The digital delights of Sony’s scrumptious PlayStation Network service know no bounds. Aside from letting punters compete in online gaming, stream films, browse the Internet and more, its premier attraction rests in the copious supply of downloadable games ripe for the picking. From PSN exclusives to PSOne Classics, minis and plain old add-on content, Sony’s online space is chock full of goodies battling it out for your hard-earned digital dollars.
Welcome back to another installment of Inside PlayStation Network, where every Monday – Friday we’ll pluck a PSN release—be it new or old—and put it in the spotlight for a thorough dissection. Fancy getting a new PSN game but don’t know what one to plump for? Perhaps this feature will help. Didn’t realize that a game was available in your region until now? We’ve got you covered. Or, perhaps you were musing over what those lucky Japanese folk were tucking into over in the Land of the Rising Sun? You can be sure our coverage will extend to those rare regional exclusives as much as those firmly embedded on the public consciousness.
Today finds us indulging in one of gaming’s much beloved franchises in the shape of Pac-Man Championship Edition.
——————-
Developer: Namco Bandai
Region(s) available: North America, Europe
Players: 1
It’s somewhat disconcerting that the majority of us at PSU Towers are as old (or in some cases, older) than Pac-Man, but we’ll lament the passing of time to another day. The pertinent point is, however, the pint-sized yellow fellow packs one hell of a punch. As one of the most iconic industry IPs around, Pac-Man’s been around the block a few times, appearing in a myriad of adventures dating back to his inception in the eponymous 1980 arcade classic. The series’ simple, yet overwhelmingly addictive formula has endured itself to over two generation’s worth of gamers, and remains synonymous with all things game-related to this very day. Here, the original template is revamped for the HD era in creator Toru Iwatani’s final offering before his retirement under the moniker of Pac-Man: Championship Edition. Indeed, it’s a fitting culmination to an illustrious career if ever there was one.
Frankly, we’d find ourselves a little incredulous at anyone who proclaims themselves as a hardcore gamer yet having never played nor at least seen a Pac-Man game in action. The franchise epitomizes the pioneering days of arcade gaming, and has rightfully earned its stripes as an all-time classic. Still, for some, it’s a case of better late than never. In terms of fundamentals, Pac-Man Championship Edition doesn’t stray off the beaten path, adhering to the age old paradigm of gobbling up everything in sight while accumulating a meaty high score. Ghosts once again pop up in pursuit of big-mouthed hero, with any contact made with said spooks resulting in Pac-Man losing a life. As ever, the Pacinator can chomp down on power pellets, turning his foes blue and thus allowing him to gobble the Ghouls up. Your primary objective, however, is to snack on all the dots sprinkled throughout each maze. We call ‘em dots because, well, that’s what they are – non-descript items that Pac-Man seems to love shoving down his over-sized dumpster of a mouth.
While the core mechanics remain unchanged, Championship Edition does offer a smidgen of fresh tweaks to the formula. For one, mazes are now split into two parts. Once you’ve gobbled up all the dots on one side, a bonus item rocks up on the other half; collect this, and a fresh maze will magically appear packed with goodies for your consumption (both literally and figuratively in Pac-Man’s case). Furthermore, the game rewards vigilant players who stay alive long enough with the chance to rake in an even higher score. The more time the yellow fellow spends in the maze, the more points become available for you acquire. However, this comes at a price – the pacing shifts up a gear as a result, ramping the difficultly level up by a discernible margin.
Level-based progression has been elbowed out of the equation in favour of competing against the clock for the highest score possible. Namco’s also chucked in multiple game modes to sink your teeth into, each one offering a different slant on the classic Pac-Man experience. Championship’s your basic five-minute affair, while the Challenge modes inject a spot of variety into the proceedings, coating the maze in darkness or upping the number of power pellets on offer. Meanwhile, the Extra modes offer a collection of fresh mazes for the Pacster to have a potter around in. There’s no online multiplayer component to speak of, though obligatory online leaderboards have been included. Indeed, if you’ve yet to experience the phenomenon that is Pac-Man, there’s no better opportunity acquaint yourself with this legendary brand than Iwatani’s sumptuous swansong. Get chomping!
Join us again tomorrow as we once again step Inside PlayStation Network.