Parents who remember the eighties classic Ms. PacMan will be a-mazed at what this lady dot-chomper can do now! While adults might initially find the 3-D worlds disorienting, their kids will feel right at home in the vibrant mazes of Ms. PacMan Maze Madness. Besides arcade action, this new spin on an old favorite literally adds a new dimension as well as puzzle solving to the winning mix.
The feature game starts with a graphically rich introduction. It seems that an evil witch has kidnapped Professor Pac and a princess, and has transformed the Enchanted Castle into a haunted ghost land. Ms. PacMan’s awesome task? To move through 4 worlds facing not only the hungry ghosts we are all familiar with, but 15 new enemies as well, collect a virtue gem in each world, and help to reverse the witch’s evil spells.
There are 12 stages to this 3D adventure, and 4 more "hidden" ones. Mini-games and a Boss round are also featured. Gobbling dots (each still worth 10 points), power pellets, and fruit are still a big part of game-play. However, in this revamped version of the game, over 30 new mechanics are added – Ms. PacMan collects color-coded keys that unlock areas, uses exploding barrels to blow up walls, collects rev wheels that boost her speed, and hops from area to area on special popper pads. Depending on the world she is traveling through, our little heroine faces lava rivers, centipedes, snapping alligators, and even Frankenpacs.
The multiplayer games are great fun. Up to four players can compete in 3 different game variations. In our favorite, Ghost Tag, all players (which can be any mix of computer and human opponents) start off as ghosts chasing Ms. PacMan. When a ghost catches the Ms., he/she transforms into it and frantically gobbles up as many of the coveted dots as possible before getting caught again. Whoever eats 50 dots first, wins! Dot Mania is a race to be the first to gobble 80 dots, using fun power-ups along the way, including a cake power-up that allows players the power to, well, bully others for the length of its effect. Finally, Da Bomb plays sort of like tag, with one of the four players carrying a ticking bomb, chasing others to pass it on before it explodes.
Finally, the classic Ms. PacMan is included here, with all the original sounds and gameplay of the original. Those old enough to remember this classic arcade game (introduced some nineteen years ago) are in for a nostalgic treat.
Each mode of play is surprisingly fun. In fact, there’s a little something here for most members of the family, ages 5 and up.
Note that Ms. PacMan is available for N64 and Sega Dreamcast platforms as well.
