Pac-Man World Rally

"Almost as good as Mario Kart."

Let me start by saying I am a huge fan of Mario Kart, as well as Pac Man. So when I heard of a Mario Kart like title with Pac Man characters in it, I had to get my hands on it. I was actually quite impressed with this game.

Story: 5/10
There isn't much of a real story in this game, but then again, hardly any kart racers have a story.

Graphics: 10/10
The graphics in this game are beautiful. They all look crisp and shiny. All the cars and items vary quite a bit in appearance, and the characters look much more crisp than they usually do. The backgrounds for stages are also awesome, they have many little details in them, whether you're in space, or in a clown house!! I have yet to see anything bad about the graphics.

Control: 7/10
The controls are simple and easy to use. L is use an item, press X once your bar is full to get a guardian to protect your kart, press Y once eating enough Pac-Dots to gobble opponents, etc. So the controls are pretty similar to other kart racing titles. The only thing is sometimes it feels like my character is going somewhere I don't want him to, or going to far to the left or something, but this could just be a problem with my joystick, not the actual game.

Sound: 7/10
The sound effects are all pretty good, and they sound realistic. The music is pretty good, though it doesn't influence the game much, and it's not the kind of music you always hum in your head.

Gameplay: 10/10
The gameplay is pretty similar to any other kart racing game, except it is more fast paced. You tend to go at a zipping speed through the courses, collecting pac dots and items. The courses are all very good, they all have many gimmicks and surprises in them, I actually find the tracks in this game better than the ones in something like Mario Kart. No matter what stage you are on, there is always things to look out for. There is a total of 14 characters, each varying in stats quite a bit. There is also 3 characters who make a surprise appearance. *Minor spoilers*

The Prince from Katamari Damacy.
Pooka and Frygar from Dig Dug.

You can also hold up th 3 items at once, which is pretty neat. As in Mario Kart, there is power sliding in this game, and if you do it enough you get a little guardian that protects your kart for a short amount of time. Also another neat feature is the Pac Mobile. Eat enough dots, and with the press of the Y button you will transform and you can then start gobbling up your rivals!! The gameplay is very good, and nothing seems to go wrong about it in this game.

Replayability: 8/10
If you have friends, this game will last you forever, as you can always race, battle, whatever with them. If you are by yourself, the game might not last as long, as there is not a whole load of stuff to unlock in the game.

Overall
If you are a big fan of either Pac-Man or kart racing, go and get this game for the steal price of $30.00. Even if you play alone this game can still be worth the money. So, unless you are seriously by yourself, or aren't very sure about this game, buy it first.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 08/28/06