Pac-Man Championship Edition 2[a] is a maze arcade game developed by Bandai Namco Studios and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. An installment in the Pac-Man series, it was released for PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on September 15, 2016; an updated version featuring an exclusive 2-player co-op mode, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus, was released for Nintendo Switch on February 22, 2018.[1] It is a direct sequel to Pac-Man Championship Edition and the follow-up of Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+.
| Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Bandai Namco Studios |
| Publisher(s) | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Director(s) | Tadashi Iguchi |
| Composer(s) | Hiroyuki Kawada |
| Series | Pac-Man |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation 4 Windows Xbox One Nintendo Switch |
| Release | PS4, Windows, Xbox One
|
| Genre(s) | Maze |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, Multiplayer (Plus) |
Gameplay
edit
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 builds upon the gameplay introduced in Championship Edition and Championship Edition DX+, which added faster gameplay to the traditional Pac-Man formula. Taking control of Pac-Man, players go through various mazes collecting pellets while avoiding the roaming ghosts. Gathering enough pellets will either reveal a bonus item that sends Pac-Man to the next maze or a Power Pellet that can be used to eat ghosts. Unlike previous iterations of Pac-Man, in which touching ghosts would instantly kill Pac-Man, ghosts can now be bumped into up to three times in succession before they enter an Angry state, during which touching them will cause Pac-Man to lose a life. Similar to Championship DX, passing by sleeping ghosts will add them to a trail behind the other ghosts, allowing for large point bonuses when eaten. Players can also use jump pads to jump over parts of a maze and bombs to instantly return to the start of a maze. The game features two main modes: Score Attack, in which players must try and rack up a high score within a time limit, and Adventure, which requires players to clear several objectives, including fighting giant bosses.[2] The Nintendo Switch 'Plus' version also features a co-op mode known as "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus 2P". Player 1 will play as a yellow Pac-Man, while Player 2 plays as a turquoise Pac-Man, and still following the same rules, Players 1 and 2 need to eat fruit together to get to the next maze. When a player gets caught by a ghost, the other will have a few seconds to save said player from losing a life. When there are only a few minutes left, a giant ghost will break the stage, putting both players in a bigger maze where they can jump around. While eating Power Pellets in this scenario, the players need to bump the giant ghost until they explode, letting them eat the fruit to get to the next stage.
Reception
edit| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 78/100[3] PS4: 77/100[4] XONE: 77/100[5] NS: 80/100[6] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 7.5/10[7] |
| Game Informer | 9.25/10[8] |
| GameRevolution |    [9] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[10] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5[11] |
| Nintendo Life | 9/10[14] |
| Shacknews | 8/10[12] |
| Kill Screen | 40/100[13] |
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics according to Metacritic.[3][4][5][6]
Re-releases
editPac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series
editA retail disc for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One containing Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 compiled with three games from the Arcade Game Series (Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig Dug) was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 1, 2016 in North America.[15]
Namco Museum Arcade Pac
editNamco Museum Arcade Pac is a retail video game compilation for Nintendo Switch that includes Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus along with select games included in Namco Museum for Nintendo Switch.[16]
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ Gematsu (December 18, 2017). "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus announced for Switch". Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- ^ "Pac-Man: Championship Edition 2 Review". Archived from the original on September 20, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
- ^ a b "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ a b "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ a b "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ a b "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
- ^ Devore, Jordan (September 12, 2016). "Review: Pac-Man Championship Edition 2". Destructoid. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Vazquez, Suriel (September 13, 2016). "All Aboard The Ghost Train - Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 - PC". Game Informer. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Blondeau, Elias (September 13, 2016). "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Review". Game Revolution. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ D'Aprile, Jason (September 16, 2016). "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Spyrison, Sam (September 12, 2016). "Review: Pac-Man Championship Edition 2". Hardcore Gamer. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Vincent, Brittany (September 13, 2016). "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Review: Powering Up". Shacknews. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Solberg, Dan (October 7, 2016). "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is a remix too far". Kill Screen. Archived from the original on December 14, 2017. Retrieved December 14, 2017.
- ^ Vogel, Mitch (February 22, 2018). "Review: Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on October 2, 2024. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
- ^ "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 + Arcade Game Series". Play-Asia.com. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved October 20, 2016.
- ^ "Namco Museum Arcade Pac is a 2-in-1 Bundle Coming Exclusively to Switch". July 2, 2018. Archived from the original on July 5, 2018. Retrieved July 5, 2018.