PAC-MAN 256
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for PAC-MAN 256
Takes the classic addictive gameplay we all know and love and successfully mixes it with the endless runner genre to create a surprisingly good and extremely affordable little gem.
Pac-Man 256 is a fun little excursion for the series that innovates and changes up the formula. Sadly, some of the title’s mechanics don’t work as well on home consoles as they did on mobile platforms. The multiplayer mode is a fun new addition, but the lack of an online component is surprising. Fans of the series will eat up this new entry, but it offers little substance and staying power for a console game.
"Sameness" defines 256. It's Pac-Man, with its classic gameplay intact, twisted to the side with an endless runner tint instead of a level-based progression system. It's good, but could have done much more and built on the killer advancements that were made in Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. Maybe that's expecting too much, because for five smackeroos, you could do a whole lot worse.
Pac-Man is one of the mainstays in gaming that continues to stay relevant and Pac-Man 256 proves that the classic formula works even today.
Hipster Whale's game is basically the same Pac-Man people were playing 35 years ago, just with an endless maze, more power-ups, and co-op play
In every way that a remake of a classic property can be, Pac-Man 256 soars. By enshrining the classic gameplay beats of the 1980 original and thoughtfully augmenting it with new tweaks and changes to keep the game perpetually fresh, few could have perhaps envisioned that back in 1980 Pac-Man would still prove to be one of the most enjoyable and arguably essential gaming experiences you can buy some thirty-six years on.
The simple presentation and controls allow anyone to pick up a controller and know what to do, while the addition of power-ups and objectives provide a little more depth for die-hard fans to explore. More creative use of upgrades would've been nice, and as with all endless runners, the appeal will wear off relatively quickly. However, this is a strong outing for Pac-Man that's perfect for short bursts, or, just as likely, one-more-go marathons.
PAC-MAN 256 is exactly what you probably assume it will be, which is frustrating and disappointing, but also fun enough to probably warrant its tiny price tag of $4.99.
