Twenty-five years. Can you really believe that Pac-Man is old enough to get cheaper car insurance? I could swear that I was just playing the game yesterday, in the bottom level arcade at Celebrity Sports Center and racking up a high score eating ghosts, fruits, and pellets. Ahhh, how time slips by. But Namco isn't about to let Pac-Man's anniversary go by quietly. They've announced a game that will commemorate the P-Man's birthday, and it looks to be his most involving and enjoyable platforming game yet. Enter Pac-Man World 3.

The series has moved along pretty well, with the first one making waves on the original PlayStation and the next game seeing all next-gen platforms and bringing hours of fun to those looking for platforming fun. But Pac-Man World 3 looks to be the next evolution in the series, incorporating some new gameplay quirks and high-resolution looks to bring his adventures to better life than ever before. It'll be like he's right there in your living room, ready to munch up your couch.

The game focuses on an evil genius (because, really, good geniuses can be boring) named Erwin who has built a dastardly invention that allows him to regenerate a ghost world with ease. However, the device works a bit too well, and the ghost world suddenly finds itself binding with the real one. Pac-Man finds himself sucked out of his happy little Pac-World and into a strange new universe loaded with dangers and threats galore, and only he can set things right and stop the device before it completely engulfs his world.

The game follows a similar formula to Pac-Man World 2, but involves much more elaborate levels with more enemies and a few puzzles to solve along the way. During his journey, Pac-Man will be able to score some power-ups, as well as new abilities that will help him further in his quest. A new Pactrometer will come into play that will help Pac-Man out when he is in in dire need, and he'll also run into familiar power pellets to help out when he's surrounded by ghosts.

But this game takes an interesting twist. A couple of the ghosts, Pinky and Clyde, will actually become his allies at some point in the game, and the player will be able to use their ghostly powers to help Pac-Man in his time of need. How their powers will be utilized is still being worked out, but the final game will offer them in a creative fashion, to be sure. Other bonus games are likely to be included, and there's always the possibility the original Pac-Man arcade game will show up.

Pac-Man World 3 should be ready to take center stage once E3 comes around in a couple of months. It sounds like it's going to take some interesting twists, and it'll give PSP owners a chance to put on their platforming shoes and bounce off the walls. No matter what system you own, you're probably in for a pac-tacular new chapter in Namco's series. Waka waka waka!