It's been two and a half years since Pac-Man World first popped its head up at the 1997 E3 in Atlanta. At the time, it looked like an attempt by the American development team to "pull a Mario" on its legendary mascot. Even two years ago, the game didn't really look all that great, and as a result, the original development team was pulled and, after much hemming and hawing, work resumed on the project.
It has now been 20 years since the "little yellow dot that could" emerged on the video-game map, and much has happened since then. Gameplay mechanics can no longer rely on such simple control schemes, and Namco has had its hands full trying to inaugurate its armless/legless character into the digital age. The good news is that whatever Namco has done to the pill popper known as Pac-Man, the current Pac-Man World has turned out great. Staying true to the format, it is a title full of charm, ingenuity, and playability.
It's been two and a half years since Pac-Man World first popped its head up at the 1997 E3 in Atlanta. At the time, it looked like an attempt by the American development team to "pull a Mario" on its legendary mascot. Even two years ago, the game didn't really look all that great, and as a result, the original development team was pulled and, after much hemming and hawing, work resumed on the project.
It has now been 20 years since the "little yellow dot that could" emerged on the video-game map, and much has happened since then. Gameplay mechanics can no longer rely on such simple control schemes, and Namco has had its hands full trying to inaugurate its armless/legless character into the digital age. The good news is that whatever Namco has done to the pill popper known as Pac-Man, the current Pac-Man World has turned out great. Staying true to the format, it is a title full of charm, ingenuity, and playability.
