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)

Unpopular opinion of the day: Pac-Man CE DX isn't as good as its predecessor

Yep, you read that correctly: I'm currently of the opinion that Pac-Man Championship Edition DX isn't as good--or, in then end, as enjoyable--as the original Pac-Man Championship Edition.

Now, that isn't to say I don't like the game. On the contrary, I like it quite a bit--or, at least I like some aspects of it quite a bit.

I like, for instance, the bevy of options and modes included in Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. Players can choose from a number of different courses, graphical styles and soundtracks, all of which make this iteration of the game feel as though it's packed with content.

I have to say, though, that only that middle option--the one that allows you to alter the game's visuals at will--really interests me. The choose-your-own-soundtrack option is nice, but it's hardly a game changer (pun intended), and the huge number of selectable courses only seems impressive at the start--once you've played through them, you realize they're all a bit interchangeable.



Those aren't the only bullet points offered up to potential Pac-Man Championship Edition DX purchasers; there's also the new "sleepy ghosts"--they remain stationary until you pass them, after which they follow you--and the slow-motion effect that kicks in whenever you get too close to a nearby baddie.

Both of those additions are enjoyable for a while, but in the end they make Pac-Man Championship Edition DX seem both easier and more straightforward than its more bare bones predecessor--which is why I'll likely continue to play the original at the expense of its more superficially enticing sequel.

See also: 'Raise your hand if you, too, think Pac-Man Championship Edition is digital crack'

Hey, Namco: When are you going to make a *Ms.* Pac-Man Championship Edition?

To say I'm chomping at the bit (pun intended) to play the recently released (if you own an Xbox 360--PS3 owners will be able to download the game next week) Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is an understatement of unfathomable proportions.

Unfortunately, I don't yet have an Xbox 360 or a PS3, so all I can do for the time being is watch, over and over again, this (second) trailer the game:



All that said, as much as Pac-Man Championship Edition DX causes me to tingle from head to toe (it does!), I can't help but hope that the folks at Namco eventually get around to making a Ms. Pac-Man Championship Edition.

Hungry?

That's the question asked at the end of the following Pac-Man Championship Edition DX trailer:



My answer, of course, is an unequivocal "yes!"

By the way, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX will supposedly hit PSN and XBLA sometime in December.