Xboxist

Pac-Man Championship Edition

After patiently waiting decades, Pac-Man has gotten his sequel in the form of Pac-Man Championship Edition. Some people might talk about things like Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man Jr., but these are more like Vice City and San Andreas than they are like GTA 4 and 5. Pac-Man CE takes classic Pac and brings him up to date in every respect.

When XBLA started posting those retro games, I would hope with each one that came out that there would be a major update in some way - graphics, sound - something. Pac-Man was no different though, just programmed for compatibility and posted. Thankfully, I saved my money for Pac-Man C.E.! Pac-Man C.E. boasts full 720p widescreen visuals that glow and pulse and are just nice to look at.

The sound has been given a makeover as well. You get all the basic Pac-Man sounds you expect and a thumping soundtrack to match the visuals. The music also serves as an aural reminder of how far into the game you are - it ramps up in volume the closer you get to the time limit.

Of course, none of that would matter if the gameplay weren't Pac-Man addictive. The main mode is championship mode. In addition, there are challenge and extra modes. One downside is that all modes have a time limit - but that's only a minor gripe. With a widescreen view, the game no longer resets when you eat all the pellets. Instead, the board is split into two halves that alternate as you complete one or the other. Depending on the mode, the shape of the level will change as well. The game controls as you would expect - no surprises here. It's well tuned to the Xbox360 control.

This game is definitely worth your money. The 800 MS Point price tag might seem a bit steep, but this is not just Pac-Man. It's Pac-Man C.E.; It's a whole new game. Even if you dislike Pac-Man in general, check out the demo for sure.