Going for the largest number of objects is an interesting way to play this game. I find that I have to think about each level much differently than I would while going for diameter.

In general, it's best to avoid: 1) dashing, because it's too easy to crash and each object is important regardless of size, 2) getting large quickly, because small objects disappear, 3) items that are difficult or time-consuming to get, 4) single items or very small groups of items, 5) items that you must go very far out of your way to get, and 6) items that make your katamari roll awkwardly.

MAS 1: Unlike most of my other routes, I have found it useful to get to 10cm as quickly as possible. At 10cm, I get the remaining hard erasers and quick turn. I get small items on the way to the wall in between the clippers and the cubby. Then I turn right and follow the wall around the seat cushions for the ants in the corner. I quick turn and roll along the wall with the eye drops, etc. Then I get the cell phones and all the small items in this area that I can get quickly. With the table on my left, I dash (carefully, especially if the TV is over here) to get remaining candy, etc. near the seat cushions and go back for more ants in the corner. The King says something if you get them all. I go around the table while getting the items closest to it. I don't get the nail clippers yet. I get items in the next corner: batteries, sticky tape, plugs, boxes, etc. The mosquitoes around the zapper are nice to get, but sometimes the TV gets in your way. I roll up onto the table and try for as close to a clean sweep as I can get. Once it's just about clear, I drop down to the floor for the zapper. I quick turn for the clippers in the open and the items in the corner (clippers, peels, etc.). Then I roll around the table for small items.

I find that getting the nail clippers too early makes it difficult to get the smallest items due to the clunky rolling. It may be better to avoid getting the sticky tape until the end for the same reason. I don't get the eggplants on the seat cushions or the ones hanging from the sword because it would take up too much time. I also don't get the tape on the chair.

I restart if the teacup is in the level. You probably won't be large enough to get it while you're on the table because you didn't get the nail clippers yet. It's better to have the 2 cans when playing for objects.

This clearly isn't the best route. I can see maybe 5-10 more objects than my current best 415, but that's about it. Perhaps getting to 10cm quickly at the start isn't the way to go.

MAS 1: Here's my two cents. There are more items in this level than you can possibly get in the time allotted. Therefore, I treat it like a speed run. Disappearance is not my enemy (though you have to take it into consideration); the clock is. Also, I tend to think of this level in sections, and clear one, and then the other, and then another, etc. (though there's often some overlap, and room for improvisation).

At the start I do a modified version of my comet route, getting the caramels on the table and the stack of cookies in the corner. However, I go immediately toward the stack of caramels and proceed off the table in one CNR, staying right. I usually bounce near or on top of the video game console, before picking up the line of screws near the caramels. Then I try to get every item between me and the stack of cookies -- two more caramels, another line of screws, etc.

After the cookies, I want to grab items in front of me, and get big enough to get the white outs; but I want to do this without picking up the cookies on the floor, which is the easiest way to grow. The reason is because ants hide underneath about half of the cookies, and if you're not big enough, they run away. You can get them later, but why trouble yourself? After the line of white outs against the wall, I CNR through the line of ants, then clear that whole section nearby, which is dominated by candies. At some point I CNR once again over by the ants. If you time it right, you get all of them in two quick runs.

Now I clear the other half of the floor with the cookies. I try to grab almost every single item, including the two video cards. Then I head to the side of the room with the chair, where I get everything against the wall in one CNR. Then I go around the bear, and pick up items on my way to the line of screws under the cabinet. I grab the mouse on my way out, then head left and pick up erasers. Now I try to clear everything against the wall between the ironing board and the plug (the operative word being "try"). This involves several lines of screws and many other items. At some point the clock lets me know that I have one minute left.

I usually make a quick sweep around in the area where the electrical cords are. Then I CNR through all the nail clippers and dice to the right, then around clockwise behind the chair, trying to pick up the "line" of items, including the cherries and strawberries, before going up onto the table and clearing it. One tip: when you go inside the small bookshelf thing, move yourself around a little to pick up thumbtacks, and then get the two small books or pamphlets or whatever they are. Once you get those and the roll of tape, it's much harder to get the tacks. I also try to focus on the matches that are bunched together in patterns. When the alarm for 30 seconds starts, I take 5 more seconds to pick up stuff, before getting the mandarin orange slices and the oranges themselves in the basket.

With my katamari in mid-air, I pause the game to check on my progress. On a good run, I have 20-25 seconds left, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 380 items. My best was 389. Anything below 375 and I'll start over.

In the remaining time left I furiously CNR back and fourth in the area with the ironing board. It's also helpful if you don't approach the remaining nail clippers head on, but roll up onto the kleenex box from the side, so you can get the items on it. A quasi-CNR (spinning in place) is also helpful here.

MAS 2: I prefer to start on top of the mosquito coil when going for objects. Starting on the rack under the TV is pretty much worthless regardless of how you're playing the level. Also, you're not likely to get large enough for the fruit baskets on an object run. The mosquito coil therefore adds one more object to your total.

I roll forward off the coil and turn right to get the line of ants. I turn around and dash through the line of pushpins. Then I turn around again and dash through the line of coins. If I'm fast enough, I can reach 6cm quickly enough to catch the ants carrying candy, etc. before they take it behind the wall (where it becomes unreachable). I take a counterclockwise loop around the table while trying to get only pachinko balls, coins, caramels, chestnuts, and thumbtacks. (Most of those items disappear at 10cm.) When I come back around to the stacks of blocks, I get them all while getting as many matchsticks as possible. I get the nearby eyedrops also and head for the ramp up to the ironing board. On the best runs, I can get to this point in about 2 minutes.

I roll up the ramp getting a few buttons, etc. on my way around to the game board. I hope not to get any of the pencils that pop up because they make it more difficult to get the game pieces. I try to get all the game pieces and drop to the floor for all the candy near the exit to the porch. I get all the cones and signs at the exit and roll to the edge of the porch to drop into the fruit basket. After I get the golf balls inside, I roll forward to get the horsetails between the post and the porch. They're a bit riskier later and I don't want to crash. I roll through the nearest line of magnets in the garden and drop off for the socks, etc. At this point I pick up my diameter route until the end.

I modify my diameter route (after 20cm) as follows: I stay out of the closet entirely while just getting the clump of items behind the boombox (snails, etc.). I don't think there are enough items in the closet to justify the time it would take or the risk presented by the mousetraps. I don't get the novelty plate, the ring box, or anything on the drawer. I don't go behind the doghouse for the spider, etc. (no time for that). For some reason, I don't get the items on the slanted wall until the very end. I get most of the lowest ornaments going around the tree as I roll up the step onto the porch. I don't have time at any point to bump the tree for items that fall off.

I also pause the game in this level (and various others) to check my progress. I check it at 20cm, and I think my best runs have about 360-375 objects at that point.

I don't really go for objects. :lol But nice strategies. I might try MAS 2 out for objects, just because there's more to pick up than MAS 1.

MAS 2: Wow! I have nothing to contribute. The differences between our routes, Thumbs, are very minor, insignificant. We've both discovered perhaps the best way to approach this level.

MAS 1: I really don't remember exactly why I was getting to 10cm quickly when going for objects, or why I stuck with that route. :shrug I think maybe it's quicker to roll around the room at 10cm+ than 6-7cm, but not enough to justify the time wasted getting to 10cm quickly and being out of position for the items in the opposite corner of the room.

MAS 2: That's really weird, matthew69! :beyond It seems like we reached the same conclusions about what not to get. I should mention that I get some gum, screws, etc. near the cabinet before 10cm.

MAS 3: I try to clear the first area almost entirely before moving on. The King says something if you get all the butterflies, and he says something else if you get all the flowers. Nonetheless, I've never had him say both in a single run. He probably does if you get all of both, but I don't hang around quite long enough to find out. I pause the game once the area is mostly clear, and I hope to have 165-170 before I leave. This total includes all the canned mackerel.

I move on to the area with the fireworks and try to clear it entirely. Then it's the sand castle area. I get all the takoyakis: up the small step (and more around behind and to the right of the blue sign), in the various hotplates (some being carried by rats). I get most of the other tiny stuff before moving to the area with the dog. I get most of the small items here while being careful not to get the fried chicken (or whatever that is) in the bowl. I don't want the dog to come after me and knock off all those precious items.

I move onto the road with all the plastic bottles. I turn right and dash up the hill to get the fruit and various small items at the top. I dash back down the hill while hoping to get some rats and avoid the cat(s). I get some small items mixed in with the bottles, but I don't get all the bottles just yet. I move on to get all the little boxes of chocolate, and then I dash down the road to get the rather large amount of small items near the water tap. I reach 50cm at around this point. Then I run some version of my diameter route: first area, remaining items in the sand castle and water tap areas, doghouse area, car area (more flowers and less crabs than I would get for diameter), road with bottles, etc. I clear as much of the table area as I can, but I miss all the small items under the table by coming to this area for the first time so late in the level. I do get the items on top of the table.

I quickly get all the cinder blocks on both sides of the guy. I get a few carrots on the way, but I don't try for all of them because I'm usually running out of time by this point. I get as many arrows as I can and gather remaining items on the road on my way to the brooms. I continue along this path until I reach the first area. I cross it to get the pansies, etc. and the items around the tree. (I don't bother with the shirt hanging from the fence or any rocks in the ground.) I end the level bumping the tree for items (It's a risky move when going for objects, but there's a ton of items that fall.) I also take a moment to get the sand castle, nearby plants & fences, and dash back and forth for a few birds in the doghouse area.