REVIEW

Pac Man Championship Edition 2 Plus Review

by Rob Pritchard, February 27th, 2018

It is hard to find anyone who was born in the last fifty years who hasn’t played, or heard of Pac Man, the legendary yellow ghost catcher whose debut video game has achieved critical and commercial success worldwide. Originally released back in 2016, Pac Man Championship Edition 2 Plus is a Nintendo Switch exclusive director’s cut style version of the sequel to Pac Man Championship Edition, which includes new features such as a co-operative multiplayer mode.

If you are one of the few who has never touched a Pac Man game, the core concept hasn’t changed for this latest release. Your goal is to guide Pac Man through several mazes, collecting several white pellets, as well as the Power Pellets which allow you to eat the ghosts that are determined to stop you getting the high score. The Championship Edition franchise does change the formula slightly, with the sequel including new mechanics such as the Bomb power-up, which returns you to the centre of the maze in the blink of an eye, and the ability to taunt the ghosts by running into them before they start flashing and are able to subtract one of your lives.

One of the best new mechanics is the ability to eat multiple ghosts at once, and the animated sequences that play when you get a long queue are definitely worth the invested time. Players on their own can choose to play the Adventure Mode, which has several mission objectives and boss battles, or Score Attack which requires you to use the new mechanics, such as the Bombs or the Jump Pads, to achieve the highest ranking for that challenge.

The soundtrack on offer uses high energy arcade style bit tunes as well as remixes of classic tunes from older Pac Man games. The legendary game start and death sound effects have been retained, which will make older players feel a sense of déjà vu that will have them remembering the days they reached into their pockets for another 10p to have just one more try.

If you get bored with the original aesthetic, there are dozens of new colour themes and visual changes to choose from, with several of them based on older entries in the series or from other Namco franchises such as Galaga. Although the frame rate is mostly consistent, there are several notable occasions when it judders considerably, which might be a consequence of the game running on the Nintendo Switch’s lower spec hardware compared to the PS4 and Xbox One. It never becomes a major issue during regular gameplay, but during the more intense visual sequences, you may notice that the experience isn’t as smooth as the rest of the game.

The multiplayer modes that make their debut in Pac Man Championship Edition 2 are slightly different than you would expect. Instead of providing a competitive experience, you are required to work together with a friend, or a computer-controlled partner, to collect all the pellets and fruit and go on a ghost eating spree like it’s going out of fashion. Both modes proved to be incredibly entertaining, with the AI proving to be exceptionally helpful during some of the trickier sections. It is also possible to use a varied selection of controllers, such as a single Joy-Con, two Joy-Cons or even a Pro Controller if you want some traditional gaming action.

Overall Pac Man Championship Edition 2 Plus is a fun expansion of the ideas introduced in the original game. Although there are some minor graphical issues, the addition of the multiplayer modes makes an already high-quality sequel even better than it was before. If you enjoy the Pac Man experience in any way, you will definitely find something that you will like by purchasing this game.

Pac Man Championship Edition 2 Plus builds on what makes the game fun, and adds some new twists to keep players coming back for more.