We Love Katamari golden

One of the biggest surprises of 2004 was Katamari Damacy. Developed and published by Namco, the PlayStation 2 game was a literal oddball title. It followed the diminutive Prince of All Cosmos as he rolled a "katamari"--a giant, sticky ball--around the landscape, picking up every item in the adhesive orb's path. Each mission saw the Prince collect different items at the behest of his father, the King of All Cosmos.

Coupled with bizarre stylistic flourishes, Katamari Damacy's quirky gameplay made it a hit with gamers and critics and spawned a sequel, We Love Katamari. (A DS version is also planned.) Today, Namco announced the Prince's second foray onto the PS2 has gone gold and is on track for a September 20 release. It is rated E for Everyone and will retail for $29.99.

Besides offering a gamut of katamari-rolling missions to run, We Love Katamari will sport an all-new two-player cooperative mode. The mode will require a pair of players to roll a single katamari, adding a new challenge. The game will also sport an expanded battle mode, which will feature three size scopes.

GameSpot's previous coverage has more on We Love Katamari. A full review of the original Katamari Damacy is also available.