Pac-Man Fever (GameCube)

CNET editors' rating: 2.5 stars OK
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Overall score: 5.2 (2.5 stars)
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Gamespot editors' review

• Reviewed by: Ryan Davis
• Reviewed on: 09/04/2002
• Released on: 09/03/2002

Since the original Mario Party landed on the N64 in 1999, major publishers like Sega and Sony have attempted to replicate the success of Nintendo's mascot-driven party game. A generation later, Namco has decided to throw its hat into the ring with its own party game, Pac-Man Fever. Though it features superdeformed versions of some of Namco's more recognizable characters, Pac-Man Fever is basically just another shallow party game.

The presence of six superdeformed Namco characters can't carry this game.

Holding fast to the typical party game formula, the main mode of play in Pac-Man Fever is laid out much like your average, run-of-the-mill board game. In total, there are three different-themed boards to choose from: tropical, space, and medieval. The selection of minigames is slightly different on each board, but aside from this, the distinctions between the boards are purely cosmetic. At the beginning of each turn, all four players will compete in a minigame, and your performance in this minigame will determine how many squares you'll move that turn. There's a straight path from start to finish, and each square along the way will produce a different effect when landed upon, moving you forward or back on the board, awarding or taking away coins, or pitting players against each other for additional coins. Coins can be used on store squares to move ahead extra spaces, move back other players, multiply the number of spaces you'll move on your next turn, gamble for more coins, or buy raffle tickets. Raffle tickets purchased at the store square give you a better chance of winning the fruit raffle squares. Winning a fruit raffle square rewards you with tickets that can be used at the end of the game to unlock minigames in Pac-Man Fever's other gameplay mode, which strips out the board game elements and lets you get right to the action.

The minigames are the core of Pac-Man Fever, and on the whole they're pretty fast-paced and straightforward, requiring little explanation. The game touts more than 30 different minigames in total, but many of these are simple variations on the same concept, such as collecting items, shooting targets, or participating in a four-way battle. The minigames can be fun for a while, but the generally shallow gameplay mechanics and the repetition of minigame types keeps the game from having much lasting appeal. Pac-Man Fever's other primary fault, much like the board games it draws upon for inspiration, is the pacing. For starters, there are never more or fewer than four players in the game, as the computer will automatically jump in if there are any empty slots. But since the only time that all four players are participating in a minigame is at the beginning of a turn, you'll find yourself doing a lot of waiting around. And though you can determine the length of the board at the beginning of each game, even a short round of Pac-Man Fever lasts around a half hour, which is rather longer than most players will be able to stay engaged in the game.

Pac-Man Fever doesn't offer anything that hasn't been seen in countless other party games.

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