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Pac-Man World is certainly one of the most important games for the franchise and one of the PS1 games that people always mention when remembering childhood memories with the console.
It's Pac-Man World a classic? Yes, I think so.
Something I find pretty interesting about Pac-Man World is the fact the game is pseudo-2.5 with some 3D, the reason is because at the time in 1999, some fully 3D platformers were already in the market, so I think that make Pac-Man World feel somehow a bit unique, also the 2.5 is actually pretty useful and accurate for the gameplay of Pac-Man because most of the time the character can collect the classic cookies and defeat the also iconic ghosts with a gameplay pretty similar to the original game, I certainly think is pretty clever.
I think the game has creativity for a Pac-Man game in 1999 but I kinda think they indeed needed to pull out new concepts and ideas for the franchise, the levels and worlds of the game feel a bit basic for modern standards but for the time it was released I think is fine even if I can't still see the connection between Pac-Man and a pirate island.
Pac-Man World level design works like a classic platforming game of the time, the unique features are the common fights with the ghost that resemble a lot the classic game, collecting fruits and stuff for open doors with more collectables and resolve puzzles for keep progressing or open more paths for reach the final checkpoint.
The game indeed make a good work having some pretty memorable moments, I can quickly mention the third boss that is an obviously reference to Galaga the other classic Namco game, the fourth boss with the race boss fight, and I think most of the levels are filled with enough good design and creativity for feel that the game worth it.
Unfortunately, though, I can agree Pac-Man World has some truly flaws that ruin the final product, first of all I can mention the mazes that are a reference to the classic game and is a minigame that is available like one of the collectables for the game, it's not terrible or bad but I can't stop thinking they doesn't work like they should, while the design of the mazes is fine, the mazes are filled with hazards and the ghosts, but the problem is that most of the time is pretty hard avoid the hazards and ghosts at the same time, and I want to believe most people will relate that for beat the mazes the best option is just lose lives and damage boost until eating all the cookies for resume the normal gameplay.
Also the second boss of the game and the third level of the fourth world are just unbearable, if you search opinions or videos about the game you will quickly note that is a noisy opinion the players that mention their problems and how difficult were those two parts of the game, the boss is unfair and even the developers themselves admited the lack of time testing it properly, but the third level of the fourth world? I won't lie saying I almost dropped the game and I was legit upset, after beating the level the game resume the good gameplay, though.
Anyway, while I truly disliked some moments of Pac-Man World, I certainly think is a good and memorable game, the music that is a reference to classic Namco games is certainly charming and the game has the quality I expect from a japanese 90s platforming game, I think it is worthy of one playthrough even if you will certainly don't feel like playing again because those difficult parts I mentioned above, Pac-Man World is certainly a classic and good celebration of the time the franchise was just 20 years old.
- You are welcome to disagree with me.
Note: Pac-Man Party for the Nintendo Wii actually mention that the Pac-Dots are cookies, but if you are happier calling them pac-dots, go ahead, I just think is neat that all this time Pac-Man ate cookies, but now the question is, those are vanilla cookies? Butter cookies? Or lemon cookies?, some questions were never meant to be answered, I guess.
