Surprise! A brand new Pac-Man game on XBLA this week

by: Dan - posted: 6/5/2007 2:31:00 PM

Today at the Pac-Man world championships, a brand new Pac-Man game was announced as this week's Xbox Live Arcade release. PAC-MAN Championship Edition will feature the first new mazes in the Pac-Man franchise in over 26 years. PAC-MAN Championship Edition will be available for download on Arcade on Wednesday, June 6th at 5:00 a.m. EST and will cost 800 MS Points. Check out the full details below:

The “Pac-Man Championship Edition” is the same beloved “Pac-Man” game played in pizza parlors and arcades of the ’80s but is updated with new features that former “Pac-Man” fanatics and new generations of fans alike will love. It includes new mazes that dynamically change shape during gameplay, six new timed game modes, new soundtracks and high-definition (HD) graphics. Details include the following:

·         Classic 2-D “Pac-Man” presentation with a new, modern look in HD

·         Six new, timed game modes:

§ The Championship Mode. This is the main game mode designed by NAMCO BANDAI Games and Iwatani specifically for the championship round of the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship. This mode – as well as all others within the “Pac-Man Championship Edition” – features redesigned mazes with wide maze walls and a widescreen configuration to better enable high-speed game play. Timed limit of five minutes.

§ Challenge Mode 1 (Patience and Reward Course). This mode is an evolution of the Championship Mode. Patience mazes strategically offer fewer Power Pellets and Reward mazes provide a large number of Power Pellets – providing unique challenges and rewards for the player. Timed limit of 10 minutes.

§ Challenge Mode 2 (The Darkness Course). In this mode, only the area directly around Pac-Man and the Ghosts is visible and the maze walls are completely hidden. Timed limit of 10 minutes.

§ Extra Mode 1 (The Freeway Course). An extremely high-speed mode for advanced players, this mode features warp-speed Pac-Man and Ghosts and plenty of tunnels. Timed limit of five minutes.

§ Extra Mode 2 (The Manhattan Course). A mode inspired by the streets of Manhattan — the home for the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship. Timed limit of five minutes.

§ Extra Mode 3 (The Overall Course). A mix of all other modes resulting in extreme mazes for the most devout Pac-Man fans. Timed limit of 10 minutes.

·         Xbox LIVE leaderboards, Achievements and Gamerscore

·         Rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board

·         Costs 800 MicrosoftPoints

·         Available for download only on Xbox LIVE Arcade on the Xbox 360 starting at        0900 GMT (5 a.m. EDT) on Wednesday, June 6, 2007