Title: Pac-Man World Rally
.............................................. System:
Xbox
.............................................. Genre:
Racing
.............................................. Publisher:
Namco
.............................................. Developer:
N/A
.............................................. Release: Summer 2006 .............................................. Online: No .............................................. ESRB:
..............................................
Pac-Man is someone who never gives up. It doesn’t matter that he was one of the first videogame characters to rise to popularity. Unlike most celebrities, he has never gone out of style. Now Pac-Man is trying his hand once again at a new genre (for him at least); racing. Pac-Man World Rally is the first Pac-Man game to feature classic Namco characters in a setting mostly dominated by Mario or Crash Bandicoot, both of which have produced stellar games.
Many will call Pac-Man World Rally a copy cat of Mario Kart and honestly it is hard not to. The Mario Kart series built the only viable formula for success when creating a family oriented racing game. As such Pac-Man World rally is going to contain some very familiar elements while at the same time putting a “Pac-Man” twist on them.
When players enter a race a very typical display will greet them. In the center will sit their Namco character from one of the classic Namco arcade games. Some of these include Pac-Man and Mrs. Pac-Man. In the lower right hand corner will be a map of the track which is easy to read. In the upper right will be the player’s time and in the upper left their current standing in the race as well as what lap they are on. It is pretty standard stuff.
While racing, players can pick up weapons they can use against their opponents. Namco has not officially stated what the list of weapons will entail but purists of this type of genre can expect the typical assortment of missiles, shields, and things you can lay behind you to trip up other racers.
The overall look of this game looks to be aimed more towards the younger audience. The result a very cartoon look to the levels player will be racing in. No word yet on how the game will sound. Track design will follow very closely to the footsteps of the Mario Kart series. This means jumps and numerous obstacles that make the experience far more thrilling than the normal race.
Overall, this game looks to be one for the kids. Fans of the Mario Kart series might want to give this one a try when it comes out in summer of 2006.
