Hyper Pac-Man
What do you get when you cross Pac-Man with Bomberman?
The answer is Hyper Pac-Man, a very strange Pac-Man sequel that
came out in 1995, 15 years after the original. While this has
alot in common with the original, it is also influenced as much
by the popular Bomberman series. The combination makes for a
very unique experience that is a bit too easy.
While the basic
gameplay is there with the mazes to wander in and the dots to
munch, the game is anything but a normal Pac-Man game. The
first big change is the addition of power-ups. Grab a pair of
roller skates and you go faster, grab some winged shoes and you
can jump over your foes. Get the picture? It gets stranger as
you have a football helmet that gives you one hit and one that
allows you to shoot lasers. You get to keep your power-ups from
screen to screen so long as you do not die. Some like the
laser helmet are a bit too powerful and destroy the balance of
the game. It is quite easy to go through screen after screen
when you can easily blast the enemies.
(OK maybe not exactly
the same...)
To be honest, the
biggest problem with this variation of Pac-Man is that it is way
too easy. You can easily get through ten levels before you need
to use a continue (yes, it has continues). The original and
especially Ms. Pac-Man were all about a challenge (that is if
you did not use the maze memorization of the original). This
one keeps you going for awhile just to see what is new and
different but soon you tire of it. The challenge is just not
there.
(Make that nothing like
the original.)
One neat feature it
has over the original is a two player mode. You can play two
players at once, which adds some enjoyment to it. This is
especially helpful on the boss levels (yes, there are boss
levels). Too bad there isn't a choice to be cooperative or
competitive. That would have made a big difference. But it is
still nice to have another two player game.
(Is this Pac-Man or
Bullfight?)
While it has all the
elements of Pac-Man, it also has too many modern elements that
will ruin it for purists. Too bad as the two player option is a
nice addition. I just wish the challenge was stronger as I ran
through the 30 levels in no time and don't have the urge to play
it again. And that is probably the surest sign it is modern
game.
This is just a review of the arcade machine.
If you are looking for the actual arcade machine, you may want
to check out ebay. Click below to see if you can find this
game.
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