Retro gaming is something that continues grow as people wish for a return to gaming of yesteryear. One of the eras that seems to be forgotten is the cute 3D platformer that came of age in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. HD remakes and indie titles have oft kept the genre going (along with some less than great movie tie ins) but easily one of the most enjoyable new additions to the genre recently is Pacman and the Ghostly Adventures.
Namco continue Pacman World’s style of 3D platforming by taking you through several worlds, collecting pac dots and eating fruit. As always you’ll have plenty of ghosts to fend off but this time you can eat them as you go. Worlds have themes which usually revolve around ice or fire and Pacman himself has various power ups that transform him into other forms that help combat them. Ice Pac kills fire ghosts, and vice versa. There’s Rock Pac which turns him into a rolling ball for some Super Monkey Ball styled levels and even Ballon Pac which see’s you floating around from fan to fan as you ascend to the clouds. Some of the forms aren’t used often enough but they all help change-up the gameplay and keep things interesting.
From a control point, Pacman handles beautifully and the camera is fully rotatable. Occasionally it gets in the way a bit, usually when trying to guess the distance of a few difficult jumps. Aside from that, boss battles are refreshingly simple and fun, the graphics are cute, round and full of colour and the music is great too. As you progress through the game there’s a few fun mini games to unlock and take charge too.
Positives
~ Good old-fashioned platforming done brilliantly
~ Some great ideas that are well executed
~ Cute and warm from start to finish
Negatives
~ Perhaps too easy
Conclusion
Not quite a Mario World beater but Pacman’s time on the screen is beautiful, fun and simplistic. Like a Mario Jr if you like. Thoroughly enjoyable and a real surprise.
Also available on PC, Xbox360, 3DS & Wii-U.