Pac to the future
- Green Gibbon!
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Pac to the future
Many years has it been since I last broke a sweat playing a Pac-man game, but Pac-man Championship Edition has stirred me in a way the yellow puck hasn't managed to do since about 1985. I was initially under the impression that it was nothing more than a graphically enhanced version of the original game, but I downloaded the demo figuring it might be a novel way to kill 3 minutes. 3 minutes later I purchased the full version.
The maze is totally different, which has been attempted before, but not since Ms. Pac-man has a new layout been this successful. The general openness is balanced by the segmented nature of the maze: eating fruit opens up new swaths of pellets, and since only 2 swaths can be on-screen at any given time, the game manages to give you clear direction without restricting movement. This back and forth "wave" structure gives the whole game a very smooth flow - it's not the staccato "clear board, repeat" schtick of Pac-man past. Even more interestingly, the board layout itself morphs from wave to wave in certain game modes, and since the speed increases as you rack up points, the pace never drags even during 10 minute endurance sessions. The vector-style graphics pulsate and change color in tune with the techno BGM, making for a wholly mesmerizing experience. (Kudos to Namco for resisting the urge to schlock together yet another tired remix of the old Pac-man theme.)
It's taken Namco twenty years to figure out what to do with the old Pac formula, but they did finally manage to teach that old dog some new tricks. There's a sense of rhythm here the series has never had before, and while it's too shallow to carry its own divergence (no "Ms. Pac-man Championship Edition, please), it's easily the most interesting and fun variation in the entire squalid assemblage. I hope I get hit by a car tomorrow for saying this, but, well, this ain't your daddy's Pac-man.
The maze is totally different, which has been attempted before, but not since Ms. Pac-man has a new layout been this successful. The general openness is balanced by the segmented nature of the maze: eating fruit opens up new swaths of pellets, and since only 2 swaths can be on-screen at any given time, the game manages to give you clear direction without restricting movement. This back and forth "wave" structure gives the whole game a very smooth flow - it's not the staccato "clear board, repeat" schtick of Pac-man past. Even more interestingly, the board layout itself morphs from wave to wave in certain game modes, and since the speed increases as you rack up points, the pace never drags even during 10 minute endurance sessions. The vector-style graphics pulsate and change color in tune with the techno BGM, making for a wholly mesmerizing experience. (Kudos to Namco for resisting the urge to schlock together yet another tired remix of the old Pac-man theme.)
It's taken Namco twenty years to figure out what to do with the old Pac formula, but they did finally manage to teach that old dog some new tricks. There's a sense of rhythm here the series has never had before, and while it's too shallow to carry its own divergence (no "Ms. Pac-man Championship Edition, please), it's easily the most interesting and fun variation in the entire squalid assemblage. I hope I get hit by a car tomorrow for saying this, but, well, this ain't your daddy's Pac-man.
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As well, I was fairly surprised at how this new take on Pac-man is actually really, really fun.
I especially like how there comes a moment where you realize you can chain together everything. When you go from one section of pellets to the next, constantly in "Power Up" mode, eating ghosts, getting higher and higher score bonuses...
It's a beautiful thing. This is XBLA's next Geometry Wars.
I especially like how there comes a moment where you realize you can chain together everything. When you go from one section of pellets to the next, constantly in "Power Up" mode, eating ghosts, getting higher and higher score bonuses...
It's a beautiful thing. This is XBLA's next Geometry Wars.
Re: Pac to the future
That and the techno soundtrack sounds like Mizuguchi's Pac-Man. If I ever get a 360 I'd like to go for this and GW. Maybe even Lumines Live! too, since I'm having a problem too many to find the PS2 version down here.Green Gibbon! wrote:(...)There's a sense of rhythm here the series has never had before(..)
- Green Gibbon!
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And how does it compare to GridWars (Which is good, by the way)?
- Segaholic2
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Geometry Wars kicks ass, try out the demo. It's basically the full game with a 3 minute timer on it. I bought the full version before I was even able to survive for 3 minutes. Oh and I wasn't a huge fan of Grid Wars.
Everyone keeps telling me to try out Pac Man CE so I guess I'll download the trial tomorrrow.
Everyone keeps telling me to try out Pac Man CE so I guess I'll download the trial tomorrrow.
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I don't have the full version of <i>Pac-Man C.E.</i>, though. My Dad does, but that's a different 360...
I don't have the full version of <i>Pac-Man C.E.</i>, though. My Dad does, but that's a different 360...
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