Nice piece of recycling if you can manage it
When you think of object-gathering gameKatamari Damacythe first things that spring to mind are usually balls, and the rolling thereof. Computer scientist and custom controller kitbashing experimenter Dr Tom Tilley had the same thought and, erm, rolled with it. In a case of life imitating art, Tilley repurposed a trackball he’d made from roll-on deodorant and a soccer ball to play the game with (thanks,Time Extension). You can watch Tilley mucking about with the trackball to control an emulated version of the PS2-era Katamari Damacy in the video below.
The trackball doesn’t map to all the game’s controls, such as turning and dashing using the analogue sticks, though. “There was also a 180 degree quick turn and jumping for an aerial view,” Tilley explained in areplyto a commenter. “They could be mapped to extra buttons or actions such as shaking the ball to charge.” Tilley’s trackball wouldn’t have been out of place among ourcustom controller exhibitionat the last EGX show.
Tilley’s trackball isn’t the only oddly useful custom controller out there. Just before the holidays, I reported on Super Louis 64’s very authentic looking and surprisingly usableBuster Swordcontroller forFinal Fantasy 7Remake. Streamers have had some success with other oddities, such as tooting on arecorderto control Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, dressing as anunconvincing gooseto play Untitled Goose Game, and a genuinepomegranateused to beat Hades.
Katamari Damacy Rerollis onSteamfor £16/$30/€20, but you’ll have to make your own controller for that one.
