Pocket Gamer: The observation that iOS just isn’t suited to certain games is one that’s frequently made – often incorrectly. In the case of Katamari Amore, the observation is spot-on.
It’s perhaps telling that Namco has seen fit to include three control methods, but whether you opt for single or dual virtual sticks or accelerometer control, Katamari is just not as fun to play as it once was. The freewheeling spirit of the PS2 originals has been lost in this touchscreen translation.
Hardcore Gamer: Even with a bottomless reserve of charm, Katamari has reached a roadblock, one that appeared not through fan or critical reception, but by its own fundamental design. Katamari has hit a wall that it cannot roll over.
Jon Mundy:
There's little in the mobile games industry as depressing or infuriating as a bad console spin-off. It's an insult on so many levels.
For one thing, a sloppily executed spin-off exploits the good faith of fans of the original IP, who are looking to continue their positive experience while on the move.
On another level, a lazy spin-off often comes across as a slap in the face to fans of mobile gaming. Being fobbed off with a second-rate cash-in tells you exactly what the publisher thinks of your chosen pastime. It thinks you're an undiscerning second-class gaming citizen.
Before we get too hot and bothered about mobile-unfriendly game makers, though, we're going to vent in the general direction of five slabs of smartphone gaming mediocrity operating under the cover of a highly esteemed name.
Inevitably, most things become boring. This fact is one of the reasons Avault's Matthew Booth likes iOS games. If he spends a dollar on an app and plays it for an hour, he feels little remorse when he moves on to a different game. Whereas with console/PC games, when he spends between twenty and sixty dollars, if he hasn’t invested 5-10 hours (hopefully more) in the game, he’ll typically wait to purchase another title. This week’s collection of apps are all great titles and with the exception of <em>Squids</em>, they’re all titles that are thoroughly enjoyable but don’t require a lot of attention. Essentially, they’re ideal mobile games. He singled out <em>Squids</em> because, as you will soon read, it has an interesting story and mechanics that deserve a little more devotion. Enjoy!
