Pac-Man CE Review (XBLA)

Microsoft and Namco shocked the videogame world by announcing Pac-Man Championship Edition exclusively for Xbox Live Arcade, the first real update to Pac-Man in over 25 years. New graphics, new stages, and a new gameplay mechanic that continuously reseeds the map with dots and power pellets, Pac-Man CE is a fresh take on an old classic that is surprisingly good.

Pac-Man CE isn't quite what fans expected when Microsoft was rumored to make a surprise announcement (although, why would you expect anything other than a Pac-Man announcment at the Pac-Man World Championship?), so there was a bit of an initial letdown at the announcment, but the more you play and the more you think about just what this game represents, it really is a pretty big deal. This is the first significant change to the original Pac-Man game that debuted more than 25 years ago. And not only is it different, but it is also quite a bit of an improvement. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is probably the best Pac-Man ever.

What makes it so good? Rather than a regular square map that resets when you eat all of the dots, Pac-Man CE has a wider map that is split into two halves. As you eat all of the dots on one side, you can then eat a bonus fruit to spawn more dots and power pellets on the other half. In some modes, the actual layout of the map also changes as you play. The game board is constantly changing, which keeps the game interesting. Also, the game plays at a faster pace than the original, which is nice for the less patient of us. You are still doing all of the same stuff, eating dots and power pellets and ghosts and all that, but it is done in such a different and better way here that makes the game overall much more enjoyable.

The only letdown here is that the modes aren't all they should be. All of the modes have either a 5 or 10 minute time limit, so there is no endless play. You just try to set high scores in the limited amount of time. Not bad, but when the game ends while you have a half-dozen lives, it kind of irks you. Also, there is no multiplayer mode. Not a huge deal, but it would have been appreciated on Xbox Live.

Pac-Man CE is still a great game, though, and well worth the 800pts.