"Old classics, new engine, and missiles... what more do you need?"

Pac-Man World 2

Introduction:

I'm sure everyone that's reading this, can remember the lovable pac man. That big yellow circle with a mouth with an unstoppable appetite for ghosts, dots and power dots. Well, guess what. He's baaaack. Yes, no lies my good friends. Pac man has returned to triumph over new comers to the video game industry.

Now, no Pac man game is complete without ghosts, fruit and pac dots. And fortunately, this game has them all. Even some of the old sound effects are on this game. A new aspect brought into this Pac man platformer, is something that all platformers require. Boss battles! Yes, the ghosts are out for you, and now they even come as bosses. Along with all of these new features, Pac-Man World 2, also gives you some of the old games. Such as, Pac Man, and Ms. Pac Man. As well as some other ones, as mini games. And if that wasn't enough new features, get a load of this. You can also swim, ice skate, and ride around in a submarine. So, get yourself ready, it's Pac Man, and he's back, in 3D.

Game Play - 8/10

This game, being a platformer and all, allows you to move in 3D. Also, some of the areas also contain mazes, like the original Pac Man, where you have to move in 2D. During your 3D adventures, Pac Man can do many things. Such as jump, butt-stomp, and rev-roll. Now those aren't all new and revolutionary things. Seeing as how Mario and Luigi have been jumping on things, for who knows how long. And of course, Sonic, Tails and Knuckles have all been doing that infamous rolling attack. But hey, it doesn't matter, they aren't Pac Man. As well to those moves, Pac Man can also hang off of walls. A must have for those long jumps. All in all, Pac-Man World 2 handles very well. The movements are smooth. And I haven't bumped into any slowdown times. Very easy and simple to learn.

Graphics - 8/10

Ok, so they aren't exactly as mind blowing as say, Halo. But hey, they aren't too bad. And a drastic improvement from the original Pac Man. Your environments range from the sea, to a volcano and sometimes a forest. The cool thing is that the backgrounds aren't just always in there and not moving. Like in the streams and rivers, you can actually see the river moving. And when it's snowing, there are actually constant snowflakes coming down at you. The environments are very good. The graphics are easy for the PS2 to generate, so no worries about slow down due to graphics.

Story - 7/10

Well, it is Pac Man. What story has there ever been? But I'll give Namco credit for coming up with one. Apparently, the ghosts have stolen some golden fruit and released an ancient evil. It is now Pac Man's job to retrieve those fruit and lock up that evil once again, like his ancestors before him. Hey, at least it's kinda original. I don't remember any other game with golden fruit and ghosts.

Re-playability - 7/10

Your first time through, this game can probably take you anywhere from a week to maybe 2 months. Unless you aren't to great at platformers like me. Considering that this is a platformer, once you finish the game, you know everything about it. But a cool thing is that, once you restart, you can start collecting those tokens again, to open up those good old classics. But for those seemingly impossible jumps or levels, it's not really worth it to start up again.

Overall - 8/10

Maybe that's a little generous, but this game is very enjoyable. The task of beating up (or swallowing) helpless ghosts can be very entertaining. As well, remember, if you ever get bored, head back to Pac village and start up those classics. Most people should have a few good weeks stomping on bears or rolling at giant bears. And hey, you get a submarine with missiles. Missiles are always entertaining in my book. So, buy it if you like platformers. Rent it out and try it if you aren't a big platformer fan.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 06/20/04