Pac Man CE DX Comes to XBLA

Pac Man CE DX is new to the arcade. With a game as classic as Pac-Man, it's easy to worry about changes ruining the things that made the game fun in the first place, but don't worry, because that isn't the case here.


If anything, the things that made the original game fun have been amplified to outrageous levels. One of the major changes is that you're no longer limited to just four ghosts on screen at any given time. Instead, you have the standard four named ghosts that we've come to know and hate over the years, and in addition to them you have sleeping ghosts on the map who reveal themselves as you complete mazes and gobble up fruit. Moving past these ghosts wakes them up and they begin following you in a train, which, depending on its length, can make it tough to navigate the maze for fear that you'll run into the tail of the line. A large part of the strategy in Pac-Man CE DX is being able to get as many ghosts following you as possible while dodging the four ghosts who are more unpredictable. When you feel like you have too many ghosts following you, then eat a power pellet, and start ghost-eating combos like you wouldn't believe. Seriously, you haven't lived until you've watched 50+ ghosts be devoured in mere seconds. Check out the included video for some of this sweet action.



The next big change to come our way is the addition of bombs. When you find yourself in a bind in which there's no possible means of escape, drop one of these babies, and all ghosts on screen will be bounced back into their burrows and you get a new lease on life. Though this will slow Pac-Man down and will reduce the multiplier on pellets eaten, it adds a completely new dimension to the game which, believe it or not, works and works well.

Pac-Man CE DX also provides many options to customize the game's look. You can change colors, styles, and sounds to your liking, and nearly every era of Pac-Man is represented, even Pac-Mania. Colors are vibrant, action is smooth, and sound effects charming. What else could you ask for in a game like this?