"Pac-Man and a slingshot? WHAT'S GOING ON??"

Pac-Man, that hungry little yellow ball who has eaten more than his share of colorful ghosts in the past appeared on the Genesis in probably his most fun and unique adventure yet. Appearing in a side-scrolling point-and-click adventure, Pac-Man somehow seems to make it all work out, providing an entertaining and sometimes hilarious experience.

Story: 6/10

No Pac-Man game has ever had a really solid story, and neither does this one. However, given the type of game it is and what characters it contains I doubt it could do much better. Despite that, the small story you're given is more than enough to keep you playing.

In short, the point of this game is given to you by Pac-Man himself: ''Today I'll introduce you to my world. My world can be tricky sometimes, so I'll need your help finding things, getting out of trouble and solving weird mysteries!''

Yes, most of the game is centered around ''missions,'' such as getting a baby bottle and milk for Pac-Baby to start off with. In addition to this, there's an evil witch who has sent the ghosts after Pac-Man, whatever will he do?! Well, that's your job, because whatever Pac-Man does and how he does it is entirely up to you.

Graphics: 10/10

Pac-Man's world is a colorful place indeed, almost anyone would agree. The foregrounds are nicely detailed in their own ways. Throughout the game you'll travel to different areas including Pac-Man's neighborhood and mountaintops. Each area is easily distinguishable from the last and looks extremely well done. From houses on the street corners to the dark interiors of caves to the buildings in the big city, everything looks just as it should with a cartoon touch.

The backgrounds are a bit more bland, but considering that this is a Genesis game, things aren't going to be photo-realistic (and shouldn't be.) Most of what you'll see background-wise is a far off view of the landscape, usually consisting of less detail as if where you currently are is on the outskirts of a forest or mountain. You'll see many green hillsides and rocky cliffs, including others depending on where you are.

The scenery is all well and good, but some of the real eye candy lies in the characters themselves. People and animals look like cartoon characters and even display similar looking emotions. If you anger someone, they may turn red and start screaming at Pac-Man through a huge mouth. If a cat decides to attack, it will do so in a frenzy of claws and dust. Pac-Man even lets you accurately know how he's feeling. If he's happy, he'll happily walk down the street with both legs kicking in the air with each step (now that would be annoying in real life.) If he's angry, he'll let you know by screaming at you in gibberish, but we all know he's probably screaming obscenities in his language. If Pac-Man is sad, he'll walk around with a frown and keep his eyes to the ground. At the times where you get the chance to scare the hell out of Pac-Man, he'll close his eyes and run screaming like a three year-old until whatever scared him goes away or he runs face-first into an object, where he'll conveniently be flattened for a bit.

In a nutshell, this game is beautiful.

Sound: 8/10

With any game, music seems to creepily follow you around wherever you go. Of course, this is no different in the world of Pac-Man. Most of the music is up-beat and cheerful, really setting the mood for the game. In some areas, it becomes considerably darker but retains enough ''lightness'' to not destroy the overall mood. None of the music is annoying nor does it loop constantly, which is a hard thing to find in many games then OR now.

The sound effects are realistic in some areas, and just downright bad in others. When you shoot a pellet from your slingshot (which you use almost constantly) there is only one sound that results. No matter if you shoot the side of a house, a tree, or a person, the sound is always something that sounds like a ''splash.'' This is really not a big problem, but it could have used a bit of work.

The rest of the sound effects are very well done. Most of what you'll hear is Pac-Man himself, either ''talking'' or screaming. Other sounds can come from dogs, cats, cows, people, etc. There's also very small bits of voice acting, such as ''Look!'' when you want Pac-Man to look or walk in a certain direction. All in all, the sounds make this game even more enjoyable.

Gameplay: 9/10

Pac-Man 2 is very similar to point-and-click games such as the Monkey Island series. Unlike other games in the genre, you don't have a set of commands such as ''Walk'' or ''Talk.'' Instead, you have to take a more... err... aggressive approach. That's right, you hit things with a slingshot! You see, you don't actually control Pac-Man, you get him to react by shooting an infinite amount of slingshot pellets at things around him. If you hit an apple in a tree for example, it will fall and Pac-Man will eat it if he's facing that direction. Other characters will also react if you hit them, which is not always a good thing. If you hit people on the streets, they'll become angry and start yelling at Pac-Man, causing him to run and possibly start screaming in anger at you. You can also make dogs and birds chase him by doing this.

One of the most fun things to do in this game (which is not something I recommend doing often) is shooting pellets right at Pac-Man's head. This will make him angry, but it's also very funny. Sometimes though, you'll be required to shoot at Pac-Man in order for him to perform a desired task, such as jumping out of harm's way or from platform to platform. Still, that doesn't mean you can't spend a few seconds having good ol' target shooting fun with Pac-Man...

Throughout the game, some things will happen that will make Pac-Man sad or angry (and shooting at him continuously is one of those things.) At those times, you can replenish his ''happiness'' by guiding him to a fruit tree and shooting down some fruit for him. This is something that you'll be required to do if you want him to listen to you, and truthfully, I would also ignore someone who shot little rocks at me. Failing to do so will result in Pac-Man ignoring you and your commands to look or go in certain directions or acknowledging the existence of an important item that you need.

At some points in the game you'll encounter Pac-Man's arch enemies, the ghosts! When you see them, you'll have to shoot a Power Pellet in front of Pac-Man. Once he eats it, he'll transform into Super Pac-Man, giving him the chance to devour the ghosts. You can only hold three Power Pellets at a time and will have to find more if you run out.

Fulfilling ''missions'' in the game will take you to four different areas where you'll have to find a special item before you can return to Pac-Man's house. Some areas, such as the mountains, can be difficult. You aren't supplied with very many hints in this game, so whatever you do and how you do it is completely up to you.

Replay: 5/10

Once you finish the game, you'll probably have very little desire to play through again anytime soon. It is a very fun game, but unfortunately the appeal doesn't last much after the first playthrough. In the arcade in town, there is a classic Pac-Man game that you can play, so if you're a fan of the old school series then that may be a reason to at least visit the first level again.

Overall: 8/10

Pac-Man 2 was by far and still is one of my favorite games on the Genesis. If you can find this game then I strongly recommend buying it. Even if you aren't a fan of Pac-Man, I suggest giving this game a try if you can find it cheap. This is a truly unique game that was definitely underrated at its time, what else is there to say?

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/11/03