I was never really into PAC-MAN growing up. Part of the problem was that when it was first released in arcades, I wasn’t even around then. As it was rereleased as different versions, I was already playing more “advanced” titles on home consoles, like the Genesis and the NES. By the late ‘90s, I was deep into Nintendo 64 games – all the classics, you know them. But now, in the year of our Lord 2021, I am discovering a love for PAC-MAN I never knew I had, and it’s likely because PAC-MAN 99 is basically not at all a PAC-MAN game.
Sure, there are the obvious similarities that make it undeniably a PAC-MAN game. The first being you play as PAC-MAN. That’s a big giveaway. There is also a maze, filled with dots and pellets, and ghosts that chase you or run away. Other than these elements, it’s basically an entirely different experience. An experience so far removed from the core concept of the original that if you play it like you would the standard games you’re going to have a bad time.
So while it’s got all the hallmarks of a PAC-MAN title, it might as well be called something entirely different. I think this is why I like it. The constant onslaught of threats and your ability to power yourself up in unique ways to tackle, avoid, or counter those threats makes it so tantalizingly unique. I’m not weighed down with trying to only focus on a highscore. I’m focusing on a multitude of things at once. There’s PAC-MAN’s position, the ghosts and what they’re doing, the process of collecting dots, managing pellets, and spawning fruit.
This sure does sound suspiciously like a normal PAC-MAN game, but it’s the new mechanics that shake it all up. I need to work out which Power Up to use, what kind of opponent to target, whether the new types of enemies are coming in and if they are, where are they spawning? I’m managing the dots and pellets not to get a highscore, but it work out how best to fuck over the asshole that’s been targeting me all match.
Oh, and consuming a maxed-out train of ghosts using the Stronger Power Up is absolutely exhilarating. I love knowing that I’m just dunking on the fool that’s been targeting me. And what’s that? I just knocked them out and got all their badges. Now I’m more powerful and more of a threat!
PAC-MAN 99 is a massive power trip. It shakes off the burden of getting a highscore and lets you face off against the best threat there is: a human. It gives you the tools to play in a style that works for you. It’s a game I didn’t know I needed and never knew I would actually enjoy playing.
