Pac-Man vs

To celebrate the GameCube version of Pac-Man World 2 turning Player’s Choice, Namco has started to bundle the GameCube only title Pac-Man vs. with it. Pac-Man World 2 is the sequel to Pac-Man’s debut as an adventure hero; for its review, go to http://gamecube.gamezone.com/gzreviews/r19246.htm. Most likely you’re here for the Pac-Man vs. review, though, so read on.

Pac-Man vs. is the original Pac-Man made multiplayer for 2 to 4 people; one player plays as Pac-Man while the other players take on the role of the ghosts and attempt to hunt down Pac-Man. The way this is done effectively is through the Game Boy Advance to GameCube link cable, enabling the player controlling Pac-Man his privacy on the board. The person with the Game Boy Advance can see the whole board, and plays Pac-Man as they regularly would. The ghost players play on the TV using GameCube controllers and are allowed a smaller view of the field – only able to see around the immediate area of their ghost.

The point of the game is to be the first to reach a set amount of points. You choose this at the beginning of the match: 7,000, 10,000, or 15,000 points. The 7,000 point games go by fairly quickly, unless both players are fairly equal in skill. The person who plays as Pac-Man is going to rack up the serious points since as Pac-Man each pellet and power pellet gives you points, and if you eat the power pellet, eating ghosts gives you even more points. The fruit is a good source of points too, because it regenerates from time to time. As the ghost you’re going to want to be the one that catches Pac-Man, since that’s the player that is Pac-Man in the next round. This creates a small competition among the ghosts, making the game even more interesting. Once Pac-Man is caught, points are tallied and the controllers are switched so that the catcher becomes Pac-Man. Rounds are played until the point limit is reached.  

The ghost players get quite the disadvantage, so there are lots of things available that help them catch Pac-Man. The main advantage they have is the trail Pac-Man leaves behind. Pac-Man leaves a pretty good sized streak, so a ghost can tell if he’s gaining on him and which way he just went. Also, the fruit plays a bigger role in Pac-Man vs. Not only is it a great point booster, but if you pick it up as a ghost your camera zooms out for a limited amount of time, allowing you to see almost the entire field. The fruit gives the ghosts a good advantage and should always be sought out.

If you’re playing with less than 4 players, that’s even a further disadvantage due to the lack of resistance Pac-Man faces. To remedy this, a computer-controlled ghost fills in the gap. The problem with this ghost is that he’s clear and doesn’t affect Pac-Man. If a ghost player touches this clear ghost, it then becomes their color and acts as a helper. If Pac-Man runs into him now, it counts as a victory toward the ghost of the same color. This is a great gameplay element, because not only are the ghost players fighting over Pac-Man and the fruit, but they race to the clear ghost at the beginning of the match as well. Even though Pac-Man vs. is a very simple game, you can get into some pretty intense games.

The graphics on the Game Boy Advance look just like the original Pac-Man (if you can even call them graphics), but on the television the battle field is fleshed out in full 3D and features some nice looking environments. Pac-Man vs. includes 6 different areas each with different mazes and surroundings, and each one is nice to look at on the ghosts’ side of things.

All the original sound effects are back, but a little better sounding than in the past. From the pellet munching to the Game Over sound, it’s all there and easily recognized. My only gripe with the sound is the annoying alarm noise that’s played as the ghosts chase Pac-Man. When you get into close quarters action it’s easy to tune it out, but it’s still there and you notice it in some of the slower parts.

Pac-Man vs. is definitely one of the best multiplayer games on the GameCube, which is saying a lot since there are Many of that genre on the GameCube. The simplicity allows anyone to join, but the seasoned Pac-Man veterans can go at it for hours. Whether you’re a fan of Pac-Man or not, you’d have a hard time not to have fun with Pac-Man vs.

Gameplay: 9.0
The gameplay was done extremely well. Instead of just chasing Pac-Man, the ghosts are given different advantages that just make it a more entertaining game in the end. Plus, having Pac-Man on the Game Boy Advance instead of on the TV makes his whereabouts a mystery to the ghost players.

Graphics: 6.3 
On the Game Boy Advance Pac-Man looks just as good as he did back in the day, but that’s not saying much. On the TV, however, things look much better. Environments are colorful and in 3D, and each ghost is given a different personality.

Sound: 5
The music isn’t very impressive, but it does spark memories. The sound effects make up for it, though…it’s just so good to hear yourself gobble each pellet on your way to victory.

Difficulty: Easy
Since there’s no single player mode, there’s really no easy way to gauge the difficulty. It just depends on the skill level of your opponent, but since there’s no huge learning curve it’s an easy game to get a hang of.

Concept: 8.8 
Making a multiplayer Pac-Man was an excellent idea, and one that no one really expected. Once announced it sounded like a wonderful idea, and it ended up being a great game with lots of replay value.

Multiplayer: 8.6
Playing this game with other people is the only way to go, since without other people you wouldn’t even be able to play the game. Pac-Man vs. is a multiplayer game only, which makes sense since it wouldn’t be as satisfying to play with computer ghosts – you’d just be playing regular Pac-Man.

Overall: 8.6
Pac-Man vs. was even better than I expected, and I expected an addicting multiplayer game that everyone I introduced it to would enjoy. The controls and idea of the game are so simple that anyone can hop in and get into the groove within a couple rounds. Pac-Man vs. is a very well-made title that shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone.