Roots baby, that is where it is at if you ask me. I love retro. And if you think retro you have to think of Pac-Man! Pac-Man was omnipresent in the 80’s; and he’s been one of Namco’s key franchise names for twenty-five years. It is nice to see that the little yellow guy is still going strong with Pac-Pix for the Nintendo DS. The whole basis of the game is just like the old classic Pac-Man arcade game; gobble up ghost monsters...but now there’s a twist.
Each level has a number of ghosts that you need to eat within a certain period of time. You also have a certain number of Pac-Mans that you are allowed to draw. If you run out of time, or if you run out of Pac-Mans then the game is over. You use the Nintendo DS stylus to draw each Pac-Man on the bottom touch screen. The top screen shows your stats (ghost numbers, Pac-Mans, etc) and it also shows a portal where Pac-Man can go into and collect items such as 1-Ups and cherries. Once you draw Pac-Man, you have to make lines with your DS stylus to have Pac-Man move back and forth. If Pac-Man is close to the edge of the screen, just put down a long line in front of him, and he will turn. You can also "rub" Pac-Man to get him to move a bit back. You can also draw other things besides Pac-Man, like bombs. BOOM!
If you draw a huge Pac-Man, it will move around the screen very slow. If you draw a small Pac-Man, it will move around the screen at a faster clip. It’s a gas to see something you have created moving around screen, hungrily chasing after those ghosts. A great concept indeed! The enemies in Pac-Man range from your basic ghosts, to ghosts that disappear right before you eat them. There are also enemies that you have to outsmart. One of the first enemies that you will encounter is a large ghost who grows larger as you try to eat him. To defeat him, you have to draw a large enough mouth that will be able to eat this oversized spook. The problem is that this guy tends to move around the screen and when a ghost is on the screen it is harder to draw your Pac-Man.
Pac Pix is extremely addictive! I have found out a few things in my old age, one being that you really do not need a game to have out-of-this-world graphics to enjoy yourself and have a great gaming experience. I just find myself not wanting to put this game down. Pac Pix is really not about graphics. The game is basically about your own creations, and it really sucks you into the addicting gameplay. The music is very poppy and colorful. I really like the newly done Pac-Man theme sound before each level, as well. It sounds like a very funny send-up to the old arcade sound. Overall, the whole game just shines. The music is good, the gameplay is addictive and hell, its Pac-Man!
This is why I love the Nintendo DS system. You can’t do this kind of game on any other handheld. This type of game is new, refreshing and very innovative! Pick this game up. It is well worth it! It is 100% original and a breath of fresh air compared to the many ports and cookie cutter games we have been seeing on portable systems these last few months. Great job Namco!
[Review by NLGSean (Sean Foster)]
