Common Sense Media Review
By Christopher Healy
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Decent mini-game set, plus sweet retro games included.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Play
Videos and Photos
Pac-Man Party
What's It About?
PAC-MAN PARTY is essentially a collection of mini-games that you can play as Pac-Man or one of several other retro game characters. But there is a storyline as well, which centers around the theft of cookies -- which are apparently Pac-Man's favorite food. As you move around a game board and play mini-games on different spaces, you're doing so with the intention of finding the stolen cookies. The mini-games themselves are vary greatly, ranging from bowling and billiards to battles with a giant squid or robotic teddy bear. The game disc also contains the original classic versions of Pac-Man, Galaga, and Dig-Dug.
Is It Any Good?
Pac-Man Party was released as a celebration of the 30 anniversary of the original Pac-Man arcade game. As such, it could have been an afterthought to developers, but it turns out to be a surprisingly fun package of mini-games. The cookie-hunting storyline is admittedly lame, and the rules to the board game that frames the mini-games can be a tad hard to grasp. But the mini-games themselves are quite enjoyable. There's a ton of variety among them and a lot of very creative premises -- something we can truly appreciate in a market flooded with Wii mini-game collections. Plus the whole package is made all the sweeter by the inclusion of three old-school arcade games that will entice parents and (hopefully) intrigue curious kids.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Is it fun for parents and kids to play video games together? Does a retro character like Pac-Man, presented in a very modern format, help to bring generations together for play?
Old-school original versions of games like Pac-Man and Dig-Dug are included here. Is there anything about those old games that seems better than the way new video games are made? Can children understand why their parents used to enjoy games like that?
Game Details
- Platform : Nintendo Wii
- Pricing structure :
- Available online? : Not available online
- Publisher : Namco Bandai
- Release date : November 16, 2010
- Genre : Party
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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