This year marks the 40th anniversary of the pop culture phenomenon that has graced the gaming community.
Pac-Man's development team started small way back in the 1980s when the founder, Toru Iwatani, wanted to design a video game that could appeal to everyone, especially children. The original name also had to be replaced since it was a little awkward. The title remains one of the most important video games of all time, generating upwards of $10 billion since its inception and Pac-Man is the most beloved video game character of all time.
Plenty of sequels and spin-offs have since been developed but only a few stand out.
10 Pac-Man Party
Although Pac-Man Party had its flaws, it still held up well against other "Party" games as 2010 was a great year for Nintendo and the "Party" genre in particular.
Pac-Man Party is mainly a board game. Players traverse through tiles while completing mini-games and building castles, and the player who gets to gobble the most power pellets wins. Battles are initiated when opposing players land on other players' castles and a mini-game is triggered.
The game features three modes: story, multiplayer, and the mini-game selection. The story shows Pac-Man trying to protect a cookie recipe from the ghosts and the mode contains 50 mini-games and 5 worlds while multiplayer allows up to 4 players. Bonus arcade games such as the original Pac-Man and Galaga are also included in the game.
9 Pac-Man Fever
Pac-Man Fever was intended to be a party game, despite it having a story mode (which was considered lousy among the community): Pac-Man starts out in a studio chilling with some Namco characters. All this takes a turn when the ghosts steal a trophy (nobody even knew what the trophy meant) and Pac-Man, Tekken's Heihachi, and the Namco gang track them down into a theater where the ghosts issue a series of mini-games where the winner takes home said trophy.
The game features 6 characters and 3 different boards, very impressive for its time. Players then get to plan the board and have a short or long round. No matter what the length is, the game remains linear and each turn specifies a mini-game which the player tries to beat, and depending on the score, the player advances further.
8 Pac-Man And The Ghostly Adventures 2
A much polished and colorful upgrade from its predecessor, Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2's value is underappreciated by casuals and the low reviews sadly had the game overlooked and left to die. If given an honest review, the title could be considered one of the best 3D platformers for 3DS and Wii U, and has the best Pac-Man soundtrack to date.
Similar to Pac-Man World, the player's goal is to advance further into the stages avoiding obstacles, eating ghosts, and switching between forms depending on what power-up Pac-Man gobbles. The title features a fixed camera but the upgraded movement makes up for it. Overall, the game is worth every cent.
7 Pac-Man World
In the world of classic 3D platformers, Pac-Man World sits high above them all, just a little below Super Mario 64 in terms of level design but still a must-have for PSX owners. The soundtrack, however, is one of the greatest pieces of gaming music.
Originally, Namco wanted to voice Pac-Man but budget constraints led this to being scrapped. The game was a massive success upon release and low reviews came from gamers who opposed the frequent backtracking.
6 Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series
What could be better than having 3 classic arcade titles like Galaga, Dig Dug, and the original Pac-Man in a single package alongside a buffed version called Pac-Man Championship Edition 2.
Imagine Pac-Man on steroids. The levels are flashier but most mechanics are retained except that the ghosts can be bumped into three times before they get triggered and chase the player. Jump pads also help the player evade the ghosts by skipping over some parts of the maze. The game also features giant ghosts as bosses.
5 Pac-Man Museum
For the hardcore fans of the series, Pac-Man Museum is a must-have. It includes the series' mega-hits: the original Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man, Pac and Pal, Pac-Land, Pac-Mania, Pac-Attack, Pac-Man PSP, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Pac-Man Battle Royale all for the convenient price of $20.
No need to do the painstaking process of hunting for each title. Keep in mind that the US and AU versions for the PS3 have been delisted but are still available for other regions. Xbox 360/One owners are able to download the title from the Microsoft Store.
4 Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle
Now how would a 64-player Pac-Man battle royale look like?
Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle could soon properly introduce the series to competitive play. There is even hope for a Pac-Man tournament. The title features new mechanics such as allowing players to customize their Pac-People as well as power-ups. The game is fairly balanced and veterans will feel right at home. It's just like arcade Pac-Man, but the last-man standing wins.
The title was first released as a demo on Google Stadia and it garnered mostly positive reviews from casual fans, and the community is hoping for a proper console/PC port.
3 Pac-Man Vs.
Simplicity works best. GameCube's rendition of the popular arcade game introduced multiplayer and the result: a fast-paced, addictive title that guarantees panic attacks and rage quits.
In this title, three players are ghosts and cooperate using the Gamecube and TV, while the other controls Pac-Man using a Gameboy. The first to reach predetermined points wins the game. Mario is also present as a guest commentator.
The title reinvigorated the Pac-Man community and fans called for the title to be ported to the latest generation of consoles. Thus, an HD remake was produced.
2 Pac-Man 256
Pac-Man 256 is like Crossy Road but with Pac-Man mechanics and the number "256" is a reference to the level 256 wherein upon reaching said level in the original game, the screen rearranges itself much to the player's dismay. It is also known as the "kill screen" by fans.
The game is well-suited for competitive players who want to conquer the leaderboards. It surprisingly looks fantastic on console too even though it is mainly a mobile game.
1 Pac-Man Championship Edition DX
For $10, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX isn't a bad deal considering it has EVERYTHING a fan could ask for and even casuals could enjoy this tirelessly. The game is rated 10/10 on Xbox 360 and PS3 while the enhanced DX+ version on Steam is also a perfect 10 stars.
The title has won awards with fans calling it "a master class in game design" and "one of this year's (2011's) best and purest arcade experiences and definitely a must-buy".
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