It's kind of curious the direction that Namco's mascot, Pac-Man, has taken over the years. He had a start in a classic 80's game that still remains one of the greatest games ever made, and ever since he's been starring in a number of different games across genres. I really didn't think I'd be playing something deemed Pac-Man Pinball with his inception, but oh well. One series that stands out is the Pac-Man World series, a collection of platforming adventures featuring the dot-muncher. The first game for the PlayStation managed to grab hold of quite a collection of fans, and the second game appealed even further on current generation consoles.

Now we have Pac-Man World 3, a game that takes a slightly dramatic turn and tries to be the most involving platforming game yet for the 25-year old game hero. Needless to say, he partially succeeds. I say partially because although it treads new ground for this classic hero, it doesn't seem to differentiate enough from other platformers out on the market to give it the full-on recommendation for a purchase. But, on the other hand, at least it doesn't stink.

Let's get the story out of the way. Pac-Man actually ends up teaming up with several of his adversaries from the ghost world in an attempt to stop an evil genius named Erwin from interconnecting the ghost realm with the real world and causing chaos to both. That's right, a guy named Erwin causing chaos. Who knew, right? Anyway, throughout the game, Pac-Man must use his platforming skills and attacks to stop Erwin's progress, before facing off with the evil genius himself and bringing peace to both worlds.

Blitz Games is to be commended by throwing a few ideas to push the series a little bit ahead. The involving of the ghost realm actually allows players to take controls of the ghosts at some points, seeing new spectral dangers and using their powers to help Pac-Man push ahead. (These might bore some of those looking to just jump and go, however.) The Pac-ster has an arsenal of moves all his own, including a charge-up run attack that allows him to go up hills and knock out enemies, as well as bouncing abilities that can have him bop on enemies. There's also segments where evil spirits from the ghost realm have to be gobbled up in classic style, by munching down a power pellet. Hey, the game is called Pac-Man World 3 for a reason.

The game also features more complex levels than the previous edition of Pac-Man World. Gone are most of the cutesy, colorful levels that we've grown to see in kid-oriented platformers, and instead we're pitted right into colorful underground worlds filled with machinery, lava, and other dangers. Things do get back into the clear in later levels, but even they offer a bit of diversity. However, looks can be deceiving, as most of the game you'll find yourself feeling an odd case of "deja vu". That's because the game follows typical platforming rules while trying to travel across new ground. It falls into the "been there, done that" category with its gameplay and level design. Better games have done this sort of thing and become classics by spreading out a bit. That's not to say that Pac-Man World 3 doesn't offer its fun, as it does. But you're probably covering familiar ground as you work through to switches and new areas.

The audio improvement is very little. The music is still run-of-the-mill, failing to have any kind of catchy hooks to keep players going. The sound effects are minimal and don't really affect the adventure. But Blitz had a major negative in giving Pac-Man a voice. I always identified Pac as this kind of silent hero, one who was too busy with the joys of munching down dots before he can really say anything. But here he's got a typical voice, as do the ghosts, and it kind of takes away a little of the magic. It's like with the Rayman series- you got so used to this accent throughout the earlier games and then all of a sudden he's talking like Joe Schmo and you're scratching your head as a result.

If Pac-Man World 3 does offer any weight, it's in its classic history. The game has many levels to travel through, as well as a variety of mini-games that reflect back to the arcade classic. To further bump up the replayability, Namco's also included the original Pac-Man game itself, just as playable as it ever was. Furthermore, there's quite a history to delve through, including a timeline, little factoids about the Pac-Man series, and an interview with the creator, the guy who took a pizza slice out of a pie and found his hero. This is great stuff.

Pac-Man World 3 has managed to find a place of its own in the series, and is the best one yet. However, it's still got to play catch-up with the rest of the platforming world, and may be missed by many as a result. That's too bad, as it's quite fun, even with its lacking audio and typical design. Kids are sure to enjoy the heck out of it, and arcade purists and Pac-fans will want to dig right in. Just because you've seen this World before doesn't mean it's not worth exploring.

Our Final ScoreMediocre

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