Pac ‘n Roll Review

When the DS first came out, Namco was one of the system’s greatest supporters. Now that the DS has become popular, Namco’s dual screen redesigns of everything from Ridge Racer to Dig Dug just don’t cut it anymore. But somewhere inbetween Namco’s “best by default” and the introduction of really good DS material, Pac ‘n Roll slipped in.

It’s understandable that not a lot of people would notice Pac ‘n Roll. It looks decidedly childish, even compared to something like Nintendogs. Every screenshot shows Pac-Man’s face on the bottom screen. He is relentlessly smiling, as if to say, “Don’t buy me unless you are under eight years old!” (Note: don’t listen to him.) The top screen, on the other hand, features a fully 3D world. The graphics aren’t very crisp, however, and textures appear muddy and dull.

The sound department isn’t quite as poorly implemented. While Pac-Man and company feature some very obnoxious babble speak. The music is very catchy and upbeat. World 1 has one of the coolest songs I’ve ever heard in a DS game. I frequently go back and play those set of levels again just to hear the music. But each subsequent world drops in quality, and the last few start sounding like generic platformers.

At face value, Pac ‘n Roll is just an average platformer. In fact, I hesitate to call this a “platformer” at all, because Pac-Man doesn’t do a lot of platform-to-platform jumping. He just rolls around a lot. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Pac-Man game without the necessity to eat lots and lots of dots (and dots). Eating dots is quite crucial to the game, because gates won’t open until the dot quota has been met. Power pellets are also included, the omnipotent pill that lets Pac-Man eat ghosts. Other power-ups include a suit of armor and a feather hat for Pac-Man to wear. The armor allows Pac-Man to smash metal boxes and sink in water (which is actually a good thing sometimes). The feather hat lets Pac-Man move faster and float in the air. But these are the only variations to the gameplay, and they are more annoying than helpful. The armor makes Pac-Man very sluggish, and the feather hat makes him a little too responsive and susceptible to wind.

Okay, so far, you’re not impressed. But what makes Pac ‘n Roll enjoyable is its touch screen control. By swiping the stylus across the screen, you, in essence, roll Pac-Man like a track ball. It’s a little odd at first but is fresh enough to keep you amused and engaged for several hours. Seriously, this kind of control is really fun to play with. But it isn’t always easy. You can perform a dash by sliding the stylus across the screen and abruptly stopping at the edge. However, when you’re in somewhat of a hurry (or panic), it’s very hard to get this precision to work. I’d say the stylus control works much better than the D-pad, but there is definitely room for some “touch” up. Ha! Take that, silly DS puns.

The touch control does result in some unnecessary deaths, but it’s forgivable for being such a new mechanic. When coupled with the absolutely brutal levels later in the game, though, this setup will make you mad. Don’t be alarmed if you feel like stabbing the screen with your stylus. I think that’s fairly normal procedure. That’s such a shame, too, because the first three worlds are so entertaining! Except for Level 1-2. I am convinced the developers forgot to put in the last two dots. I have spent over an hour looking, and I can’t find them anywhere.

Personal problems aside, Pac ‘n Roll is only a few hours long. Six worlds do not go very far. However, jewels, either found in levels or earned by collecting all the dots, open up new challenges for each level. These aren’t just time trials, either (although every level has one of those, too). The challenges range from beating a level without touching any dots to not eating any ghosts (which is harder than you might think). Challenge Mode, as well as the original Pac-Man, helps extend the game’s value, but there is no denying that multiplayer is sorely missed. This is the Nintendo DS, after all, and I’m to the point where I expect every DS game to offer some kind of wireless interaction.

Final Comments

Pac ‘n Roll is a unique twist on an old formula. The touch control, while not entirely stable, is a very enjoyable and amusing experience. A little cleaning up in that area and some kind of multiplayer mode could make Pac ‘n Roll 2 a serious hit. But the chances of a sequel are pretty slim, considering this game has succumb to the appealing bargain price of $10. Hey, for $10, just about any game is a mandatory purchase. This one just happens to give you your money’s worth… and a little more.