Game Reviews

PAC-MAN

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| Pac-Man
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PAC-MAN
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| Pac-Man

Did you know that purchasing an arcade PAC-MAN cabinet will set you back thousands of pounds, despite the yellow fella now getting on for almost 31 years of age?

In that regard, the price for PAC-MAN on Windows Phone 7 is something of a bargain, running in at just under four British pounds for the privilege of unlimited goes, and a fairly accurate representation of the classic game.

Yet it’s hard to escape the feeling that PAC-MAN on WP7 could, and should, have provided a lot more for the asking price.

Pac attack

Only the newborn haven't heard of the yellow, chomping monster that is PAC-MAN so you’ll have to excuse me if I breeze through this explanation.

Everything you remember from the arcades/console version/books you’ve read about the history of gaming is present and correct, from the movements of the ghosts to the iconic ‘wakka-wakka’ noise.

So, too, is the control scheme, adapted to Windows Phone 7 via the means of either a virtual D-pad (not good) or swiping (better).

While the swipe controls are fairly decent, it's disappointing that this version doesn't offer the same range of options as, say, the superior Championship Edition.

Pac to basics

More importantly, as it’s an exact replica of the original game, there’s just the one maze and one game mode to play through. It’s also rather a lot slower than you might remember, trundling along at a pedestrian pace not seen in arcade games since, well, 1980.

The Xbox Live leaderboards and achievements do add some much need impetus to proceedings, but even then the former is solely based on friends (and therefore will likely remain sparse due to the aforementioned price), and the latter can almost all be breezed through in one play.

Pac it in

So, despite PAC-MAN celebrating its 30th birthday last year, PAC-MAN for WP7 has no bonus content celebrating this landmark gaming achievement, which is a massive missed opportunity to add more value to the package.

There’s no unlockable photos, no information about its history - essentially there’s nothing that suggests this is anything but a cash-in aimed squarely at those with rose-tinted spectacles.

For 59p or even £1.19, there’s enough here to keep that section of the fans happy - the pill muncher may be trickier to control than he should be, but at least the gameplay's true to the original.

At £3.99 though, you would had have to have been chomping on some pills to think this represents anything more than a rip-off.

PAC-MAN

PAC-MAN’s retro gameplay may still be worth chomping down, but its the absurd pricing that’ll really bite
Score
Will Wilson
Will Wilson
Will's obsession with gaming started off with sketching Laser Squad levels on pads of paper, but recently grew into violently shouting "Tango Down!" at random strangers on the street. He now directs that positive energy into his writing (due in no small part to a binding court order).