Pac-Pix
Pac-Pix started out as a simple tech demo during E3 2004, but what it has become since then is much more. Adding new twists and gameplay elements to the classic Pac-Man franchise, Namco has given Nintendo DS users a unique gameplay experience that just wouldn’t be possible on any other gaming device. Is Pac-Pix packed (all pun intended) with enough gameplay to make it worth the purchase? Keep on reading to find out.

Graphics:

The graphics in Pac-Pix definitely aren’t groundbreaking, but what matters most is that they fit the genre and style of the game perfectly. The game is supposed to take place inside a book (we’ll get to that later), so it’s surprise that the graphics are stylized to look like the inside of a coloring book. The game never slows down one bit, even when there is an immense amount of baddies/Pac-Men on the screen at one time. All in all, the graphics serve their purpose without any major steps forward or back.

Sound and Music:

I honestly have mixed feelings about this category. Personally, I love the remixed Pac-Man music and the old school sounds, but the problem is that they are really limited. There are only about four or five different songs (including boss music), so you’ll find that the same music is constantly used over and over. The same goes for the sound as well, so don’t be surprised if after playing Pac-Pix for a few hours the only you can think of is wakka-wakka. I suppose the upside of the repetitiveness is that the sound and music is good, so at least you’re not listening to nails on a chalkboard over and over.

Storyline:

I kinda mentioned the story a bit earlier, so I guess it’s my duty to elaborate on the matter at hand. Basically, some evil dude invented ghost ink, which allows the evil dude in question to create ghosts inside of any book he writes in. Well, Pac-Man decides enough is enough and heads off into the books to stop the evil dude, but unfortunately Pac-Man becomes trapped in a piece of paper, rendering him as useless as a Virtual Boy. This is where you come in. Pac-Man leaves you with the task of bringing him to life using the stylus so that he can stop the evil dude and destroy the ghost ink once and for all. Simply put, the story is basically there so that you have a reason to play the game, so you’re going to be a bit disappointed if you were expecting something up to par with the works of J.R.R. Tolkien.

Gameplay:

There’s definitely a lot more to Pac-Pix than meets the eye. At a quick glance, drawing Pac-Man might appear to be the only thing the game offers. However, as you progress throughout the various levels, you will eventually gain two new abilities that add more depth to the game. After clearing chapter four, you will gain the ability to shoot arrows. Shooting arrows is useful for hitting switches and popping bubbles that prevent Pac-Man from hurting certain bad guys. Arrows can also be used to stun enemies. Once you’ve cleared chapter eight, the ability to draw bombs will come into your possession. Bombs are basically used to destroy barriers that prevent you from accessing certain switches or enemies. Along with these two abilities, the game also offers a boss every other chapter. The chapters themselves consist of five levels each, with every other chapter having a sixth level for the boss. There are twelve chapters overall, with a second quest being unlocked after you defeat the end boss. While the game first starts off as a simple “draw Pac-Man and eat the ghosts” type of game, by the time you’ve defeated the end boss you’ll have realized that there’s a lot more timing, skill, and strategy involved in using your skills to eat all the ghosts within the time limit (not to mention you’re also limited in the number of Pac-Man you can draw/have).

Controls:

Pac-Pix is controlled entirely using the stylus. You’ll use the stylus to draw and navigate Pac-Man, along with using it to draw arrows and bombs. The only problem I have with the controls is that sometimes the game is either to picky or not picky enough with what it accepts. It feels like sometimes the Pac-Man, arrow, or bomb you draw has to be perfect in order for it to activate. However, at other points in time, I wonder why the game accepted the Pac-Man I drew in the first place. Sometimes the game would recognize Pac-Man’s mouth in a spot I didn’t intend for it to be, therefore making him go in a direction I hadn’t planned on, causing me to lose a life. While not a major flaw, the game’s recognition issues will certainly be annoying at times, and there’s no doubt in my mind that you’ll many lives over these tiny problems.

Replayability:

As I mentioned before, a second quest becomes available once the end boss is defeated. The second quest consists of another twelve chapters, but this time around the levels are a bit different, enemies are much faster, you have less time, and you get fewer lives. What the second quest basically boils down to is the game’s hard mode. Along with the second quest, there is a set of forty cards that you can collect. To collect the cards, you’ll need to achieve the highest ranking on the different chapters. Each chapter offers multiple cards, so you’ll have to get an S-Rank on every chapter if you want to collect them all. Achieving an S-Rank on everything is easier said than done, because some of the scores that the game requires you to get seem impossible. If you’re a collection freak and just can’t live without all the cards, then chances are you’ll be playing Pac-Pix for a long time to come. If not, then you’ll probably finish the game within a week or two.

All in all, Pac-Pix is definitely the game I wanted it to be. It uses the touch screen as its primary method of play, which is exactly the type of game that the system needs. However, just like Yoshi Touch & Go, Pac-Pix obviously won’t be enjoyed by everyone out there. With that in mind, Pac-Pix is definitely one of the best titles currently out for the Nintendo DS, and it’s a definite must have for anyone who enjoys the simple arcade action of the original Pac-Man.
Graphics: 7.5/10
Sound and Music: 8.0/10
Storyline: 3.0/10
Gameplay: 8.0/10
Controls: 9.0/10
Replayability: 7.5/10
8.5
Out of 10