Pac-Man Vs. Review

Developer	Nintendo
Publisher	Namco
Genre	Arcade Action

Earlier this year, Nintendo made mention of a game they had been tinkering with based on the original Pac-Man arcade game. Unbeknownst to Namco, Miyamoto and company modified Pac-Man into a multiplayer game using GBA to GCN connectivity, which up until that point had been greatly hyped by Nintendo, but with results that were moderate at best.

When GWX dashed through the gates at E3 2003, Nintendo’s booth was one of the first we visited and Pac-Man Vs. was one of the first games we played. Immediately, we were convinced that under the right circumstances, this whole connectivity mania that Nintendo was trumpeting could very well be entertaining. Pac-Man Vs. is clever, unique, and extremely enjoyable. However, don’t bother breaking the game out and playing it with just one other friend. This is one game – even more than the Mario Party series – that simply must be played with a group to be enjoyed.

Gameplay - The concept behind PMV is a simple one. Hook up three controllers to your GameCube (preferably WaveBirds to avoid the pesky cords), and connect your Game Boy Advance to the fourth controller slot using the link cable. The three players using the GCN controllers control the ghosts on the television screen and can only see a limited area around their ghost. Meanwhile, the person playing on the GBA controls Pac-Man and is able to view the entire map. The object is, of course, to capture the player controlling Pac-Man before he reaches a preset number of points. The player who captures Pac-Man then trades his controller with the GBA and takes the role of Pac-Man. The first player to reach the set point limit (7,000, 10,0000, or 15,000 points) wins.

During the game, Pac-Man collects the usual dots, power pellets, or fruit to gain points. Power pellets give Pac-Man the advantage of being able to capture the ghosts. However, the ghosts can also grab the fruit, which gives them a larger field of vision and increases their chances of finding Pac-Man. Furthermore, Pac-Man leaves a short trail behind him, helping the ghosts in their chase.

The game can be played with two, three, or four players, but is definitely best suited for four. It’s a blast conspiring with the other ghosts to trap Pac-Man and with one or two players missing, the one or two CPU controlled ghosts are basically just placeholders that don’t help out in the cause. Despite the fact that it’s based on a twenty year-old game, when four players are present, Pac-Man shines and proves that connectivity can kick some serious ass.

Graphics - The game include six different maps, each with their own theme. While the player using the GBA just sees the familiar, old school, Pac-Man-style mazes, the levels are displayed on the television screen in three full dimensions. Themes include a forest, graveyard, a 3D representation of the original maze, and more. While certainly not spectacular, it’s nice that Nintendo didn’t completely keep things at bargain basement level.

Sound - Blip, beep, and wakka-wakka-wakka is about as far as this game goes in the audio department. You do get running commentary from Mario (although he never makes an appearance) but his repeated lines get old after about two minutes of gameplay. The background music is also extremely shallow and does nothing to add to the gameplay. Not that a simplistic game such as this deserves a full orchestral score, but a bit of variation to both Mario’s comments and the soundtrack would have been a welcome addition.

Bottom Line - For all you old codgers (Paul) longing for yesteryear when gameplay was king and multiplayer was where it was at, Pac-Man Vs. is about as pure and stripped down a gaming experience you can get. It’s a gleaming example of simple and balanced game design and proves that a multi-million dollar budget and cutting edge technology isn’t needed to have a good time. Pac-Man Vs. is the perfect title to bust out at parties or get-togethers for a great time.

It’s ability to back up Nintendo’s stubborn fixation with connectivity is admirable, but the game serves more as a novelty than the second coming of gaming, as Nintendo likes to believe. Sure, it’s a blast to play and an ingenious twist on a classic game. And getting it packaged free with other Namco games makes it a must-own. But hopefully we’ll see more substantial first hand evidence of the groundbreaking wonders of connectivity while we wait for Nintendo to catch up to how the rest of the world is connecting.

Review by John Luedtke