POSTED 29/11/10


PAC-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION DX

Namco Bandai

I say waiter, there’s techno in my Pac-Man! Tastes mighty fine though...

As far as 20th century icons go, they don’t come much more instantly recognisable than Pac-Man. Erm, unless you’re obsessed with cheese, of course, and see a wheel of such with a hunk carved out. While Space Invaders lit the arcade fire, it was Pac-Man – arguably with more unisex appeal - that truly set it ablaze.

Pac-Man turned 30 this year. Rather than accept a downhill slide into wrinkles and paunch though, he’s come out punching, in a game that takes the original and improves on it in every way imaginable (and likely many you’d never have thought of).

From the first button stab when that familiar “wukka!” squelch filled the room we were excited. Then we played it! Not only does Pac-Man CE DX bring a raft of new graphics and sonics, it maintains the original’s core play, but tweaks it with sensible additions. You get a bomb ration from which you can let fly when nanoseconds from being bwo-oo-wup-wupped. There are gradual speed increases that soon become manic. You don’t just get Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde, you get their entire extended families – and mega-mega-points if you pop the power pill and do the hunted-becomes-hunter chained munchathon thing.

There are no more sheets to clear before a new one appears, rather gobbleable dots appear gradually, are devoured and then more appear. There are, however, several layouts to choose from. Within these you can play timed games and time trials – prepare for high score madness!

Ironically whilst playing a game where all you do is eat, we completely forgot about sustenance until we felt rather ill. Somehow the already fiendishly addictive has become even more-so. Pac-Man fever lives!

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