanese games. It will not work on North American or European PS2 systems without modification.
Can I use the same memory card for saves from different regions?
Yes. PlayStation 2 memory cards with the MagicGate logo can store save data from games of any region on the same card. You can have NTSC-J, NTSC-U/C, and PAL saves all together without conflict.
Does Katamari Damacy require a special memory card?
No. Katamari Damacy saves to any standard PlayStation 2 memory card (8MB). Make sure the card has the MagicGate logo — that's the official Sony format. Third-party cards without MagicGate may not work reliably.
Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑