Thursday, June 07, 2007
New job, new Pac-Man
I have two rearview mirrors attached to my monitor so I can see people sneaking up behind me. To my left, though clearly and always in my view, is a little blue man, flexible as Flex Armstrong, with a clock for a head and the words "Quality Training" smeared across his chest. Away from technology and social interaction the past few days, he has become my best friend. I would die for him. I made him a vest from my only rubberband so he could keep warm. Eight or nine times a day, I rewrap his vest to keep it looking tight and presentable. A Tom first: I have been working at a job where I have had nothing to do - literally - for almost four complete days. A G-Pinions first: this entry was created in a spiral notebook. Can you see the blue lines? You can decipher my blind man scrawl?
Despite being gainfully employed for the first time in twelve fortnights, I have still been playing games at night with the fervor of a very large man trying to cram one last brisket down his throat before the buffet line is permanently closed. Thanks to the kind folks at Microsoft, who have kept me sane during this abhorrently long gaming drought, I have been enjoying a bevy of enthralling Xbox Live Arcade games. I have already written a comprehensive look at Settlers of Catan for next week, a game which requires an entry unto itself to decipher the huge impact it has had on my gaming habits, so this column will focus on the latest entry in Microsoft's increasingly relevant online gaming service. I present to you the first new Pac-Man game from the mind of Toru Iwatani since the original was released more than twenty five years ago. Pac-Man Championship Edition was worth the wait.
Though my first video game system was a moldy looking Intellivision, I did not lose myself in virtual worlds until I got an NES at the age of six. Since that time, I have not been able to understand the appeal in these simple, single-screen arcade games. With no tangible levels and the only goal to simply score as many points as possible, these primitive games could not keep my attention longer than one in-game life. I had never caught so much as a Pac-Man Head Cold. And yet, I found myself crashing and bleeding out - with joy! - playing this brand new Pac-Man game last night. I finally understand why songs have been written to honor the decapitated remains of this perpetually hungry ghost eating monster.
Why is PMCE so amazing? Because the levels are fast and dynamic. Whereas the original Pac-Man was a static, repetitive affair, CE brings morphing levels and tangible goals to the mix. By eating all the dots in one hemisphere, you cause an all-powerful piece of fruit to appear near the nest of your undead enemies. Eat the fruit to repopulate the side with (seemingly) tasty pellets as well as reorganize the very foundation of the levels. Though the basic mechanics remain untouched, the ever-changing levels add a level of unbridled chaos I have never before experienced in a Pac-Man game.
The ultimate goal is still to score as many points as possible. However, this game no longer continues indefinitely. You have time constraints to deal with now. Your entire game will last no more than ten minutes, no matter what your skill level is. To complete each mode, you need only stay alive until the clock finally saves you from this nightmarish world of respawning ghosts. To impress your friends, you will need to eat an unholy amount of ghosts and go through as many level variants as you conceivably can.
This is the game people have been waiting for since Geometry Wars Evolved debuted with the system. It is fast and dynamic and dangerously addicting. With strict boundaries, the highest score will always seem within reach. "Just a few more ghosts and cherries," you may think, "and I can stand at the top of my friend's leaderboard." By restricting how much time you can spend in a maze, the pressure to continuously eat is hanging over your head like the angry soul of a devoured ghost. This is an honest, captivating sequel to one of the most important games to ever grace this industry. I implore you to buy this game, despite the high asking price of $10. This is one of the most pure, visceral gaming experiences to hit a next gen console.
Despite being gainfully employed for the first time in twelve fortnights, I have still been playing games at night with the fervor of a very large man trying to cram one last brisket down his throat before the buffet line is permanently closed. Thanks to the kind folks at Microsoft, who have kept me sane during this abhorrently long gaming drought, I have been enjoying a bevy of enthralling Xbox Live Arcade games. I have already written a comprehensive look at Settlers of Catan for next week, a game which requires an entry unto itself to decipher the huge impact it has had on my gaming habits, so this column will focus on the latest entry in Microsoft's increasingly relevant online gaming service. I present to you the first new Pac-Man game from the mind of Toru Iwatani since the original was released more than twenty five years ago. Pac-Man Championship Edition was worth the wait.
Though my first video game system was a moldy looking Intellivision, I did not lose myself in virtual worlds until I got an NES at the age of six. Since that time, I have not been able to understand the appeal in these simple, single-screen arcade games. With no tangible levels and the only goal to simply score as many points as possible, these primitive games could not keep my attention longer than one in-game life. I had never caught so much as a Pac-Man Head Cold. And yet, I found myself crashing and bleeding out - with joy! - playing this brand new Pac-Man game last night. I finally understand why songs have been written to honor the decapitated remains of this perpetually hungry ghost eating monster.
Why is PMCE so amazing? Because the levels are fast and dynamic. Whereas the original Pac-Man was a static, repetitive affair, CE brings morphing levels and tangible goals to the mix. By eating all the dots in one hemisphere, you cause an all-powerful piece of fruit to appear near the nest of your undead enemies. Eat the fruit to repopulate the side with (seemingly) tasty pellets as well as reorganize the very foundation of the levels. Though the basic mechanics remain untouched, the ever-changing levels add a level of unbridled chaos I have never before experienced in a Pac-Man game.
The ultimate goal is still to score as many points as possible. However, this game no longer continues indefinitely. You have time constraints to deal with now. Your entire game will last no more than ten minutes, no matter what your skill level is. To complete each mode, you need only stay alive until the clock finally saves you from this nightmarish world of respawning ghosts. To impress your friends, you will need to eat an unholy amount of ghosts and go through as many level variants as you conceivably can.
This is the game people have been waiting for since Geometry Wars Evolved debuted with the system. It is fast and dynamic and dangerously addicting. With strict boundaries, the highest score will always seem within reach. "Just a few more ghosts and cherries," you may think, "and I can stand at the top of my friend's leaderboard." By restricting how much time you can spend in a maze, the pressure to continuously eat is hanging over your head like the angry soul of a devoured ghost. This is an honest, captivating sequel to one of the most important games to ever grace this industry. I implore you to buy this game, despite the high asking price of $10. This is one of the most pure, visceral gaming experiences to hit a next gen console.
I'm not.
:-P
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