The remaster of the original classic title from 1999 is here and lets players take their beloved yellow icon through well-enjoyed adventure once more! Bandai Namco has released PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC and by doing so has invited new players to try their hands at a game that will bring nostalgia to many when they play it once again. This time brighter, cleaner, and just as entertaining as before, this is a classic PAC-MAN title reborn.

Story

In hopes of forcing PAC-MAN to be a star guest at his party, Toc-Man sends out his ghost minions to capture him. When the ghosts arrive, they find the Pac-Family setting up for a birthday party - presumably for PAC-MAN. As clumsy, dim-witted henchmen do, the ghosts decided to kidnap any and all who resemble the yellow hero to bring back for Toc-Man.

Once they return to the mansion and Toc-Man finds out they messed up, he decides to take matters into his own hands and lure PAC-MAN to the mansion for Toc’s party. Meanwhile, PAC-MAN finds the ruined party area and a flier for Toc-Man’s party. Putting the clues together, he begins to head out to rescue his family from Toc-Man.

Gameplay

The overall controls for the game have definitely been improved since the original release. Movement felt concise with my intentions, there didn’t appear to be any delay in my inputs, and all actions were fully in my control. While there weren’t a lot of problems with the 1999 version of this game, it is nice that they took the time to clean it up and adjust the controls to be fitting to the modern-day platforms.

Just as you could back in the day, this game offers a variety of platforming options to utilize. Of course, a lot of these options are favored mechanics from popular titles in the early days of gaming, but it was fitting for this Pac-Man adventure and fun to do. You had your jump, bounce jump that could be performed when in the air, dash roll, throw a dot attack, charge it up and throw a bomb attack, and a couple of neat power-ups. While in the 3D platforming world, you can find the ability to become Metal PAC-MAN which lets you walk underwater and attack metal enemies. While in the maze sections of the platforming world, you can find the ability to become Mega PAC-MAN.

I specify the maze sections in the platforming world because you can find actual classic PAC-MAN-style mazes in this game. Typically locked behind a gate, you can collect a maze tablet that sends you to one of many designed mazes in the game for you to complete. Here you are given three lives, just like in the arcade game, and are tasked with completing the maze. These lives are separate from your actual stack of lives, so don’t worry if you lose a life or two in here.

While running through the world, you will find multiple pellets to collect, along with coins and fruit. While the pellet dots are simply for points, the coins will provide a spin of the jackpot slots that are at the end of every level, and the fruit is used to open gates with goodies behind them. Using fruit to open a gate doesn’t take it though. In levels where you have to rescue one of the Pac-Family members, you will need to find a key to open the cage. which works roughly the same as with the fruit.

At the end of each section, you will come across a boss fight. Each boss fight is unique in design and style, so take a moment when you first reach a new boss to figure out how to fight them.

Audio and Visual

The aesthetics of this game are pretty much the same as they were before, except upgraded and improved to be more fitting to modern-day graphical quality measures. Colors are more vibrant and the world looks and feels more fleshed out than before. As for the music, it is pretty much what you would expect. An original piece here and there while the rest of the music is a remix of the classic PAC-MAN tone we all know and love. It is a nice touch and keeps to the game’s theme while providing a unique soundtrack to go over the game.

Replayability

Other than wanting to go back through levels and fully complete them, there isn’t much reason to play the game more than once. However, each level does have a little sign with a crown on it and if the crown isn’t gold, then you missed a few things in the level that you are welcome to go find.

What It Could Have Done Better

The jackpot slot machine at the end of every level could have been improved. The way it works is having the player stop each slide from turning, one at a time, and try to get three in a row. The prize for getting three items in a row is a number of extra lives based on the specific item. When you get to the point where you have a bunch of lives and don’t need more, this part of the game is very tedious. I wish they would have put in a skip option that just auto-spins for you and you simply get what you get from the random spin.

Verdict

PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC is an amazing remaster of the classic and really lets players enjoy the game all over again! Whether you are playing it again with nostalgia in tow or you are playing this game for the first time, this title is entertaining and easy to learn. Bringing mechanics players enjoy from many classic titles and putting them into a single adventure is a solid choice, especially considering they have a bunch of mazes to complete that resembles a 3D version of the classic arcade game.

PAC-MAN WORLD Re-PAC is now available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch.