Review: Pac-Man CE DX

Did you know that everything old is new again? In the world of video games that seems to be a substantial axiom that we simply can’t get away from. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t…and sometimes, when it works, it really works. On those rare occasions when a game is able to hold onto the traditional gameplay elements while making it exciting, and injecting that “new car smell” into old upholstery, it becomes nothing short of a delight to play. This can certainly be said of Pac-Man CE DX.

Pac-Man CE DX (XBLA, PSN)
Developer: Namco Bandai
Publisher: Namco Bandai
Released: November 17, 2010

Re-invention is a tricky thing and has a way of either meeting the loud approval of its most loyal fans, or falling onto its face to the jeers of detractors. Luckily, Pac-Man CE DX is no Clear Pepsi or New Coke. It’s fresh look and new gameplay mechanics not only hold on to the traditional gameplay that makes the original Pac-Man so much fun to play, but offer something new for those who have become accustomed to a faster, brighter and more strenuous gameplay experience. Think the original Pac-Man mixed with a dose of Geometry Wars and you’ll be getting close to what we have here.

Of course Pac-Man is no stranger to reinvention. From Pac-Man CE all the way back to 1980, it has experienced changes in gameplay and style, has become toys, cartoons, candy and almost anything else you can shove into your body or move with your hands. It’s as much of an institution as Mario or Link, which is what makes a successful release in the franchise so important. There is life in these old bones yet, and that life had me glued to the screen for hours.

Pac-Man CE DX’s main change from the original is its use of ghosts. Whereas in the original the ghosts would march around the screen to be avoided, in this iteration the ghosts are asleep, only waking when you pass them, and the dots show up in sections which lead you into their direction. Instead of avoiding the ghosts the player must wake up and entice as many ghosts to follow as possible. Only when you have a tail of 20 or so ghosts will the cherished super-dot appear. Eating that at this time allows you to reverse direction and eat as many ghosts as possible for a huge score boost.

Sounds easy? Well at the beginning it is, with the only trick being to find the correct pathways to get the maximum amount of ghosts following you. The game isn’t going to let you off that easy though. As you accrue points the game speeds up until it becomes a frantic charge around the maze as you try, desperately, to stay on track and keep that ghost train a rollin’. When you end up coming face to face with a ghost with nowhere to go Pac-Man has a series of bombs he can use to blow all the awake ghosts off the screen and into the box in the middle of the maze. This saves a life but dismantles the ghost train and can be a serious blow to your score.

The game can become extremely stressful as things begin to start moving quickly, and to counteract that the designers have added a slow-motion mechanic for those moments when you are almost going to get caught by a ghost. This allows you a few extra seconds to make a last moment decision to turn (if you can) or use a bomb (if you have any left). This inclusion is nothing short of brilliant and is done in such a manner that the feel of speed is never lost, even when it kicks in.

And you certainly won’t find a lack of game maps and modes to play with. 10 courses and a plethora of game types from free-roam to time trials and a variety of different skins (some coming from earlier stylings of the Pac-Man franchise) and multiple tracks of updated music all make this game one of the best XBLA arcade games I’ve played to date. It is nothing short of pure, score based, classic gaming delivered with a fresh coat of glossy paint and that new-car smell. A must buy for both fans of nostalgia and competitive challenge seekers.

Score: 95%
(90-99%: Phenomenal - A fantastic experience that surpasses almost all expectations.)