LogFAQs > #961977377

20. Pac-Man 99

If I were a child in 1980, I feel confident that I would not have grown up to become a morbidly obese manchild who spends most of his time consumed in the virtual hellscape of many video games, most of which are ultimately unfulfilling experiences. To be fair, I also did not become such a thing having been born when I was, as my obesity is not of the morbid variety. But if the best video game available to my child brain was 'Pac-Man' and not 'Super Mario Bros. 3', I would have likely done something productive, like marketing. Instead, I am a gamer, and my life is actually fun. To suggest 'Pac-Man' is the business major equivalent of degree-seeking college undergraduates is a bit harsh, as 'Pac-Man' is morally neutral rather than an agent of chaos and famine, but I stand by this comparison because I was not academically skilled enough to finish my business degree before switching to the arts. Yes, I am aware this tangent has no conceivable structure, but I want to address my primary concern with my life in relation to my primary concern with 'Pac-Man' in that they are only disappointing in relation to others, and that disappointment is frugal at best.

'Pac-Man' is a game about a gluttonous ball-man who eats smaller balls while being chased by ghosts. Sometimes you can eat a larger ball and you will then become a violent ball capable of devouring the very ghosts which haunt you. This simple set of mechanics is the driving force behind 'Pac-Man' and it is extremely fun to play for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes have passed, you will likely not enjoy playing 'Pac-Man' for at least a few hours, and then go back to finding it incredibly fun for 15 more minutes on your next play session. 'Pac-Man' is potentially the most arcade game arcade game ever designed.

Fast-forward to the year 2021 and the gameplay loop of 'Pac-Man' is no longer sustainable despite the strength of branding present. It has become crucial for 'Pac-Man' to twist itself into fresh experiences. The developers are fortunately intelligent enough to understand this need, while also finding ways to maintain that iconic gameplay structure present in the original 'Pac-Man'. Enter 'Pac-Man 99', which is 'Pac-Man' except it is a battle royale. The end results are a bit strange, but ultimately engaging enough to feed the same 15-minute engagement loop the original 'Pac-Man' so perfectly captured over forty years prior. 'Pac-Man 99' is a messy, confusing battle royale that doesnt entirely make sense, similar to 'Tetris 99', the game which almost certainly preceded this one. Generally speaking, you dont have to understand the total depth of 'Pac-Man' to be good at 'Pac-Man 99', you just probably wont win much. To this day, I have not won a single game of 'Pac-Man 99', yet I am never bothered by this. I have numerous wins in 'Tetris 99' which is the only retro video game I have any semblance of skill with, so I am not ashamed about being bad at 'Pac-Man'. Fuck you.

Pac-Man 99 Score: 3/6