PAC-MAN – Review

Our rating:

By: Namco Networks America

Version #: 1.0.1

Date Released: 2008-07-09

Developer:

Price: 0.99

User Rating:

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Admittedly, we have reviewed several different versions of this game previously on WOiP.  However, this is the original that started it all and it’s currently on sale to celebrate the game’s 30th anniversary at a whopping 90% off its original price (that’s $.99 for those that can’t do the math).  As a result, I’m revisiting the original.

If you’ve ever played the insanely popular arcade game in the 80’s, then this is identical in terms of sounds and graphics.  There are some differences to accommodate the touch screen and other factors, so if you’re a purist, save your ninety-nine cents.

I won’t bother going into the details of gameplay, since if you’ve never played this game before, you’ve probably been locked in a cellar somewhere for the last 30 years.  But I will point out some of the more interesting "updates" to the game for iOS devices.

First, there are the controls.  You can set the controls for moving Pac-Man.  In the settings, you can choose to either swipe, use the accelerometer (by leaning the device in the direction you want to move) or the traditional D-Pad in which you tap a control for each direction.

Second, you can also turn off the traditional game sounds and play your iPod Library in the game (my favorite feature), although keeping the original sounds is almost a must for this game.

Third, and this is a pretty interesting feature, you can save a game in the middle of play and return to it later.  If this feature existed in the 80’s, I suspect I would have wasted fewer quarters.

Finally, there is an icon in the lower right corner that takes the user to Namco’s chat rooms and top scores, so playing Pac-Man becomes a social opportunity.

In short, while the traditional features and looks of the game are complete, it is modified enough to bring it to the 21st century.