Yesterday, Namco officially announced the worldwide launch of i Love Katamari for Apple’s revolutionary handheld devices, the iPhone and the iPod Touch. The game can be downloaded on iTunes right now for $7.99.

This mobile edition of Katamari isn’t extraordinarily unlike the Katamari we’ve grown to love on consoles. Instead of using analogue sticks to control the katamari, players will have to tilt their phones. Thankfully, Namco apparently targeted precision as one of their priorities – an icon on-screen assists turns that require more than just tilting.

I have yet to be able to check this out, but I have a feeling that it is of higher quality than the majority of the drivel in the App store. The fact that Namco is willing to address what could be an inadequacy of control makes me think that this could be a title to own. Have any of you checked this out yet?

i Love Katamari Rolls on to iPhones

Namco Brings Cult Classic to the App Store

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Namco Networks, a leading publisher and developer of mobile games and entertainment for mass-market casual gamers, today announced the worldwide availability of i Love Katamari for Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch devices. The game is available now for $7.99 through Apple’s App Store.

In i Love Katamari, the King of All Cosmos has accidentally knocked all the stars out of the sky during a crazy night out. It is up to the pint-sized Prince to put the twinkle back in the heavens. Players are challenged to roll the katamari ball over various objects in each stage. As more and more objects are rolled up, the katamari will increase in size, making it possible to roll-up larger and larger objects.

“i Love Katamari is a unique, addictive game that makes great use of accelerometer technology,” said Scott Rubin, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Namco Networks. “Similar to Rolling with Katamari on mobile phones, i Love Katamari is a great addition to the Katamari franchise.”

Based on the console hit Katamari Damacy, which has enjoyed a strong cult-following worldwide for its creative and addictive gameplay, i Love Katamari features levels that take place in five different environments (the Takeda Residence, a backyard, a park, a town and an island). It also features a range of fun-filled modes, such as "Story Mode" (find and roll-up the King's requested object), "Time Attack Mode" (roll up as much as possible in a limited time), "Exact Size Challenge Mode" (match exactly a requested katamari size), and "Eternal Mode" (roll at your own pace without any time or size limit).

Players tilt the phone right, left, front, and back to roll the katamari with precision, taking full advantage of the iPhone/iPod Touch’s accelerometer. While tilt control is the main control method, the game does include some swipe control features. For example, just tap the katamari to stop rolling or touch the 180 turn icon to turn 180 degrees. Players will also enjoy control options familiar from Katamari Damacy like “Parallel shift”, “Prince turn” and “Prince dash.”

For more information on i Love Katamari or other iPhone and iPod touch games by Namco, please visit www.namcogames.com.