Features
- Play as the classic mascot hero Pac-Man
- Explore six worlds and over 20 levels
- Play a variety of arcade games and traditional 3D Pac-Mazes
- Sink through water stages in a new Pac-Sub
- New play mechanics: run, flip, shimmy, flip-kick, bounce and more
- Collect pellets, power-ups and earn points
- Single-player adventure
- Marginal visual enhancements for the GCN port
Gameplay
Pac-Man World 2 comes to GameCube as a port of the two-week old PS2 game. The title takes players to Pac-Village, the home of the Pac-People. A gang of pesky ghosts has stolen the village's lifeblood -- five golden fruit, and it's up to Pac-Man to retrieve them and restore order. While some maze-like areas are featured, the game breaks from its historical mold and delivers a fully polygonal 3D platformer experience complete with six different worlds, 15 mazes and 20 giant levels. Pac-Man can run, jump, bounce, flip-kick, climb, strafe and air-gobble his way through the lands. He can also use roller blades, ice skates and even ride in a Pac-submarine.
We've had a chance to sit down with the GameCube version of the title and though it's certainly formulaic, borrowing elements and mechanics from tried-and-true platformers like Mario and Crash Bandicoot, it's also very satisfying. Pac-Man begins his adventures in Pac-Village, a hub of sorts that houses not only his own him, but the locale arcade and other villagers. From here, the mascot proceeds to the first level, a forest areas that acquaints gamers with the basics of play. Various pellets fill the level, there are a few platforms raised here and there and a ghost or two sail about clumsily. Not terribly difficult stuff, but it's not designed to be.
Control is tight and responsive. The analog stick manipulates the yellow gobbler, while A jumps and can be tapped again for bounces, B makes Pac-Man spin into a ball and charge a la Sonic (and can also be used for flip-kicks in mid-air), Y talks, and the L and R control camera. It's a very simplistic configuration but it works remarkably well.
The level unfolds in a manner that teaches players each of the control functions, and from here it's off to the real deal. Following are areas and levels more challenging to the experienced Cubist. There are locales in which Pac-Man must bounce on the heads of foes, strafe on ledges, balance across ropes, kick-flip opponents, gobble air-pellets and go for long flights above trees, use spring boards to jump up to difficult to reach places, and more. The modes are separated brilliantly so that the action moves along without a hitch and doesn't become repetitive. And as the levels progress, so does the challenge. Later areas see avalanches crumbling after Pac-Man as he runs toward the screen in a style directly borrowed from the Crash series. It's hardly original, but it is fun.
Pac-Man World 2 on GameCube
As Pac-Man gains points, players are unable to unlock a host of original classic Pac-titles located in the village arcade. There is the original Pac-Man, Ms Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, Pac-Attack, Pac-Man World 2 and more. There is even a juke box in the arcade that can be used to sample through any of the in-game music. The emulation quality of each classic Pac-Man game is outstanding, and retro players will no doubt appreciate this if nothing else.
In the end, Pac-Man World 2 will not any gameplay changes from the already-released PS2 title. This isn't a terrible thing though as the PS2 incarnation is also very well done. The only problem both share is a sometimes clumsy camera system that occasionally gets in the way. A hindrance at points, but not a total downer.
Graphics and Technology
Pac-Man World 2 for GameCube features a slightly crisper look than its PS2 brethren, but otherwise the two are identical. The worlds in which the yellow one sifts through are big and colorful, cartoony and inviting. The geometry of each level is not incredibly high, but Namco has done a fine job working with it so that hedges do look like hedges and terrain is textured properly enough. There are also animated backgrounds such as lava that shifts around in its heat and water that shimmers. Particle effects, including those from the bouncing Pac-Man himself, offer one more element of visual finesse. This is all brought together admirably with a solid 60 frames per second fluidity. As we like to say, not too shabby.
Outlook
Pac-Man World 2 isn't going to change the world, but it is a fun little platformer. The title's colorful, cartoony look works well thanks to some spot-on animation and smart particle effects, and the gameplay mechanics, inspired from Mario and Crash offerings, are tried-and-true, if a little formulaic. Original or not, though, this is already shaping up to be a very solid, satisfying platformer experience and we're eagerly awaiting its March 12 release date.
