Who's up for more Pac-Man? (Hint: I am! I AM!!!)

Those of you who followed my lead and answered in the affirmative should be happy to hear that the fine folks at Namco Bandai just announced--well, a few days ago--that they're prepping a digital compilation that'll be called Pac-Man Museum.

Which titles will this collection include? According to this press release, it'll feature "classic Pac-Man titles as well as newer arcade releases, allowing gamers to play through the evolution of Pac-Man from his humble beginnings from 1980 through 2008’s Pac-Man Championship Edition and 2010’s Pac-Man Battle Royale."



Unfortunately, all of us 3DS, PC, PS3, Wii U and/or Xbox 360 owners are going to have to wait until sometime this winter to get our four-player Pac-Man Battle Royale on.

In the meantime, PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 owners with copies of Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX can look forward to downloading a free update this summer that'll add a slew of new content--including "additional DLC mazes, music and graphics including classic Dig Dug and Rally-X sprites"--to this day-go digital title.

(Via joystiq.com and tinycartridge.com)

Wokka wokka wokka?

Are the folks at Namco Bandai prepping a new Pac-Man? I'd say the odds are pretty good, especially after reading (at siliconera.com) that the company will be unveiling "the next evolution" of the iconic character at the upcoming E3 2010 event.

I'm hoping this "evolution" refers to a home port of the previously revealed Pac-Man Battle Royale. If not, maybe we'll see some sort of evolution of Pac-Man Championship Edition? (Seriously, I'd probably die on the spot if they announced a Ms. Pac-Man Championship Edition.)

See also: 'How did I miss this one? (Pac-Man Battle Royale edition)'

How did I miss this one? (Pac-Man Battle Royale edition)

Did you know that Namco Bandai is working on a new Pac-Man arcade game? I sure didn't. I guess I should check out arcadeheroes.com--the site that broke the news late last month--more often.

Anyway, the four-player title enjoyed its first public outing at the recent Amusement Expo. Here's what it looks like in action:



Don't you just love that cocktail cabinet? As for the game itself, I think the graphics look good (they wisely ape those seen in the amazing Pac-Man Championship Edition) but I'm not so sure about the gameplay--especially since the eating of dots and ghosts on each board seems to be a secondary goal at this point. Hopefully those elements will play a more integral role in the game when it's released in September.

I have to imagine the folks at Namco Bandai will bring Pac-Man Battle Royale to one or more of the current console download services sooner or later, though they have yet to suggest (let alone announce) it.