Pac-Man All-Stars (PC)

CNET editors' rating: 2.5 stars OK
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Overall score: 5.0 (2.5 stars)
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Gamespot editors' review

• Reviewed by: Trey Walker
• Reviewed on: 06/26/2002
• Updated on: 05/17/2006
• Released on: 05/14/2002

Pac-Man All-Stars is the latest game in a classic series that peaked in the early 1980s. While the popularity of the early Pac-Man games has yet to be surpassed, there have been several recent attempts to modernize the classic pellet-chomping hero with varying levels of success. Unfortunately, Pac-Man All-Stars falls in the less-successful end of the spectrum simply because it isn't very fun.

Pac-Man and his buddies have escaped the mazes, but are now squabbling over pellets.

To its credit, All-Stars tries to break new ground by using elements from the classic Pac-Man games in a completely different style of game. The game includes a single-player mode and supports up to four players in multiplayer mode over a LAN or on a single computer. Initially, you can take control of one of several characters from the arcade games, including Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man Junior, and Professor Pac-Man, and other characters can be unlocked by successfully completing the game's storyline.

But rather than guiding the character through a series of mazes, you enter a series of 3D arenas to engage in a feeding frenzy that is vaguely reminiscent of the classic board game Hungry Hungry Hippos. Each level begins with one character in each corner of the screen. A new batch of pellets then appears, and the characters begin their frenzied munching to see who can accumulate a set amount of points first or who can get the most points in a set amount of time. Once a group of pellets has been gobbled, a few flowers appear in different parts of the arena, and when a character eats a flower, another flight of pellets appears.

While this free-for-all pellet gobbling forms the backbone of the game, there are a few elements tossed in to add some variety. In addition to a few pieces of fruit worth different numbers of points, Pac-people can eat the occasional power-up that gives them special abilities for a limited amount of time. Some power-ups, like the magnet or the super speed, make your pellet gobbling more efficient, while others, like the stun bomb and the thieves' mask, help you by putting the other players at a disadvantage temporarily.

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