| Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer | Bandai Namco Studios |
| Publisher | Bandai Namco Entertainment |
| Director | Tadashi Iguchi |
| Composer | Hiroyuki Kawada |
| Series | Pac-Man |
| Engine | Unity |
| Platforms | PlayStation 4 Windows Xbox One Nintendo Switch |
| Release | PS4, Windows, Xbox One
|
| Genre | Maze |
| Modes | Single-player,Multiplayer (Plus) |
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2[a] is amazearcade game developed byBandai Namco Studios and published byBandai Namco Entertainment. An installment in thePac-Man series, it was released forPlayStation 4,Windows, andXbox One on September 15, 2016; an updated version featuring an exclusive 2-player co-op mode,Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus, was released forNintendo Switch on February 22, 2018.[1] It is a direct sequel toPac-Man Championship Edition and the follow-up ofPac-Man Championship Edition DX+.
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 builds upon the gameplay introduced inChampionship Edition andChampionship Edition DX+, which added faster gameplay to the traditionalPac-Man formula. Taking control ofPac-Man, players go through various mazes collecting pellets while avoiding theroaming ghosts. Gathering enough pellets will either reveal a bonus item that sends Pac-Man to the next maze or a Power Pellet that can be used to eat ghosts. Unlike previous iterations ofPac-Man, in which touching ghosts would instantly kill Pac-Man, ghosts can now be bumped into up to three times in succession before they enter an Angry state, during which touching them will cause Pac-Man to lose a life. Similar toChampionship DX, passing by sleeping ghosts will add them to a trail behind the other ghosts, allowing for large point bonuses when eaten. Players can also use jump pads to jump over parts of a maze and bombs to instantly return to the start of a maze. The game features two main modes: Score Attack, in which players must try and rack up a high score within a time limit, and Adventure, which requires players to clear several objectives, including fighting giant bosses.[2] The Nintendo Switch 'Plus' version also features a co-op mode known as "Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus 2P". Player 1 will play as a yellow Pac-Man, while Player 2 plays as a turquoise Pac-Man, and still following the same rules, Players 1 and 2 need to eat fruit together to get to the next maze. When a player gets caught by a ghost, the other will have a few seconds to save said player from losing a life. When there are only a few minutes left, a giant ghost will break the stage, putting both players in a bigger maze where they can jump around. While eating Power Pellets in this scenario, the players need to bump the giant ghost until they explode, letting them eat the fruit to get to the next stage.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 78/100[3] PS4: 77/100[4] XONE: 77/100[5] NS: 80/100[6] |
| OpenCritic | 61% recommend[7] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 7.5/10[8] |
| Game Informer | 9.25/10[9] |
| GameRevolution |    [10] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[11] |
| Hardcore Gamer | 4/5[12] |
| Nintendo Life | 9/10[15] |
| Shacknews | 8/10[13] |
| Kill Screen | 40/100[14] |
Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 received "generally favorable" reviews from critics according toMetacritic.[3][4][5][6] Fellow review aggregatorOpenCritic assessed that the game received strong approval, being recommended by 61% of critics.[7]
A retail disc for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One containingPac-Man Championship Edition 2 compiled with three games from theArcade Game Series (Pac-Man,Galaga, andDig Dug) was released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 1, 2016 in North America.[16]
Namco Museum Arcade Pac is a retail video game compilation for Nintendo Switch that includesPac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus along with select games included inNamco Museum for Nintendo Switch.[17]
