PixlBit

Games of the Decade #19/Blog a Day #12

Hello fellow gamers how are you?

For this, we are going back to 2010. What's with this year having all these games? Well anyway let's talk about the classics. Who doesn't love the classics? The games of yesteryear who paved the way for what we have now. Without them, things would be different right now. Question is, how do you take a tried and true classic game but make it feel fresh and modern for today's generation but while still staying true to the formula that it is its bread and butter? Enter the next game on this list: Pac-Man Championship Edition DX.

                            You need to listen to the music in this game, it is sooo good ♥

Ah, the eternal arcade classic Pac-Man. Everyone has played Pac-Man at some point in their life and for many it was their very first arcade game as well. The game is very easy to pick up and play but really satisfying to master. I have played many different versions and redentions of Pac-man from the original to various others like Pac-Man Vs. which is a really fun multiplayer game, if a bit cumbersome on the Gamecube. To one of my most favorite compilations like Pac-Man Collection on the GBA.

To some really brilliant takes on the formula like Pac-Pix. The last Pac-Man related game I played was Namco Museum DS back in 2011, which is a pretty long time ago. It wasn't till 2015 that I checked the Playstation Store and they were having a big sale on various games. I only had maybe $5 in my PS Store balance and I was looking to see what I could afford. I browsed and I saw Pac-Man Championship Edition DX for less than $3 and figured why not? It was a while since I played a Pac-Man game and it looked fun.

When I first started the game I was pretty much blown away at how amazing this game was. Like it's the Pac-man (gameplay) we all know and love, but it's all modern. It's like they remade the game, it felt familiar but it never felt or got old to me. It felt brand new and it was super fun.

             

                             Moments like this really gives you an adrenaline rush

Gameplay is comprised of 3 modes, Score Attack in where you must get the highest score possible within 5 or 10 minutes. They also have Time Attack in which you must collect a certain amount of fruit as quickly as you can. And Ghost Combo where you have to stay powered up and you have to try to eat as many ghosts as you can. One new thing that they added to the gameplay is a sort of slow-motion effect that happens when you are about to die like show in that gif above. It always puts me at the edge of my seat when that happens and gives me a rush, the slow-motion gives you an extra chance to turn the game around should you get stuck in a bad situation.

One thing you'll notice is the visual style of the game, it looks so colorful. One thing I love is that you can choose from a number of visual styles that you can mix and match between them. I love how the game allows you to customize the look to whatever suits you. It's a very pretty game to look at.

But the music? The music is just fantastic. It does such a good job of keeping you hyped while you are playing. I was listening to the soundtrack to decide which song to use for this but hot damn, that soundtrack never fails to get you pumped. It sounds like Eurobeat and I love that type of music, so well done. Couple the fast-paced gameplay, the colorful visuals, and the techo music and they got themselves and fantastic recipe of a game. Bravo.

                                     

           This is the most satifying thing in the game and you definitely need to see it in action

"But Captain N, where can I play this game?" Well hypothetical reader, you can play it on PS3, 360, Steam, Android, and iOS. You have plenty of options to choose from and it regularly goes on sale. My advice? Buy it. If you haven't please do so, this game is just fantastic. The game also received an update that adds more content as well as paid dlc as well. I never bought the dlc so can't comment on it but just the game alone is worth the price.

Final Thoughts: Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is definitely one of the best games I have ever played, they took everything that you love about the arcade classic and added a modern twist on it. This is how you take a legendary beloved classic and touch upon it for this day and age. It's Pac-Man, re-imagined. More companies should follow this example if they want to bring back a classic and should use this game as a blueprint on what to do and what not to do.

I don't know what I was expecting when I bought the game but I do not regret spending that $3 at all. In fact, it could be the best $3 I have ever spent. I couldn't put down this game for days when I first played it, it's really addictive. And eating an entire row of ghosts in one combo has to be one of the most satisfying moments I've ever seen in a game from these past 10 years. I spent a week trying to get all the trophies on PSN and I did, was definitely really satisfying to do so. I used gifs for this one because regular images wouldn't do it justice and found the best ones I could find.

I love the classic Pac-Man arcade game, it is among one of my most favorite arcade games I've ever played. But I believe this is definitely the best Pac-Man game they have ever released. If for some reason you've never played Pac-Man, this is a great game to start with. Only thing I wish is that I want them to release this on the current platforms. Here is hoping...

                    

                         Clearing a stage was always so rewarding after a tough challenge

That's it for this one. I'll be back with the next one as soon as I clear this maze...