Pac-Man - Review - Smith Banke1953

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Pac-Man is one of the most-ported games always, and at present Namco brings it to Windows Phone 7 as an Xbox Live title. This version is faithful to the arcade original, but lacks whatsoever bells-and-whistles to go excited over and introduces a few new problems.

Everybody knows how Pac-Man works, and so let's focus on what's inverse for Windows Telephone 7. The game is played from a vertical orientation. The actual play field takes up the top two-thirds of the screen, with a virtual joystick on a plainly blue background at the lesser. Super banal menus that utilize an ugly font farther contribute to a mediocre presentation.

To find out whether our circular arcade hero gets the ghosts or if they get him instead, chomp a ability pellet and head by the break.

All roads lead to the aforementioned end

Pac-Man offers two controls options: Flick and Pac-Pad. Picture show controls permit the player swipe his or her finger anywhere on screen to turn the yellow hero, while Pac-Pad emphasizes keeping a finger on the virtual joystick. In practice, though, touching anywhere on the screen turns Pac-Human in either selection, so their differences are negligible. The virtual stick is located right above the most WP7 handsets' capacitive Home button, so await to accidentally dorsum out of the game if you go along your finger at that place.

Turn faster, Pac-Man!

This brings me to the WP7 version'southward chief failing: the controls are simply inadequate for Pac-Man'due south game play. Sure, Pac-Man generally moves around where the player wants, only turning corners apace is tough and doesn't e'er piece of work. Fast turns are essential in Pac-Man considering although the ghosts often motion quicker than Pac-Man, he turns corners better than they do. Thus quick cornering is often the only way to stay live. Had this game'south difficulty been reduced to accommodate the slower, less authentic controls, things wouldn't be so bad. Every bit it stands, this version is simply too challenging to exist fully enjoyable.

Achievements: Rotten fruit?

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High difficulty carries over to WP7 Pac-Homo'south Xbox Alive Achievements as well. Many of them circumduct effectually collecting fruits from later stages in the game. Only as I mentioned, this game is tough as nails, and the Xbox 360 version'southward option to continue on the same phase where you died is nowhere to be found. Few volition ever survive to encounter the elusive Galaxian (this ship from Galaga is not technically a fruit, merely Pac-Human isn't picky). Don't go into this one expecting to collect the full 200 GamerScore.

20 quarters to play

Pac-Man's concluding effect is that of value. Sure, Pac'southward original outing is an all-fourth dimension archetype. But that's all you get hither, with no extras and no existent effort put into its presentation. This title offers and so much less content than sequels similar Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Human being Championship Edition. Those games accept multiple mazes, whereas Pac-Homo on WP7 has a single maze that gets tough too rapidly. It costs $iv.99, the aforementioned price as the easier and more than fun Xbox 360 version. Let's hope the frequent sales the game sees on other platforms will extend to the WP7 release as well.

Overall impression

Hardcore gamers won't find much to like in Pac-Human's Windows Telephone seven port. The controls aren't upwardly to snuff, making the game harder than it needs to be, plus the toll is too loftier for such a threadbare package. Casual gamers don't seem to mind its bug, though, as Pac-Human is currently the acknowledged Xbox Live game on the platform. Those who recall Pac-Man fondly enough to deal with this version's control issues and overlook its relatively steep asking cost will notice a archetype maze game that still charms after all these years. Everyone else may want to expect for one of the inevitable (and arguably superior) sequels to come to WP7 instead.

Pac-Man costs $4.99. Information technology likewise has a free trial. Yous tin take hold of it here (opens your Zune software) at the Marketplace.

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