Pac-Man Championship Edition - Review
Added June 9th, 2007 by James Bolan
Pakku-Man, developed by Namco, was released in Japan in 1979. The game was later renamed and released in North America. Pac-Man was born. Pac-man quickly became an icon of the 80s and a staple of videogame history with its simplistic yet addictive game-play. 28 years later, Namco is at it again (Pac-Man zombie movie anyone?) with Pac-Man Championship Edition.
Pac-Man CE, at first glance, isn’t much different from the original, but looks can be deceiving. Spend a few minutes playing and you will see how this is a significantly different Pac-Man than you remember. For those that have a routine down on every maze, it’s time to learn some new tricks. The map in Pac-Man Championship actually changes. After you’ve eaten all the Pac-Dots in one half of the screen, a piece of fruit or item will spawn next to the ghost start area. Eating this item will cause the map to change and new Pac balls are added to the screen. This might throw fans for a loop at first, but it’s a great addition to keep things fresh.
There are 6 game modes included in Pac-Man CE:
Championship: The mode is most like the original. Player moves at normal speed and there are no visual handicaps.
Challenge Mode 1: This mode offers more Power balls than usual.
Challenge Mode 2: Light is removed from the maze. Only the immediate area around Pac-Man or the Ghosts is revealed. The Pac balls remain visible. This mode is quite difficult.
Extra 1: This mode offers enhanced speed and more exits.
Extra 2: Manhattan based maze. There aren’t any other changes here.
Extra 3: This is a mixture of everything.
Pac-Man CE’s gameplay is based on time and evasion. Pac-Man eats Pac balls, gaining points. Rack up 20,000 points to acquire an additional life. Pac-Man eats Power balls, which allow him to temporarily devour his ghost enemies. It’s still the Pac-Man you love, but with more emphasis on time. Championship mode lasts 5 minutes while the rest are 10 minutes. Skilled players will concentrate on obtaining as many points as possible in that time frame, but I just try to survive and fail miserably. It’s amazing that I can play RTS and FPS games competitively and actually do well, but I can’t amass 100,000 points in a Pac-Man game.
You’ll be able to view statistics and a replay from your latest game immediately following its completion. Unfortunately, you cannot save a replay to show your friends how 1337 or terrible you are. If you’re looking for multiplayer in Pac-Man CE, your only option is the Leaderboard. Woo hoo I’m 6047 in Championship mode! Achievements are included for your obsession. A convenient thing I noticed is that when you receive a message via XBL, it will appear on top of your score instead of possibly blocking your view of the maze. I’m not familiar with arcade titles so I’m not sure if this is a common practice but I thought that was rather nice of the developers.
Graphically, Pac-Man is still basically the same. His surroundings have been given a neon upgrade but nothing too flashy to distract you. Sparks will fly as you send him against a wall, but it didn’t seem to have any movement speed effect. The mazes can grow quite large and its HD purpose is apparent here.
You control Pac-Man with the d-pad or the left thumb-stick. That’s it. The thumb-stick can be a bit clumsy at times, but it handles relatively well. The audio is an ambient techno that never really gets you raving or distracted, so it’s perfect. Yes, the Pac-man theme does play when you begin a new game.
Summary:
Pac-Man CE is a solid arcade title. It doesn’t revolutionize the game but it does add some new elements to keep it fresh. 800 points is a tad pricey for a game with slight variations on game modes, but at least you know what you’re getting into with Pac-Man. If you’re a big fan or just surfing the arcade for a time killer, then Pac-Man CE might sate your appetite.
Pac-Man CE, at first glance, isn’t much different from the original, but looks can be deceiving. Spend a few minutes playing and you will see how this is a significantly different Pac-Man than you remember. For those that have a routine down on every maze, it’s time to learn some new tricks. The map in Pac-Man Championship actually changes. After you’ve eaten all the Pac-Dots in one half of the screen, a piece of fruit or item will spawn next to the ghost start area. Eating this item will cause the map to change and new Pac balls are added to the screen. This might throw fans for a loop at first, but it’s a great addition to keep things fresh.
There are 6 game modes included in Pac-Man CE:
Championship: The mode is most like the original. Player moves at normal speed and there are no visual handicaps.
Challenge Mode 1: This mode offers more Power balls than usual.
Challenge Mode 2: Light is removed from the maze. Only the immediate area around Pac-Man or the Ghosts is revealed. The Pac balls remain visible. This mode is quite difficult.
Extra 1: This mode offers enhanced speed and more exits.
Extra 2: Manhattan based maze. There aren’t any other changes here.
Extra 3: This is a mixture of everything.
Pac-Man CE’s gameplay is based on time and evasion. Pac-Man eats Pac balls, gaining points. Rack up 20,000 points to acquire an additional life. Pac-Man eats Power balls, which allow him to temporarily devour his ghost enemies. It’s still the Pac-Man you love, but with more emphasis on time. Championship mode lasts 5 minutes while the rest are 10 minutes. Skilled players will concentrate on obtaining as many points as possible in that time frame, but I just try to survive and fail miserably. It’s amazing that I can play RTS and FPS games competitively and actually do well, but I can’t amass 100,000 points in a Pac-Man game.
You’ll be able to view statistics and a replay from your latest game immediately following its completion. Unfortunately, you cannot save a replay to show your friends how 1337 or terrible you are. If you’re looking for multiplayer in Pac-Man CE, your only option is the Leaderboard. Woo hoo I’m 6047 in Championship mode! Achievements are included for your obsession. A convenient thing I noticed is that when you receive a message via XBL, it will appear on top of your score instead of possibly blocking your view of the maze. I’m not familiar with arcade titles so I’m not sure if this is a common practice but I thought that was rather nice of the developers.
Graphically, Pac-Man is still basically the same. His surroundings have been given a neon upgrade but nothing too flashy to distract you. Sparks will fly as you send him against a wall, but it didn’t seem to have any movement speed effect. The mazes can grow quite large and its HD purpose is apparent here.
You control Pac-Man with the d-pad or the left thumb-stick. That’s it. The thumb-stick can be a bit clumsy at times, but it handles relatively well. The audio is an ambient techno that never really gets you raving or distracted, so it’s perfect. Yes, the Pac-man theme does play when you begin a new game.
Summary:
Pac-Man CE is a solid arcade title. It doesn’t revolutionize the game but it does add some new elements to keep it fresh. 800 points is a tad pricey for a game with slight variations on game modes, but at least you know what you’re getting into with Pac-Man. If you’re a big fan or just surfing the arcade for a time killer, then Pac-Man CE might sate your appetite.
