Pac-Man & Galaga Dimension Review (Nintendo 3DS)

Pac-Man Tilt

You may notice right away that the Pac-Man title in this game package does not include 3D in its title. That is because it is not a 3D game. This newest take on the franchise that began with the pellet-eating yellow circle uses 3 dimensional controls rather than 3D video. During gameplay, the player must tilt the 3DS in various directions to solve various puzzles. Also, in a move reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog, tilting the console can cause Pac-Man to roll into a ball for high-speed acceleration, to make jumps and avoid traps.

With all this necessary tilting movement, this game simply would not be able to take advantage of the 3D technology. The auto-stereoscopic 3D system employed requires the viewer to look at the screen at the proper angle for the illusion to work. Each time the game requires a tilt of the handheld to the side or top or bottom, the illusion would be spoiled. The resulting shift from 3D to 2D imaging would be hard on the eyes and could make gameplay hard to follow. Thankfully, Namco realized this and did not try to employ unworkable features into the game.

As for the game itself, the pastel-colored world reminds players of Pac-Man Champion Edition, a game that many enthusiasts have called for to be reborn. Interestingly enough, although this game looks quite similar, a quick browse of gaming forums will show that many players feel this is not it. Que sera sera. “Serious” gamers often pride themselves on finding fault in games, and oftentimes the better the game, the louder the complaints.