Pac 'n Roll
When I first saw Pac ‘n Roll as a tech demo demonstrating the capabilities of the Nintendo DS, I knew from there that this was a game I was going to want to get. Never having really played any games of its type before, Pac ‘n Roll is pretty much my first foray into the world of trackball games. Lucky for me, Pac-Man has a way of getting my attention and drawing me into games that I probably never would have tried otherwise.

Graphics:

The graphics in Pac ‘n Roll are about equal to that of the Nintendo 64. Pac-Man looks just as you would expect him too in 3D, although this version is missing his arm and legs, hence all the rolling around. Along with that, each level in the game offers its own unique setting and environment, ranging from castles, high above the clouds, and even spooky graveyards. Though the environments are nicely detailed, you don’t really get to explore them beyond the track that you’re set on. Everything runs smoothly, and I never encountered one bit of slowdown during the game, although I think it’d be pretty rare to encounter slowdown on a cartridge. Despite the simplicity of the game’s looks, it does prove that the Nintendo DS can handle 3D graphics well and isn’t just limited to 2D.

Sound and Music:

I honestly found the soundtrack of the game a bit lacking. The music was good, but it pretty much had the same flaws as Pac-Pix. Multiple songs, despite their quality, would be used over and over within certain levels. It seemed as if they didn’t even want to throw any variety into the game, and instead decided to just reuse the same songs during all of a single level’s stages. As for the sound effects, be prepared to hear some pretty classic Pac-Man sounds, because the traditional “wakka-wakka” is still intact. To be honest though, that traditional “wakka-wakka” is the only real sound that stands out, except for Pac-Man saying the phrase “Pac ‘n Roll” at the title screen of the game. Other than that, there isn’t really anything too memorable here.

Storyline:

Well, there is a storyline, so Pac ‘n Roll is already set to get a higher score in this category than Bomberman DS did. The storyline itself is narrated through a series of still pictures and text. It basically revolves around an infamous monster by the name of Golvis. Golvis has just been freed from some sort of imprisonment by the ghosts, who hope that he’ll finally be able to destroy Pac-Land once and for all. Once freed, Golvis turns everyone in Pac-Land into balls (i.e. eliminating their arms and legs). It then becomes Pac-Man’s duty to travel throughout Pac-Land, collect pellets, destroy ghosts, defeat Golvis, and return everyone in Pac-Land to normal. Oh, and there’s some sort of stupid fairy that apparently helped defeat Golvis in the past, so she feels the need to ramble on during the cutscenes (i.e. those darn still pictures and text). Despite its serious lameness, the storyline does exist and they do present it to you clearly, so I have to at least give them some credit for that. Luckily, you can skip the cutscenes, so feel free to not torture yourself like I did.

Gameplay:

If you’ve ever played Marble Madness, then you’re sure to know what the gameplay in Pac ‘n Roll is like. Simply put, you’ll use the stylus to roll Pac-Man around the levels. Within the levels, you have to collect pellets, which will in turn open gates leading to newer areas in the level. Along the way you’ll encounter ghosts, who can only be defeated by finding a power pellet and then rolling through them. If you encounter a ghost without a power pellet, then you’ll have to tap them on the touch screen to make them temporarily go away. There are six levels altogether, and each level has a different number of stages (ranging from four to about six). At the end of each level, you’ll face off against Golvis in a boss battle. These battles tend to be simple in design, but allow for some tension by requiring you to collect three power pellets to even damage him. The levels themselves vary in design. The first few levels are fairly easy, with very minimal ledges to fall off of and die. However, as the game progresses, levels with get increasingly more difficult (with difficulty increasing immensely in level 5-3). The gameplay is about as simplistic as a platformer can get, but it manages to be engaging and addicting enough to keep your attention throughout the entire journey.

Controls:

There honestly isn’t that much to go over here. The game is touch screen only, which pretty make renders every single button on the DS obsolete. To move Pac-Man around, you must move the stylus across the touch screen in whatever direction you wish him to move. The faster you rub the stylus across the screen, the speedier Pac-Man’s movements will become. You can also perform a variety of other movements, such as a speed boost. Since the first level of the game is basically a tutorial that covers the different abilities Pac-Man has, you won’t have any trouble adjusting to the control scheme of this game. It’s truly about as easy as it gets.

Replayability:

The replay value of Pac ‘n Roll is mediocre at best. Though the single player adventure is very addicting, it can sadly be completed in a few sittings. However, Namco was smart and decided to create time trials and challenges for each and every stage (except boss stages). Completing levels, time trials, and challenges will unlock crystals, which are simply there just for collecting purposes. Some crystals are also hidden throughout the single player adventure. Being the adventurous person I am, I managed to collect all of the crystals in the game. Due to that fact, I can sadly say that it isn’t really worth it, since all that you unlock is an alternate title screen that has Golvis on it instead of Pac-Man. However, there is one single unlockable feature within the game that helps redeem the replay value of this game: Original Pac-Man. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Pac ‘n Roll includes the original Pac-Man arcade game on it, which in my opinion offers a somewhat infinite amount of replay value. Though the bulk of the game can be completed within a week, there’s always the original Pac-Man game to play and try to beat your record in.

Overall, Pac ‘n Roll is definitely a satisfying purchase. Though the single player adventure is somewhat short, there are plenty of things to come back for (i.e. time trials, challenges, and original Pac-Man). If you enjoyed Pac-Pix, and especially if you enjoy games like Marble Madness and Super Monkey Ball, then Pac ‘n Roll is definitely a worthwhile title that you should look into purchasing.
Graphics: 8.0/10
Sound and Music: 8.0/10
Storyline: 4.0/10
Gameplay: 8.5/10
Controls: 9.5/10
Replayability: 8.0/10
8.7
Out of 10