Bandai Namco’s ‘Pac-Man Friends’ Mixes Power Pellets, Ghosts, And Mazes With Tilt Controls And In-App Purchases

I’m going to say some things about Pac-Man Friends out of the gate that will make some of you want nothing to do with Pac-Man or his pals. This game is free-to-play, and it contains in-app purchases. Three cherries cost 99 cents, a bundle of hearts go for $4.99, so on and so forth. But if you’re skilled enough to get by without these power-ups, you don’t have to spend any money to get enjoyment out of this experience.

Pac-Man Friends is not particularly distinct from other modern mobile games. It’s shallow, basic, and grows pretty repetitive after a while. But it’s Pac-Man, and seeing such old gameplay formulas given a modern-day treatment is at least mildly amusing (and it sure beats putting the guy in an endless runner). At the end of the day, you’re still shaped like a pizza with a slice missing, eating pellets, running away from ghosts, and navigating mazes – you’re just using tilt controls that, while not perfect, get the job done.

  

I wouldn’t stick with this title for long, but there’s something mildly intriguing about seeing old-school meet new-school. For a moment, at least. Then it’s mainly just sad.