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| I'm calling it -- this is the best version of Pac-Man ever. |
If you happened to check Google today, you no doubt noticed the slick, interactive
Pac-Man logo they've got going on in honor of the game's 30th anniversary. Check it out if it's still up by the time you read this. Might as well celebrate this joyous occasion by playing some
Pac-Man, right?
But since that wasn't enough for me, I decided to go a step further. Specifically, I decided to write a review for the game. It's probably one of the fastest reviews I've ever written, so apologies in advance for any errors or lack of polish.
That said, I sincerely hope you enjoy it.
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Note: This review was conducted through the use of the version of the game contained on the PlayStation 2 game, Namco Museum.
Fear and tension are themes that developers constantly try to implement into their games. Often this involves a mix of psychological terror and the use of monsters like zombies, ghosts, and other repulsive, often cliché beasts. The reason? Because those are the most common methods of instilling such feelings.
However, there is one game that can easily instill tension in players without use of such things. And that game is
Pac-Man -- the arcade classic that's seen release hundreds of platforms.
Now, I know what you're thinking. You're saying, "
Pac-Man? You're crazy. What about
Pac-Man could possibly be so intense?" Well, when you think about it, quite a lot, actually.
First, there's the maze and it's tight, winding paths. Second, there's the devious ghosts who wander those halls. And third, there's Pac-Man's varying movement speed. Each of these elements contribute to the tension that stems from playing
Pac-Man. How? Easy: by basing them around a simple premise that's based around a clever risk-versus reward system.
The premise of the game of the game is simple: collect pellets spread throughout a simple maze while avoiding ghosts to earn points. Sounds easy, right? And it is. Well, sort of.
See, since you're range of movement is severely limited, and your speed is slowed because your eating pellets, swift movements become something of a challenge. With ghosts constantly closing in on your position, things get tense quick. You want to collect pellets for points, and fruit that periodically appears for extra, but you also want to stay alive. So it becomes a situation of risk-versus reward.
Do you aggressively go after points to earn extra lives? Or do you play it safe and forgo pursuing life collection? This system is what gives
Pac-Man depth. Judging when you should be running and be attacking, which you can do by eating power pellets that make the ghost turn blue thereby making them edible, adds a lot to the underlying complexity of the otherwise simple premise, and is the very foundation for the fun the game presents.
So how well does it hold up? Quite well, actually. The AI is surprisingly sophisticated for how old it is, with each of the ghosts having their own distinct behavioral patterns. They're teamwork ethics aren't bad either.
Gameplay is still as fun and addictive as ever, making it easy to lose a few hours just by playing. The only problem here is the lack of variety in maze designs. Going through the same maze constantly is rather tiresome. Some form of variety there would have offset that.
All things considered, though, to think that's the only real problem with this old classic is astounding. Just goes to show how good game design can stand the test of time. And there's no better example of this than
Pac-Man. (Well, except for
Tetris maybe.)
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
