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Ah Pac-Man, that little yellow orb with a mouth that has been gobbling up dollars over and over again for the last 20 years. Whether you are a video game newbie, an old veteran, or have a recollection of the growth of technology in the last 20 years, you know who Pac-Man is. He has had plenty of marketshare in those years as well. Besides being in numerous games, he has had his own lunchbox, breakfast cereal, and even his own cartoon! Now it is 2005 and the old Pac-ster is rolling along and continuing to win the hearts of gamers young and old alike. Even though his last adventure, Pac Pix was greeted with mixed reviews, that has not keep Namco from giving him another tour of duty on the DS. This time, Pac-Man is back in Pac'N Roll, a game where you roll Pac-Man around levels with the stylus. Think old school track ball arcade style gaming and you have the idea. The story is once again hokey, but I guess has a purpose. The Floating Castle is celebrating the large crop of power pellets gathered at the Harvest Festival. Suddenly a UFO emits a Ghost Beam, turning Pac Land into Ghost Land. A villain named Golvis is unaffected by the power pellets so you must get the aid from a little fairy that knows Golvis' weakness. It is up to you to save Pac Land.
Visually Pac'N Roll looks very good in 3D, and the power of the DS helps the game stand out and not look like the traditional Pac of years gone by. Each level design is thought out and unique and will give gamers a great challenge indeed. You will visit worlds such as the Floating Castle, The Jungle, Old Ruins, and more. The 3D engine is solid and really gives gamers the feeling of living on the edge, so to speak. The use of the Dual Screen isn't fully implemented until you've unlocked the classic Pac-Man that takes up both screens. As is, the bottom screen is a giant Pac-Man in which you move your stylist about which controls your Pac-Man on the screen above. The game is colorful and easily fits the whole on the go style you would expect from any good handheld. Audio is quirky with some bouncy, yet catchy tunes that unfortunately only alternate between levels. Namco has decided to give Pac-Man a voice in this, and while it fits, I still have a hard time not hearing Marty Ingels (aka Beegle Beagle from Grape Ape) as the voice of Pac-Man in the early 80's cartoon franchise. Game play is simple yet addicting. Anyone who loves Super Monkey Ball or the Marble Madness titles will feel at home with this spinning and rolling puzzle action, as well as its frustration. Each level is full of surprises and difficulty, to be successful you must be like Limp Bizkit and keep rolling, rolling, rolling. (I can't believe I used that reference) You must use the stylus to make Pac-Man roll, dash, turn corners, or even come to a quick stop. You can even use some cool power ups like a Feather Hat, which allows Pac-Man to fly through the levels and sneak up on the ghosts, the armor gives you better defense and increases your destructive abilities. In the end, the game offers another thoughtful use of the stylus feature of the DS. Pac'N Roll unfortunately isn't terribly long, but the chance to go back, improve on your scores and unlock a few goodies is still worth the purchase. This is an ideal title for any fan of puzzle games or just a fan of Pac-Man himself.
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