The King of All Cosmos has made another spectacular mess, and it’s once again up to the Prince and his Cousins to put the universe back together, one giant rolling ball at a time!
Get ready to roll, collect and cause absolute chaos because Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe has officially announced that Once Upon A KATAMARI is now available on Nintendo Switch 2, bringing its wonderfully colourful and chaotic gameplay to Nintendo’s latest console.
Released on 8 October 2026, the Nintendo Switch 2 edition introduces improved visuals, smoother frame rates and an entirely new way to experience the madness through mouse controls. But that’s not all, as Bandai Namco has also launched the brand-new paid expansion, Rolling LIVE Highlights, across all supported platforms.
To celebrate the occasion, a new launch trailer featuring the Prince and his extended family of Cousins has also been released, giving players another glimpse into the absurd adventures awaiting them.
One Royal Mistake, One Very Broken Universe!
You would think that being the King of All Cosmos would come with a certain level of responsibility. Unfortunately, anyone familiar with the Katamari series will know that responsibility isn’t exactly one of His Majesty’s strongest qualities.
In Once Upon A KATAMARI, what should have been a straightforward castle clean-up quickly turns into an astronomical disaster. After meddling with a mysterious scroll, the King somehow manages to destroy the Earth, the Moon and countless stars scattered throughout the universe. Honestly, somebody needs to take away this man’s cleaning privileges!
Naturally, rather than fixing his own catastrophic mistake, the King leaves the responsibility to his son, the Prince, and his collection of colourful Cousins. Their mission is simple enough: travel through different periods of history, roll up everything in sight and restore the stars to their rightful places in the night sky.
Players will journey through prehistoric landscapes, historic Japan and several other unusual environments, collecting everything from tiny everyday objects to increasingly ridiculous items as their Katamari grows larger.
What begins as a relatively harmless collection of smaller objects can quickly spiral into complete mayhem, which is precisely what makes the series so entertaining. After all, there aren’t many games where rolling up the surrounding environment is not only encouraged but absolutely necessary to save the universe.
Nintendo Switch 2 Brings a Fresh Way to Roll
While Once Upon A KATAMARI is already available across several platforms, the newly released Nintendo Switch 2 version introduces a handful of improvements intended to make the experience even more enjoyable.
One of the most interesting additions is support for the console’s mouse controls, providing players with an alternative way to manoeuvre their Katamari through its wonderfully chaotic environments.
Considering how much of the gameplay revolves around precise movement, positioning and collecting objects of different sizes, having an additional control option could offer an interesting change of pace for newcomers and returning fans alike.
Bandai Namco has also confirmed that the Nintendo Switch 2 edition benefits from smoother frame rates and improved graphics, helping the game’s vibrant environments and distinctive visual style shine on the newer hardware.
Thankfully, existing Nintendo Switch owners haven’t been forgotten either. Players who already own the Nintendo Switch version can take advantage of a free update when playing on Nintendo Switch 2, introducing performance improvements alongside the new mouse control functionality.
Save data can also be transferred from Nintendo Switch to Nintendo Switch 2, provided there isn’t already an existing save file for the game on the newer console.
It’s a welcome addition for anyone who’s already spent countless hours rolling their way through history and would rather not begin their cosmic clean-up operation from scratch.
Rolling LIVE Highlights – Time to Become a Cosmic Superstar!
As if rebuilding the universe wasn’t enough responsibility for one small Prince, Bandai Namco has decided to throw another challenge into the mix: making the King of All Cosmos an internet sensation.
Yes, apparently ruling the entire universe isn’t quite enough for His Majesty. Now he wants to become a streaming superstar as well!
The newly released Rolling LIVE Highlights DLC takes inspiration from Katamari Damacy Rolling LIVE, introducing a selection of additional content centred around the wonderfully unpredictable world of live streaming.
Players will once again take control of the Prince and his Cousins, rolling their way through new challenges while helping the King attract attention, entertain audiences and increase his popularity across the cosmos.
The expansion introduces 10 new missions, six additional Cousins, 12 musical tracks and 18 accessories, giving players more opportunities to customise their experience and enjoy the series’ signature blend of unusual gameplay and catchy music.
The introduction of additional characters and accessories also provides another excuse to experiment with different appearances while tackling the latest objectives. Meanwhile, the new soundtrack additions should be particularly appealing to fans who have come to appreciate the franchise’s unmistakably quirky musical identity.
Whether you’re a longtime Katamari enthusiast or somebody discovering the series for the first time, Rolling LIVE Highlights offers another helping of the colourful nonsense that has helped make these games so memorable.
More Ways to Enjoy the Katamari Madness
Although the latest expansion provides fresh content for solo players to explore, Once Upon A KATAMARI also offers competitive multiplayer through KatamariBall, allowing up to four players to compete in a suitably chaotic contest.
Rather than simply concentrating on rebuilding the universe, players can put their rolling abilities to the test against other competitors, attempting to outperform their opponents while navigating the game’s increasingly unpredictable environments.
For those who prefer a more personal experience, the game also features a wide selection of playable Cousins and customisation options, alongside power-ups designed to make collecting objects even more entertaining.
One such ability is the magnet, which allows nearby objects to be drawn towards your Katamari, making it easier to gather items and build momentum as you progress through the stages.
These additions help expand the traditional Katamari formula while maintaining the wonderfully ridiculous concept that sits at the heart of the franchise.
After all, where else can you cause complete environmental destruction, rebuild the night sky and somehow be considered the hero of the story?
Available Now – Let the Good Times Roll!
Once Upon A KATAMARI is available now on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC via Steam.
The newly released Rolling LIVE Highlights expansion can be purchased separately across all supported platforms, while newcomers can also pick up the Once Upon A KATAMARI Rolling LIVE Highlights Edition, which includes both the base game and the additional DLC content.
To celebrate the Nintendo Switch 2 launch and arrival of the expansion, Bandai Namco has introduced limited-time promotional discounts across participating digital storefronts. Players interested in taking advantage of these offers should check their preferred platform for pricing and availability.
With new control options, improved presentation and additional content inspired by the world of live streaming, Once Upon A KATAMARI continues to embrace everything that makes the franchise so wonderfully strange.
And while the King of All Cosmos might be responsible for yet another universe-threatening disaster, at least we can all agree on one thing: cleaning up his mess has never looked quite so entertaining.
So grab your Katamari, gather your Cousins and get rolling. The universe isn’t going to rebuild itself!
Co-owner of Indie Critical. I’m passionate about highlighting independent voices in film, games, and culture. I focus on honest, thoughtful reviews and love helping great indie projects get the recognition they deserve. When I’m not writing or editing, I’m probably diving into the latest hidden gem or discovering the next big thing in the indie scene.
Written by
Lewis Langton
