This is a very strange game to review, no doubt. As a NES version of the classic arcade game, the experience is quite different from the arcade, since a pad is so different from a joystick. Although most NES games are long forgotten, this is a classic, and I think it does deserve some sort of rating.
I am reviewing this game on a zero to four star scale. It's no different for this ancient game than any other.
Graphics: **
For the time (as I say so often with
NES games), the graphics were all right. They're a huge improvement
over what you see on the Atari, which
is a bunch of blocks put together. This, on the other hand, at least
gives you a much better perspective
of the game. Unfortunately, the characters are still awfully rough, much
rougher than you'll see from a Mario game of the time.
Sound: ***
The sound effects are classic, and so
is the starting music. You have that classic "chomping" sound, and the
sound of the ghosts as they get eaten. However, the lack of background
music forces me to lower this
rating.
Difficulty: *1/2
While this game isn't super-easy for me (I can't easily get past the seventh level), it's not like it's that hard. Compared to using a joystick, it's a breeze. However, the lack of many lives, and the fact that you can only get one extra life at 10,000 points both make this game at least somewhat difficult.
Characters: **1/2
It's Pac-Man, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde, the classics. They're unforgettable. True, you don't exactly fall in love with them, and they're flat characters, both literally and figuratively. However, their names haven't been forgotten in my mind, so I can't give this a poor rating.
Controls: ***1/2
The control pad is so much better than
the joystick. That pretty much sums it all up here, as the controls
are simple.
Gameplay: **
The gameplay is simple, though not exactly
riveting. It's enough to keep you playing, though you're not
going to play the game with any more
excitement than breaking your previous high score.
Levels: 1/2
The levels don't change! They're the
same the whole way through! If there could be different and more
complicated mazes instead of just faster
ghosts, the levels would actually be worthwhile! Instead, they're
boring. That really hurts this game.
Replayability: 1/2
The game gets way too boring after a
while. You won't want to play it anymore, eventually. You're just doing
the same thing, over and over again,
and your high score is erased when the system is turned off! What's
the point of playing it again, really?
Fun Factor!: *
The game is somewhat fun, but then somewhat
boring at the same time. It gets boring fast, and that's the
problem. Eating a ghost isn't quite
the same as fireballing Bowser.
OVERALL: *1/2
The game overall is all right. Although it was a classic, because it could be addicting at first, it's not one you'll really want to play very often. Since it is somewhat addicting, I can't give it a lower score, but it obviously isn't one you should go out and buy at a used game store, or even try rehooking the NES over. It overall fails as a home game, although it thrives as a harder, arcade game.
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