| Current Issue | The Archives | Our Top 5 Articles | Ebay Auctions | The Shoppe |
| Delphi Message Board | Company Info | E-Mail Directory | Search YBFREE | Subscribe |
| ©2000 |
Pinky, Inky, Blinky and Clyde are still in this game and if you miss the whole maze atmosphere, you'll be happy to know that the original game is included. In addition to that, there is another option that gives players a chance to enjoy all new, updated 3-D rendered mazes where the ghosts are smarter and the mazes are harder. It feels just like the old classic game we all know and loved, only tweaked to give the gamer a brand new experience. In a review that dates back to my days at Baruch College's Asylum, I gave this game a Badseed's Bottomline of 5 out of 5. Pac-Man world just kicked ass. The graphics were awesome, the gameplay was supremely addictive, the reply value was high, the controls were easy and the addition of the original classic was a nice touch. Pac-Man maintained that classic feel, proving that things do get better with age. However, if you like oldies, do I have a title for you.
Just recently, I purchased the Pac-Man Collection for my Game Boy Advance. Namco put out a collection of four Pac-Man games, including the original, and three others I never played before. Classic games are always best for the hand held systems and I was happy to get my hands on this one. As soon as I got it, I ran home, popped the cartridge in and enjoyed a happy experience that brought me back in time. Four games in one; hours of fun and a lifetime of childhood memories; Pac-Man Collection just kicks retro ass.
Of course, the original game is included here and the graphics remain the same as before. Everything from the first game remains the same as before. There is absolutely nothing lost in the transfer. However, I played this game the least, since I have it on so many other systems. What I bought this game was the versions of Pac-Man I never played before.
Pac-Mania was awesome. It was pretty much the same game as the original only spaced out more. The whole maze does not fit on the screen, so you never know where everything or every ghost is. It makes it that much more harder. The graphics here are more toward the 3-D environment and the ghosts are just a bit more intelligent than in the original, making for a much different kind of gaming experience. You aren’t going to do that well in this game unless you master patterns and throw everything you knew about the original out the window.
Pac-Man Arrangement takes the concept of Pac-Man and throws it on its ear. In this game, the maze has some funky colors, almost looking as if you were playing in a maze of Lego blocks. This game is the same as you still chomp pellets, eat power pellets and chomp ghosts and still have fruit to munch on, but it differs in how you approach this game. There is another ghost here; a much bigger ghost that can either barge at you like a bull, jump through the maze like a rabbit, or be in two places at the same time. This ups the ante, as he is almost impossible to get away from, but not totally impossible. Also, there are Pac-Dash Arrows that help you get along the maze faster. Just chomp these arrows and Pac-Man darts across the board in the direction the arrow is pointing in. Use these wisely, like when a ghost is right up your ass and you need a quick escape. Another way out is through the warp tunnels, which like always takes you from one side of the maze through the other. However, there are also warp gates that take you to the opposite gate of the same color, wherever that may be. There are even different kinds of power-ups that freeze the ghosts for short periods of time, traps ghosts or more. Pac-Man Arrangement adds a whole new element to the original game, making it the most fun version on this cartridge. I am sorry I never knew it existed until now.