E3: Nintendo Pac Man Game Hands On

[Tommy Tallarico]

Sleeveboy and I had the chance to stand in line today to try the first playable demo of Shigeru Miyamoto's new Pac Man game. It's going to be the best party game ever, and I'm not exaggerating.

As you may have heard, one player holds a Gameboy Advance, while the other three each get a Gamecube controller. The player on the GBA sees the action in classic Pac Man style, while the others see it inside small circular windows on the TV screen. Each of those three players is a Ghost, who can only see a small portion of the playing field in a nice looking 3-D display. Those players must chase Pac Man across the screen with the help of a colored trail that follows him around, while of course trying not to get eaten. Not only will being eaten keep you from getting the GBA, which is always passed to the player who catches Pac Man, but it also adds to the GBA player's final score. How many times you catch Pac Man and lose Pac Man will also effect the score. The games are timed, and the player who has the highest score when time runs out is the winner, and the game always remembers which player you are, no matter which controller you end up with.

Once again, Nintendo comes through with a fun little title that will make you invite your friends over and never let them leave. No release date has been announced yet though, so you still have time to make some.

[Nick]

Is it anything beyond running mazes in little spotlight areas over and over and over? Because that does not sound like the best party game ever to me. Is this one of your famous "humor" pieces?

[Tommy Tallarico]

Why must you always bring me down?

[LOL]

Your hyperbole does not amuse me.