Pac-Man World 2

"Disappointing after playing the superior 3D version"

I absolutely loved Pac-Man World 2 for the GCN, so when I saw this game in store for GBA, I just had to get a portable version of when of my favorite games of all time. Well, when I finally got this game, I was pretty disappointed. Note during the review when I say the other versions I am referring to the GCN, PS2, and XBox versions of this game.

Story
6/10
Same as the XBox, PS2, and GCN versions of Pac-Man World 2. The ghost gang has plucked the golden fruits from the tree in Pac-Village, releasing the evil ghost Spooky. Spooky and the ghost gang then team up to get revenge on the Pac-people. Then Pac-Man is sent to stop the ghosts. Okay, but nothing too special.

Graphics
7/10
The graphics are actually pretty good for a GBA game. They look a little choppy, but they are bright and enlarged, so the enemies don't just look like little blobs. Also for people who don't know yet, unlike other versions of Pac-Man World this game is in 2-D. So, as far as 2-D platformers go it's pretty good.

Sound
7/10
Lots of the music is ripped straight from other versions of the game. Thee music is pretty catchy, but some could say it is repetitive. The sound effects, again sound very similar to the 3D versions of this game.

Control
2/10
Probably the major downfall of the game. Pac-Man seems to have a mind of his own, walking whichever direction he pleases, doing whatever he wants. Not very precise at all. Revrolls are also very hard to use.

Gameplay
5/10
The game is pretty similar to that of a normal platformer. Run around stomping and bashing on foes. You can also try and improve your score by eating pac-dots and fruit. Instead of having a normal save feature this game has a password save feature. Though again, because of the controls the game can become pretty frustrating. Also another thing is sometimes the levels feel to long. Instead of having a really long level sometimes it feels like they should've made two levels out of one level, as the levels drag on..... and on..... and on.

Fun Factor
4/10
The game is pretty fun the first couple hours you play it, then it gets kind of repetitive. The game can become frustrating because of the poor controls and long levels. The game is reasonably short, much shorter than the 3D versions.

Overall
Story: 6/10
Graphics: 7/10
Sound: 7/10
Control: 2/10
Gameplay: 5/10
Fun Factor: 4/10


The game can be pretty fun at first, but with the long levels and bad controls the game can become pretty frustrating. If you want to buy Pac-Man World 2, do yourself a favor and buy a 3D version of the game.

Reviewer's Score: 4/10, Originally Posted: 10/16/06, Updated 01/26/09

Game Release: Pac-Man World 2 (US, 10/09/05)