Say goodbye to your social life. Just as he did way back in 1980 (and, come to think of it, when the original Championship Edition released), Pac-Man is out to rule your world once again. The little dot-chomper that could returns for Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, a remix of the original Xbox 360 game that improves upon the formula in so many ways. It’s ridiculous how addictive this game truly is. Rather than going through the same two mazes and five modes that the original game offered (which was fine by us, at the time), Pac-Man Championship Edition DX really stretches the gameplay this time around. Nine mazes are available, as well as a plethora of modes that will keep you attacking leaderboards well into the next month. You’ll start with the basics – a Championship II mode and a couple of mazes from the start – but as you progress further into the game, you’ll unlock Score Attack modes, Time Trials, new mazes (including a crazy Dungeon stage with the longest corridors the yellow guy’s ever gone through) and Ghost Combos, which enable you to eat dozens of those scared suckers to boost up your score.
Pac-Man doesn’t have intricate gameplay, but it doesn’t require it. This is all about basic arcade thrills, and Namco Bandai has polished this baby to near perfection. The joy of the original Pac-Man is present and accounted for, and the new features, like the constantly shifting rules in each match and being able to fend off ghosts with bombs (a cool defensive touch), are truly remarkable. You’ll be digging deeper through each round just to see what you can unlock next. Of course, a game like this really thrives when you get others involved, and that’s where Xbox Live comes into play. Here, you can challenge everyone’s highest scores and course times through each round, seeing who fares better in the available modes. This really makes the game worth coming back to each time, just to see how much better you can get in each five to ten minute stretch. What’s more, Namco has actually done some quality work redesigning the game with stage designs that challenge you. Like we said, the Dungeon ones are crazy enough as it is, but the other eight maps also have something to offer, all while wrapped in a cool 80’s style motif, with some neon colors thrown in for good measure.
Pac-Man and the ghosts look great as well. The music will remind you of the original arcade game, but with a few techno touches that make this version stand out. Plus, you can modify the soundtrack with a variety of options, should you like what isn’t on default. And to think, this is just the start of Namco’s new Generations series, in which it’s bringing back some arcade favorites in a whole new light. We can’t wait to see what it does with Aero Cross, Galaga Legions DX and other titles in the foreseeable future. We’d like to go ahead and throw out suggestions for Assault and Rolling Thunder 2 remakes, if we may. Wow. Just plain wow. For ten bucks (or 800 Microsoft Points), Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is one of the most awesome games you can buy for Xbox Live. The gameplay is incredibly addictive, the leaderboards will keep you busy for ages, and the presentation tops the original game in many ways. Drop a roll of quarters and let the fun commence. Wakka wakka wakka!
