Review: Pac-Man Remix - Plus Video

by Staff Writer

October 9, 2009

pac-man_gameplay

Overview

Pac-Man is back in a whole new remix. Like the original you guide pac-man to eat all of the dots on screen, and avoid being eaten by ghosts. There are power pellets that turn the ghosts blue allowing you to eat them. The remix adds brand new designed levels, a progressive adventure mode, boss battles, gadgets, and power-ups. pac-man_map

Features

The main feature is that there is an actual game with an end instead of just an infinite number of levels. You progress across six different environments. Each environment has four levels and one boss battle. The boss battle pits you against a super sized version of one of the ghosts whether it’s blinky, pinky, inky, or clyde until finally you have to face all four of them. Each of the areas has different gadgets and power-ups including elevators and bridges as well as the ability to dash and jump. You can play the game in order or you can use free play mode allowing you to play any level you’ve already beaten. There are two control types: d-pad and flick. A d-pad appears on the lower part of the screen with the four directions to tap. Flick mode allows you to flick the direction you want pac-man to move. Also included is an option to change the difficulty: easy, medium, and hard. pac-man_boss

The Good

The classic Pac-Man we all know and love is on the iPhone again, but this time in a whole new way. The entire game is in 3D which is very nicely done shown by pac-man and the ghosts as well as the bouncing dots. Every level has a brand new background and play area that is very finely detailed. Whether you’re in the forest, construction area, or under the sea you’ll see the overarching color scheme as well as tons of little area-specific nuggets. The gameplay is very well done, and adds so much to the traditional game. Now you can upgrade pac-man to dash by the ghosts when he’s in a sticky situation or jump over them. Then to get to certain areas of the board and be able to eat the ghosts when they’re blue you will need to use the level specific gadgets. As ghosts are chasing you, get over a bridge and then it lifts up and they can’t follow. Get in a transport to cover large distances, and use elevators to separate yourself. The boss levels are outstanding as well. You play a huge ghost, and when you eat a power pellet, it will explode into tons of little blue ghosts to munch. One of the big ghosts will shoot electricity out that you will need to jump over, or take an elevator to a lower level. The adventure mode is nicely done, with varying areas to travel across, and increasingly difficult ghost bosses. The classic pac-man sound effects are included, with a little bit of a remix. The opening sound is there, but a little more up-beat, and the womp womp and chomping of dots, isn’t as annoying as the original. pac-man_blue

The Bad

Another Namco title, and another problem with the controls. They’re an upgrade over BurgerTime, but that’s not saying much. In Pac-Man you need to make quick moves, but neither control method allows you to. The d-pad just isn’t responsive enough to get in and out of different paths. The flick method is better than the d-pad, but still it’s tough to make a sudden turn. You will lose a couple lives simply because of the controls. The story mode is pretty short, especially for the $4.99 asking price. You play through the game in a couple hours, and then there’s no reason to ever play it again. No online high scores are included, and that’s a shame. Pac-Man has gone so many years without the ability of online high scores, but now it’s on a platform that emphasizes online connectivity. You can play any level you want in free play, but what’s the point; to better your score?

The Verdict

Pac-Man Remix is a solid game that is a worthy successor to the arcade classic. The adventure mode transports you to brand new areas never seen by pac-man. The 3D visuals, and updated sound effects are well done, and the gameplay is engaging with the new abilities and gadgets. The controls are an issue, and there are no online high scores. The problems are more glaring because of the $4.99 price tag. Pac-Man Remix is worth considering based upon your love of the little yellow guy.