Pac-Man can only jog and nudge things there’s no way to reinterrogate a level. This isn’t a Sonic or Mario platformer, where mastery of their abilities and tools can yield novel ways to traverse stages. Unfortunately, nothing in Maze Madness is worth replaying. Additionally, certain stages tuck fruit away in areas that cannot be accessed until after your first fight against Mesmerelda, which occurs late in the game. Each standard stage-of which there are sixteen-rewards up to four stars, which are earned by finishing it, collecting every dot, collecting every fruit, and clearing its dot-free time trial variant. Frustratingly, Maze Madness facilitates replay value by forcing you to replay stages, potentially three or more times. They do share some connective tissue both feature their respective stars’ arcade debuts as bonuses and are very rough. Maze Madness is often considered the companion game to Pac-Man World. You’ll probably finish Madness with a surplus of them. Any gunpowder caught in their crosshair explodes, potentially breaking obtrusive crates carefully manipulating enemies becomes essential.Įach stage tracks your score-this is Pac-Man, after all-though gaining extra lives is really the only reason to care. The most interesting enemies are probably the fire-breathing Chinese Dragons. A small gathering of new foes complement the ghouls, some of whom have unique abilities. On one stage, Pac Crackle Pop, they also drop gunpowder behind them while roaming. Unfortunately, that was unavoidable since your view is limited, planning ahead and anticipating four unique foes simply isn’t possible, so now they just lumber after you identically (in a charming detail, though, they dress differently for each world). Pac-Man ‘s ghosts: Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Sue. That shortcoming is especially problematic during time trial runs, where getting hit shaves valuable seconds off the clock.Īnother disappointment is the lobotomization of Ms. Though you can zoom the camera out, you never see enough of your surroundings to feel fully secure. That’s necessary, since the camera and scenery can obscure oncoming obstacles. Pac-Man is considerably sturdier, now sporting a health bar (though certain hazards, like lava, kill her instantly). This break from Pac-Man ‘s frenetic nature yields several tweaks to its formula. Any enemies that are required to solve a puzzle also respawn. Ghosts regenerate shortly after being eaten consuming many in succession yields bonus points and either health or extra lives. Still, if you make a mistake, a switch is always nearby that’ll reset everything there’s little pressure. Gradually, Maze ramps up the difficulty, even if few puzzles are particularly, well, puzzling. Springs and various surfaces that alter movement speed dot Pac-Land, and brainteasers incorporate them, movable boxes, and levers, often under a time limit. Pac-Man devour enemies for a brief spell, and checkpoints are generously spread across levels. Gates periodically block your progress, only opening after a certain number of pellets are eaten (a radar helps players locate nearby pellets). Occasional diversions emerge, usually leading to fruits-of which every stage houses seven-or extra lives. Structurally, most stages are a collection of compartmentalized mazes strung together by linear walkways. Pac-Man’s second starring gig whisks her through a bevy of mazes, ones slower and more methodical than those seen before or since. Pac-Man survive this trap, defeat the evildoer, and save the day? A few other cutscenes punctuate important moments, with one near the midway point revealing Mesmerelda is letting her nemesis nab each crystal-and once they’ve been gathered, she’ll swoop in and snag them. That witch, Mesmerelda, then abruptly abducts the Professor, starting the unflappable icon’s quest. (Image: Bandai Namco)Ī few opening cinematics explain the game’s premise: a princess is missing and an evil witch is scouring Pac-Land’s four corners for four magical gems, so Professor Pac hires the heroine to resolve both problems. A handheld approximation also graced the Game Boy Advance. Maze Madness hit the PlayStation (the platform I played it on), Nintendo 64, and Dreamcast.
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