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Pac-Man Thrives At 25

Back in 1980, MTV hadn't yet launched, VCRs were still too expensive, we had never heard of Microsoft and Britney Spears hadn't even been born. Dark days indeed for pop culture. Then Pac-Man arrived, brightening our lives like a vivid, yellow sun with a triangular chunk removed. And suddenly, no one cared any more about Who Shot J.R.

Pac-Man fever spread beyond the arcades, inspiring a hit single, a cartoon show, even a breakfast cereal. The most popular games of today — "Grand Theft Auto," say, or "Madden" — don't inspire the same kind of devotion, and even an iconic figure like Mario isn't as recognizable to civilians as Pac-Man.

Some people wouldn't go anywhere near "Halo" but would happily pump quarters into a Pac-Man machine if they stumbled across one. And that's the secret of the little guy's longevity: The game's easy enough for just about anyone to pick up and play, and challenging enough for die-hard gamers to enjoy when they need a nonviolent break from massacring aliens.

Pac-Man's parent company, Namco, has been celebrating his 25th anniversary this year with a slew of Pac-games. While they may lack the depth of a "Final Fantasy," they're all fun, creating a warm sense of nostalgia for an era in which a plucky yellow circle could take the world by storm.

  • "Namco Museum Battle Collection" for the PlayStation Portable: This is its umpteenth repackaging of its classic arcade hits, including legends like "Galaga" and "Dig Dug" alongside barely remembered gems like "Rolling Thunder" and "Tower of Druaga." But the true stars here are Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, restored here to their original arcade glory. (Burning question: Why not Pac-Woman?) There's also a terrific update called "Pac-Man Arrangement," which adds gimmicks like drawbridges, elevators and warp panels. You can also pick up power-ups that let Pac-Man speed up or jump over walls. If your library is missing a Pac-Man game, this is the one to pick up; the remaining 18 games form a nice bonus.
  • "Pac 'n Roll" for the Nintendo DS: This rendition of Pac-Man inflates him into a sphere and sends him on an adventure through a series of much more elaborate mazes. You have to manipulate Pac-Man with the DS stylus, using longer strokes to make him roll more quickly or jump over chasms. Ghosts will attack, but you can shake them off by stabbing them with the stylus until you can reach a power pellet, which, as usual, allows you to eat them. You'll also discover suits of armor, which let you break metal barriers or sink underwater, and wings, which keep you airborne longer. There's a decent amount of variation in the levels, adding an interesting puzzle element to the game, but at times the stylus doesn't give you the kind of precise control needed to master a maze. Still, "Pac 'n Roll" teaches this old dog some new tricks, and will appeal to fans of puzzle games like "Super Monkey Ball."
  • "Pac-Pix" for the Nintendo DS): This one-of-a-kind game takes clever advantage of our hero's elegant design: After all, just about anyone can draw Pac-Man. Each level presents you with a blank page that being invaded by ghosts. You have to use the stylus to sketch Pac-Man before you can send him in pursuit, then draw walls so he doesn't wander off the edge of the page. You can also draw arrows to shoot down bubbles from the upper screen of the DS, or draw bombs when you need to blow up a lot of stuff. With my limited art skills, I found it challenging at times to draw a reasonable facsimile of Pac-Man while the clock was ticking down. I wish there was more variety from level to level, but overall, "Pac-Pix" is an impressive demonstration of the unique capabilities of the DS.

    By Lou Kesten

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