Pac-Man Collection

is a 2001 video game compilation published by Namco for the Game Boy Advance. It includes four titles in the ''Pac-Man'' series — the original ''Pac-Man'' (1980), '' Pac-Mania'' (1987), '' Pac-Attack'' (1993), and ''Pac-Man Arrangement'' (1996), the last of which was originally exclusive to the arcade game ''Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2''. Each game includes customizable features such as the ability to alter the number of starting lives or difficulty, with all being stripped of multiplayer features. ''Pac-Man'', ''Pac-Mania'' and ''Arrangement'' were originally released for arcades, while ''Pac-Attack'' was first released for both the SNES and Sega Genesis.

Development of the game was headed by California-based studio Mass Media, who previously worked on several '' Namco Museum'' collections for other platforms. It was first announced on April 24, 2001 under the name ''Pac-Man Fever'', before being presented at the 2001 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) tradeshow. ''Pac-Man Collection'' was a commercial success — by 2007 it sold over 2.9 million copies worldwide, making it the ninth best-selling Game Boy Advance game of all time. Critics reacted positively to the title's selection of games and customizable features, although some criticized the exclusion of games such as '' Ms. Pac-Man'' and inability to save high-scores. It was re-released as a budget title in Japan in 2006, and later digitally on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2014.

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), the later of which was originally exclusive to the compilation arcade game ''Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2''. ''Pac-Man'', ''Pac-Mania'' and ''Arrangement'' were originally released for arcades, while ''Pac-Attack'' was first released for both the SNES and Sega Genesis in North America and Europe. '' Ms. Pac-Man'' is excluded from the compilation due to the game already being present in the '' Namco Museum'' collection for the system from a few months prior. The original ''Pac-Man'' can be displayed in either full-screen or a scrolling display. Excluding ''Pac-Attack'', each of the games allow the player to alter the number of lives, game difficulty and other related options. All four of the games are also stripped of any multiplayer features. ''Pac-Attack'' also has its soundtrack cut down due to storage capacity, while ''Arrangement''s is in a lower bit-rate.

Development and release

''Pac-Man Collection'' was released on July 13, 2001 in North America, December 7, 2001 in Europe, and on January 11, 2002 in Japan. Development of the game was headed by California-based studio Mass Media, who previously worked with Namco on several '' Namco Museum'' collections for various platforms. The game was first announced on April 24 under the working title ''Pac-Man Fever'', before being presented at the 2001 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) convention in Los Angeles, California. It is Namco's second title released for the Game Boy Advance, following ''Namco Museum'' from earlier that year. The game was distributed by Infogrames in Europe. In Japan, the game was re-released under the ''Value Selection'' budget brand on February 2, 2006. Alongside the Family Computer conversion of '' Pac-Land'', it was digitally re-released for the Wii U Virtual Console on June 11, 2014 to celebrate Pac-Man's inclusion as a playable character in '' Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS & Wii U''.

Reception

''Pac-Man Collection'' was received positively by reviewers, who commended the title for its selection of titles and customizable features. It holds a 79/100 on aggregator website Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews". The game was also a commercial success; it became the 6th best-selling handheld game in North America between January 2000 and August 2006, selling over 1.6 million copies and generating more than $25 million in revenue. By 2007 it sold over 2.9 million copies worldwide, making it the ninth best-selling Game Boy Advance game of all time.

'' IGN'', who gave it the "Editor's Choice" award, stated that the game's selection of titles made it an easy sell for ''Pac-Man'' fans, while '' Allgame'' called it a must-own for its customization features and inclusion of ''Pac-Man Arrangement''. ''Allgame'' also praised the collection's sharp graphics and impressive 3D effects in games such as '' Pac-Mania''. In their brief review, ''GamePro'' noted of the game's responsive controls and fast-paced action of ''Pac-Man Arrangement''. ''GameSpy'' found the selection of titles and solid emulation quality to make it "worthwhile addition to any retro fans portable library", saying that the original ''Pac-Man'' alone made it worth a purchase. '' GameSpot'' especially praised its high-quality ports and replay value, saying that it helps prove that classic video games and handheld systems blend well together. ''Pocket Games'' magazine liked that '' Pac-Attack'' help bring a change of pace from the other included titles, while also praising the game's emulation quality and included titles.

Some critics disliked the game's lack of additional titles and inability to save high scores. ''GameSpy'' particularly disliked the compilation's lack of '' Ms. Pac-Man'', the "only Pac sequel truly worth playing", while ''IGN'' felt slightly disappointed towards the exclusion of games such as '' Super Pac-Man'' and '' Pac-Man Plus''. ''IGN'' was also slightly critical of the game's lack of high-score saving, although noted that the games automatically wiping scores anyway made this somewhat forgivable. ''Pocket Games'' found ''Pac-Attack'' to be the weakest of the four due to its lack of innovation compared to other similar puzzle games. French publication ''Pocket Magazine'' was the most negative towards the game, calling it "old junk" for its lack of multiplayer features and high score saving, while also disliking its price point for being too high.

Notes

References

External links

Official Japanese website

{{Bandai Namco compilations

2001 video games
Game Boy Advance games
Pac-Man
Bandai Namco video game compilations
Video games developed in the United States
Video games scored by Jim Andron
Virtual Console games
Virtual Console games for Wii U