PAC-MAN World Re-PAC Review

PAC-MAN World Re-PAC returns to remind us that good platformers are timeless

Who doesn’t remember the iconic little yellow ball that revolutionized video games? Like other symbols of the time, during all these years PAC-MAN tried to renew itself to offer new experiences without losing an iota of its personality. He even dared to “start a family” and bring us deliveries where we controlled his wife, and even his son. Nor were they all mazes with little balls and ghosts, and Like other greats like Sonic and Mario, he made the leap to three-dimensional worlds. Today, we offer you the analysis of PAC-MAN World Re-PAC, one of its 3D iterations where we will feel the air retro that distils on all four sides, but keeping gameplay fresh and simple so the whole family can experience the adventures of the PAC-MAN family.

Nostalgic for the play?

23 years have passed since the first PAC-MAN World landed on the first Playstation. Since then, the Namco icon has been molded into various gameplay concepts, styles and genres. but people remembered that particular episode a lot. That’s why guys from bandai namco they didn’t shy away from delivering that classic nostalgia in the living rooms of our homes, without losing an iota of the virtues that made this game special. And although more than two decades have passed (and some features of the game itself no longer have a surprise effect), It’s always nice to visit colorful worlds filled with fun and charismatic characters.

What a birthday surprise…

PAC-MAN World Re-PAC puts us in the shoes of PAC-MAN, who comes to his birthday party after a long day at work. Unfortunately, upon arriving home, he discovers that his entire family has been kidnapped by ghosts. Of course, our yellowish hero will not hesitate for a moment visit the five worlds that make up this title and free each member of your family. And by the way, eat ghost, it’s our anniversary and we want cake.

These five differentiated areas that make up the adventure will have loose levels that we must complete to complete our rescue. Each will have a different theme (the ruins of a temple, the desert, space…) although regardless of the location, they will all be completed in the same way. You will have to reach the end of each phase, and if possible with all the secrets that each screen hides, which are not uncommon.

In search of the lost fruit

As in other games of the time (the first that comes to mind is Crash Bandicoot or Donkey Kong Country itself), there will be a series of optional tasks to complete in each level. An obligation is to find the key and free our loved ones, of course. But there are other fun unlocks to find. For instance, You will need to find the letters that form the word “PACMAN” to unlock bonus stages. or we can also find mazes which bring us back to the classic PAC-MAN game but adapted to modern times. Everything will add up at the end of the game, and I don’t know about you, but in this type of proposal I always aim to have 100% of the main adventure completed… Call it toc or viejuner discipline, as you Like .

Winks around every corner

In PAC-MAN World Re-PAC we can kill enemies with a drop jump or a dash, as long as they are not ghosts. When we meet our spectral enemies, it is better to look for a big ball to become a colossus capable of eating everything on the screen. A nod to the classic that could not be missing, as well as other small details that will make us smile seeing them (or let us hear, that the music here is important).

He was also rescued from the Trunk of Memories classic fruits that gave us bonus points. Here they will also retain this function, but in addition they will serve as keys to unlock various doors and alternate paths. For example, there will be doors where a drawing of a cherry is framed above. Well, until we get the aforementioned cherry, we can’t walk through that door. This will force us to search every corner of each phase (not a tedious aspect, I assure you) and even have little moments of backtrack. All with a pleasant and simple rhythm, since it is a family game or for the little ones, without great pretensions or difficulties.

It’s not all about jumping, eating and searching. We will have the typical encounters against final enemies, each with their own way of defeating them and their attack patterns. In addition, some phases differ from the rest with changes in perspective or objectives, which makes Bandai Namco’s proposal more enjoyable and complete. We can even turn into a metal ball, like a certain plumber with a mustache!

Bullets without spikes!

It is true that if we see the original game, we will witness a marvel of the time in terms of graphics, fluidity and sound. It was a delivery note, and now thanks to current technology we will be able to replay it with renewed graphics but without losing an iota of its essence. Everything has been taken care of so that the the jumps are more fluid, the visual style more defined and we even have a greater interaction with the environment. I particularly think that the developer has done a very good job, renewing aspects but without losing the magic that made it so good in its time, and adding only flattering details to the final experience.

The same can be said with music, with a good review of his songs and sounds. It’s wonderful to listen to the soniquetes that we have been recording for years in our heads, and even to be attentive to the versions that take up the main melody to adapt it to each type of phase.

Conclusion of PAC-MAN World Re-PAC

Bandai Namco wants us to relive our good impressions that we had 23 years ago with this episode of PAC-MAN in three-dimensional format. Although some iconic video game sagas got lost with the move to 3D, the truth is that our little yellow ball enjoyed a great game that we can now experience with all kinds of visual and playable arrangements. Unlockable elements, secrets, jumps and tributes, this is what we will find in the five worlds that make up the main adventure. If you want to reminisce about a great game from the past (and one of PAC-MAN’s best episodes), don’t hesitate to pick up PAC-MAN World Re-PAC. Will you get the whole family together and can you blow out the candles?