Namco's yellow-dot chomper is all but synonymous with classic video games, but Pac-Man's transition into modern gaming has yielded mixed results. Whether it's been in platforming, party, or the puzzle genre, Pac-Man games in recent years have never captured the magic that made the original games so iconic over the decades. Nonetheless, Namco has dutifully forged ahead with Pac-Man spin-offs, and its latest is Pac 'n Roll for the Nintendo DS. The game is part puzzler, part platformer and it offers a decent implementation of the stylus and touch screen for control. Unfortunately, the novelty of the interface can wear thin, despite some different wrinkles in gameplay that you encounter over the course of the game.

Pac 'n Roll's unusual design premise is explained by its plot. An evil superghost named Golvis has arrived to terrorize Pac-Land. Golvis has captured the area hero, Pac-Master, as well as Pac-Master's family, by turning them into limbless and helpless balls. As Pac-Man, Pac-Master's hero apprentice, you also fall under Golvis' curse but manage to escape capture. With the assistance of a helpful fairy, you must take on Golvis and his ghosts across several different worlds in order to rescue each member of Pac-Master's family and restore everyone to their normal state. Each of the game's more than two dozen stages requires you to roll around and collect dots and jewels while navigating tricky mazes, dodging ghosts, and avoiding environmental hazards. This gives the game its puzzler-platformer feel, sort of like a cross between Marble Madness and Sonic the Hedgehog.