Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 feels familiar, but plays completely different to it’s DX and original counterparts released 9 years ago. While some core mechanics have changed, it still results in an incredibly fun and addicting game that you won’t be putting down any time soon. Championship Edition 2 changes up some things to appeal to newcomers, but still retains what makes it so loved by gaming veterans.
Championship 2 is split into 2 modes. Score attack mode is as you remember it from the original. It’s fast paced, heart pumping and dangerously addicting. Bandai Namco did however make a few tweaks to the formula so that there’s still a bit of a learning curve even for vets of the series. Ghosts aren’t an instant kill anymore, instead, depending on what difficulty you’re on, you can bump into them as many as 3 times before enraging them to chase you. Not only that, but ghosts will also flee in a certain pattern when you collect a power pellet. These changes allow for more risk taking, and while it may be harder to catch ghosts with the pellet now, it feels much more satisfying.
There are also other new additions such as Jump pads appearing on some courses that can shoot you horizontally or vertically across the field, or Fruit and Power Pellets that start running away from you at higher difficulties. This adds a great new layer of strategy for people already familiar with the Championship Edition formula as it gives them something new to learn
The other mode is Adventure Mode. While this may sound new, it’s nothing more than a name change as these are simply the time trial mazes now separated into their own mode. All you have to do is collect the required fruit before the time runs out. While fun and easy on lower settings, get ready to sweat bullets if you crank up the difficulty to pro mode, as you’ll have only seconds to beat the levels on top of trying to chase the aforementioned moving fruit and pellets.While t
Now, while this is just a fancy re-skin of the time trial mode, Adventure does add something new in the form of boss battles. At the end of worlds, if you’ve collected enough stars, you will be granted access to a boss fight in which you’ll go up against a giant ghost where the only way to defeat it is by collecting 1-ups and eating the runaway fruit. I found these levels very enjoyable and a nice change of pace as I continually planned out my strategy every time I’d have to try again.
Graphics in the game are very nice. Just like the original Championship games, you’re allowed to tweak the look of Pac-man, the ghosts, the mazes, and even the background and music. Everything from classic arcade to Pac Mania and even a few non Pac-Man surprises (some of them you might DIG.) Music is also superb as the game gives you some really nice techno remixes including a great remix of the main arcade theme that would perfectly fit right at home during a rave party.
If there’s really anything to complain about I guess it’d have to be that when you first boot up the game, it forces you into a mandatory tutorial to teach you the basics before it even lets you play. I can understand having it for newcomers and to introduce new mechanics, but it could have been handled better for people who just want to jump into the game. Maybe give them an option to skip it next time. Other than that, there’s not a lot to hate about the game.
In conclusion, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 successfully brings new players into the series while also giving long lasting fans something new to learn. The visuals and music are nice and crisp, while the level layouts are very expertly crafted. If this is your first time coming into the world of Championship Edition, then welcome to madness. For those returning though, Welcome back.
Final Verdict: 5/5 buy it!