Pac Man 2. Go on Youtube and look it up, and everyone is saying what a terrible game it is. In my opinion, this is one of the best, and most underrated, video games ever. Why? Because it's one of the few video games to feature an interactive interface beyond point-and-click or full-motion video, and it is one of the funniest games ever. Let me explain.
Gameplay:
If you've ever heard of this game, you probably know that you don't control PacMan. You control a slingshot. That's right, a slingshot. Oh, and a hand that points in the directions of the D-pad. You control PacMan by shooting things, pointing at things, etc. PacMan reacts to these things and this is how he'll find what he's looking for in the level.
Sounds simple enough. But what many find aggravating (and I find absolutely hilarious) is that PacMan has "moods." If you hit him with the slingshot, he gets angry. If you pop a balloon he's carrying, depressed. If you get him a hot dog, happy. Sometimes mischievous, sometimes frightened, etc. Each mood comes with its own set of funny faces and reactions. For example, here's one of my favorites. In the second level, there's a screen full of trees. If PacMan is mad, he'll stop and kick one of them. First, he hurts his foot. Then caterpillars fall out of the tree and frighten him. He whines for a minute, then gets angry and shakes around to get the caterpillars off, then runs away screaming. It's very funny because the possible outcomes are quite numerous.
So, to accomplish the objectives PacMan has to be in exactly the right mood, which leads to some aggravation in manipulating him. But the game is just so funny that once you've figured out how to play it can provide endless entertainment in simply exploring the environment and trying all the possible combinations.
Graphics:
The graphics are made to look like a cartoon, reminiscent of Aladdin on the Genesis. The colors are bright and vibrant, and there are nice details, like pebbles coming off a rock if you shoot it with the slingshot. For SNES it's not exactly mindblowing, but it's a nice change from the standard graphical style.
Sound:
The music is quite upbeat and fun, and in a neat side-note it changes speed with PacMan's mood. If he's happy or angry, the music goes fast. If he's sad or scared, it slows down. Each tune is a pretty short loop, but they are very well put-together tracks with lots of cool sounds in there. Play the Genesis version of this game to see how superior the SNES soundchip was.
The other great aspect of the sound is PacMan's voice. He speaks gibberish in this funny, digitized voice, that, like his expressions, never gets old. (The Genesis could also not handle the voice, making that version far less entertaining).
Verdict:
The gameplay here is nothing special - go find stuff, basically. It's the actual character of PacMan that makes this game so fun. What I notice is that almost no other game I can think of has such an interactive and realistic portrayal of character. This game is not great by most measures, but this one unique aspect makes it worthy of being remembered. Pac Man 2. Go on Youtube and look it up, and everyone is saying what a terrible game it is. In my opinion, this is one of the best, and most underrated, video games ever. Why? Because it's one of the few video games to feature an interactive interface beyond point-and-click or full-motion video, and it is one of the funniest games ever. Let me explain.
Gameplay:
If you've ever heard of this game, you probably know that you don't control PacMan. You control a slingshot. That's right, a slingshot. Oh, and a hand that points in the directions of the D-pad. You control PacMan by shooting things, pointing at things, etc. PacMan reacts to these things and this is how he'll find what he's looking for in the level.
Sounds simple enough. But what many find aggravating (and I find absolutely hilarious) is that PacMan has "moods." If you hit him with the slingshot, he gets angry. If you pop a balloon he's carrying, depressed. If you get him a hot dog, happy. Sometimes mischievous, sometimes frightened, etc. Each mood comes with its own set of funny faces and reactions. For example, here's one of my favorites. In the second level, there's a screen full of trees. If PacMan is mad, he'll stop and kick one of them. First, he hurts his foot. Then caterpillars fall out of the tree and frighten him. He whines for a minute, then gets angry and shakes around to get the caterpillars off, then runs away screaming. It's very funny because the possible outcomes are quite numerous.
So, to accomplish the objectives PacMan has to be in exactly the right mood, which leads to some aggravation in manipulating him. But the game is just so funny that once you've figured out how to play it can provide endless entertainment in simply exploring the environment and trying all the possible combinations.
Graphics:
The graphics are made to look like a cartoon, reminiscent of Aladdin on the Genesis. The colors are bright and vibrant, and there are nice details, like pebbles coming off a rock if you shoot it with the slingshot. For SNES it's not exactly mindblowing, but it's a nice change from the standard graphical style.
Sound:
The music is quite upbeat and fun, and in a neat side-note it changes speed with PacMan's mood. If he's happy or angry, the music goes fast. If he's sad or scared, it slows down. Each tune is a pretty short loop, but they are very well put-together tracks with lots of cool sounds in there. Play the Genesis version of this game to see how superior the SNES soundchip was.
The other great aspect of the sound is PacMan's voice. He speaks gibberish in this funny, digitized voice, that, like his expressions, never gets old. (The Genesis could also not handle the voice, making that version far less entertaining).
Verdict:
The gameplay here is nothing special - go find stuff, basically. It's the actual character of PacMan that makes this game so fun. What I notice is that almost no other game I can think of has such an interactive and realistic portrayal of character. This game is not great by most measures, but this one unique aspect makes it worthy of being remembered. |
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| ID: 653870 | 15 Words
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