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Sleeping ghosts, exploding bombs: Ars reviews Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

The latest re-imagining of Pac-Man is the best yet. With sleeping ghosts, …

The Xbox Live Arcade Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is ridiculous.

That may not mean a whole lot considering just how ridiculous the original Championship Edition was, but a handful of changes make the DX version even more insane. And that's a good thing. The setup is exactly the same. The game plays out like a remixed version of Pac-Man where the maze is constantly changing and the game tries to mesmerize you with psychedelic visuals. DX features standard upgrades like a handful of new mazes and game modes, but the gameplay tweaks are what makes this version crazier—and better—than its predecessor.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

xbox*, ps3

  • Release Date: now
  • MSRP: $10

Official site

* = platform reviewed

The major change is the addition of sleeping ghosts. Most of the ghosts you'll come across in the game will be stationary, dozing away until you pass by close enough to wake them up. When this happens the ghost will then follow you and subsequent ghosts will join in, forming a chain. With some careful planning and quick thinking you can create absurdly large chains with dozens of ghosts following you at once, which in turn can create huge combos provided you're able to grab a pellet and eat them all. It's a great risk-reward dynamic; the longer your chain becomes, the riskier things get—and the more points you'll receive if you are successful. It becomes a constant struggle to figure out if you should go ahead and eat the ghosts now or risk trying to make your chain even longer.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

In addition to the sleeping ghosts, DX also introduces bombs and its own version of bullet time. If you find yourself perilously close to an awake ghost, the game will slow down, giving you an extra moment to make a move to safety. It's not much, but in a tight spot it makes a world of difference. Similarly, Pac-Man now has access to bombs, which will send any nearby ghosts back to the center of the screen temporarily. The combination of these two features makes the game much more forgiving.

There are a solid number of different game modes, including mainstays like Score Attack and Time Trial, and these are available for each of the nine different mazes. But the new game mechanics also mean new modes, like the Ghost Combo mode. Here the goal isn't to rack up a high score, but instead to eat as many ghosts in one go as possible. And given how large you can make those chains, it's incredibly fun.

Pac-Man Championship Edition does a brilliant job of reimagining one of the medium's defining games for a new generation. And somehow, with just a few tweaks, DX manages to significantly improve on its predecessor. There's so much variety, so many things to unlock, and the core game just feels so solid and addictive. And when you factor in the draw of online leaderboards and bragging rights, well, this is simply a perfect modern arcade game.

The game is out now for the Xbox Live Arcade, and is coming to the PlayStation Network on November 23.

Verdict: Buy

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