Pac-Man World
- January 01, 2000 00:00 AM PST
That pellet-eating, ghost-chasing yellow glob of fun is back with his own unique brand of action. Pac-Man is twenty years old and he's got a new game that shows that some things do get better with age.
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2 Pacs
If you don't know who Pac-Man is, you probably can't appreciate those of us who spent countless hours chasing power pellets and ghosts across the screen, weaving through the same maze hour after hour, dropping quarters like they were wishing well stones into the great god of Insert Coin Here. Sound fanatical? In a day when Pac-Man was one of your few choices, it was the best we could do.
Namco, Pac's original creators, are now celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the little pellet hog with a brand new adventure. Pac-Man is now immersed in his own semi-3D world, punching, hopping, shooting, and swimming his way through fantastic environments. After exploring the 3D world and finding hidden power ups and shortcuts, you may even gain entrance to special 3D mazes that work just like the original, in which you have to find power pellets and eat the three ghosts chasing you. And to top it all off, Namco even included the original Pac-Man game, updated with Dual Shock rumble!
Let's Do Munch
The graphics are bright and colorful, making it an eyeful for younger players. Pac moves with speed and grace (quite an accomplishment for the chubby little sucker) as he hops, spits out pellets, rides along platforms, and even glides through the air. The enemies are silly, but lethal, and range from clownish cannons to pirate skeletons and more. Each area of Pac's worlds is lushly and cleverly illustrated.
As would be expected, Pac's sound effects and music are also slightly younger than most adventure games. Cute would be about right, but the music is unobtrusive and you'll play for hours without realizing it's there.
The game doesn't offer any obstacles with the controls, either. One button jumping, spinning (ala Sonic), and swimming are all easily handled. There's tons of platform hopping to perform, and it happens at a fairly fast clip, so get ready for some thumb calisthenics.
It's a Pac Man's World
The game's charm is in it's throwback, semi-3D gameplay, easily likable characters, and fairly mindless action. There's plenty of rewards for missions well done, and if all else fails, the original game should keep your attention for awhile. Got nothing better to do? Enter Pac Man's World.
