The summer of Pac-Man – latest versions of 1980s video game will tempt purists
The good news for Pac-Man aficionados is that game developers just keep coming up with new, fun ways to bring the popular 1980s maze-running arcade game into the 21st century
After spending months playing the stellar Pac-Man: Championship Edition for the Xbox 360 in 2007, I thought Pac-Man was out of my life for good. I figured there was nothing more game developers could do with the maze-running concept.
For a while, I was right. Aside from landmark anniversaries and the occasional nostalgia trip, Pac-Man stayed out of my thoughts for the next nine years. Then the original arcade versions of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man were released for the PlayStation 4 earlier this year, and I couldn’t resist the retro appeal. My hands were stuck to the controller for the next month, and I gained a new appreciation for just how tough those classics are – especially when you get past level 10.
After tiring of those, I again thought my time with Pac-Man was over. Then Pac-Man 256 came out in June, followed closely by Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 last month. Both games add unique twists to the core game play, reviving a formula I feared had been beaten into the ground.
Looks like Pac-Man will always be a part of my life. It’s too good not to be.
The best thing about Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 (for the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC ) is that it feels completely different to its predecessor, Pac-Man Championship Edition.