It seems like over the past year, much work has gone into re-branding the world renown video game franchise Pac-man for a younger audience. Following on from their morning cartoon series “Pac-man and the Ghostly Adventures“, Namco Bandai Games Australia have launched a game under the same name for the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 video game consoles.
The modern makeover of this classic franchise brings players in a wacky world of new adventures that from my current playtesting only makes references to the original gameplay system – instead opting to be a platformer with lots of collectibles to grab akin to what was popular in the PS1 and early-PS2 eras of gaming. Pac is still left to guzzle up various types of Netherworld ghosts, and through a variety of Power Berries, is bestowed with unique power-ups that allow him to either burn or freeze ghosts, bounce around like a rubber ball, barrel through levels as a spinning top or even mow down ghosts as a giant granite ball. Each power up changes the way players can attack or move across various terrains.
Pac-man and the Ghostly Adventures twists the rules of Pac-man by letting gamers take on the role of the four mischievous ghosts—Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde—in an all-new exciting multiplayer mode. The re-imagined maze mode allows gamers and up to three of their friends to play competitively to see who can catch Pac-man first as the elusive yellow PacWorlder darts around intricate mazes.
Mathieu Piau | EMEA Marketing Director for NAMCO BANDAI Games Europe
Pac-Man, as one of the most iconic video game character, turned into quite a social phenomenon through the years as it expanded into merchandise and TV, becoming a real and powerful brand. Pac is now finally back with PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures that brings the franchise beyond its historical boundaries through a great video game experience that will delight kids and fans of all ages and transcend the fun of its eponymous TV series.