So there’s a Pac-Man TV show. As if that weren’t surprising enough, it is the second one of its kind. This upcoming television show will air on the Disney XD channel, and is attempting to appeal to the current generation of kids who have not grown up with Pac-Man. To help cement the character with younger viewers, a video game is also being released. We got our hands on that very game, and have a preview for you right here.
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, which has the same name as the show, follows the titular character in a new 3D platforming adventure. From the demo we got our hands on at E3, you are tasked with saving Ms. Pac-Man (or a look-a-like) from a gelatinous-spewing ghost. There are also blue and red ghosts which each have their own attacks – blue ghosts try to charge you, and if they miss, they turn into red ghosts, who try to attack you from under the ground you are standing on.
It wouldn’t be a Pac-Man game without dots, and Ghostly Adventures has dots in spades. There are plenty of yellow dots floating throughout each level, and more to find hidden in bushes and objects throughout the world. There are no large dots, replaced instead by power-up dots which grant Pac-Man special abilities. The only power shown to us today was the chameleon. This gave Pac-Man the ability to eat ghosts from afar using an elongated tongue, or turn invisible for an unlimited amount of time, becoming visible only upon touching an enemy or attacking.
Once enough of those yellow dots were gathered, a special attack can be triggered by pressing the triangle button, which can destroy multiple ghosts within a short radius around Pac-Man. Collecting the dots doesn’t seem to serve much more purpose than that, and perhaps completing levels entirely to itch that perfectionist streak within some gamers. Pac-Man also no longer takes only one hit to kill – you now have three hearts of health, which can be refilled by eating slices of cheese as well as cheeseburgers which are floating throughout the level. Those are a bit odd, but considering this game is meant for kids, there’s really no fault in the silly decisions.
Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures is currently scheduled for release this fall for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and 3DS (a separate, side-scrolling game).
