Pac-Man Collection
Four classic Pac-Man games in one portable collection.
Mass Media developed this Game Boy Advance compilation for Namco, released in 2001. It contains four Pac-Man games: the 1980 original, Pac-Mania, Pac-Attack, and Pac-Man Arrangement. By 2007, worldwide sales exceeded 2.9 million copies, ranking it ninth among best-selling Game Boy Advance titles.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Mass Media
- Publisher
- Namco
- Series
- Pac-Man
- Platforms
- Game Boy Advance
- Released
- July 12, 2001 (NA)
- EU/AU
- December 7, 2001
- January 11, 2002 (JP)
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Games
Pac-Man Collection includes four games from Namco's Pac-Man franchise: the original Pac-Man (1980), Pac-Mania (1987), Pac-Attack (1993), and Pac-Man Arrangement (1996). Pac-Man Arrangement was originally exclusive to the arcade compilation Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2. Pac-Man, Pac-Mania, and Arrangement were originally arcade releases, while Pac-Attack first appeared on the SNES and Sega Genesis. Ms. Pac-Man is absent because it was already included in the Namco Museum collection for the system. The original Pac-Man can be displayed in full-screen or scrolling mode. Excluding Pac-Attack, each game allows adjustment of lives, difficulty, and other options. All four games lack multiplayer features. Pac-Attack and Pac-Mania have shortened soundtracks due to storage limits, and Arrangement uses a lower bit-rate.
Development and release
Mass Media, a California studio with prior experience on Namco Museum collections, led development. The game debuted under the working title Pac-Man Fever on April 24, 2001, and was shown at that year's E3 in Los Angeles. As Namco's second Game Boy Advance release, it followed Namco Museum from earlier in 2001. Infogrames handled European distribution. In Japan, it returned on February 2, 2006 as part of the Value Selection budget line. On June 11, 2014, it was re-released for the Wii U Virtual Console alongside the Famicom version of Pac-Land, celebrating Pac-Man's appearance in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U.
Reception
Pac-Man Collection received generally favorable reviews, with a Metacritic score of 79/100. Critics praised the selection of titles and customizable features. IGN gave it an Editor's Choice award, calling it an easy sell for Pac-Man fans. Allgame called it a must-own for its customization and inclusion of Pac-Man Arrangement, and praised the sharp graphics and 3D effects in Pac-Mania. GamePro noted responsive controls and fast-paced action in Pac-Man Arrangement. GameSpy found the selection and emulation quality made it a worthwhile addition to any retro fan's portable library, saying the original Pac-Man alone justified a purchase. GameSpot highlighted its high-quality ports and replay value, stating it proves classic games and handheld systems blend well. Pocket Games liked that Pac-Attack offered a change of pace and praised the emulation quality. Some critics disliked the lack of additional titles and inability to save high scores. GameSpy particularly regretted the absence of Ms. Pac-Man, calling it the only Pac sequel truly worth playing. IGN was disappointed by the exclusion of Super Pac-Man and Pac-Man Plus, and criticized the lack of high-score saving, though noted that automatic score wiping made this somewhat forgivable. Pocket Games found Pac-Attack the weakest title due to lack of innovation. French publication Pocket Magazine was the most negative, calling it old junk for lacking multiplayer and high-score saving, and criticizing its price point.
More in Bandai Namco Games of the 2000s
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