Namco Bandai Announces Pac-Man Championship Edition and Date for Release

Today Microsoft and Namco Bandai revealed Pac-Man Championship Edition for Xbox Live Arcade. This new version will have enchanced HD graphics, new mazes, new soundtrack, and six new timed game modes.

“Pac-Man was the game that ignited the world’s passion for video games, with every member of the family hooked on avoiding Clyde and eating up all the Power Pellets,” said Jeff Bell, corporate vice president of Global Marketing for the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “It is a tremendous honor that Namco Bandai and Toru Iwatani are going to use the power of the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade platform to deliver the next evolution of ‘Pac-Man’ to the world.”

The six new game modes will include:

• Championship Mode- 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. 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.