Taisen Pac-Man (対戦パックマン Taisen Pakkuman, lit. "Competitive Pac-Man") is a mobile game released in 2006 by Namco Bandai Games. It is an enhanced version of the original Pac-Man with an additional multiplayer mode, which plays similarly to the 2003 GameCube game Pac-Man Vs.
Originally exclusive to Japan, the game was later released in Europe in 2008 as just Pac-Man; often dubbed as being a "remastered" version of the game.[1][2][3] The European release also featured an online leaderboard system.[1] Europe also got a Ms. Pac-Man version of the game.[4]
Gameplay[]
At its surface, Taisen Pac-Man is a tweaked version of the 2001 Pac-Man mobile port. The player is given two options: "1P Play", which loads the the original Pac-Man, and "Taisen Play", which loads the Pac-Man Vs.-like game. Taisen Play is transmitted wirelessly between multiple phones; depending on the game version, ports can allow up to five (?) players in one game (with a minimum of two players). In both gameplay modes, the player can choose from four unique level layouts (including the original Pac-Man maze); one of these layouts is quite similar to Haunted Hall/Lib Rab Woods from Pac-Man Vs.
Trivia[]
- In a televised interview, Namco Networks Europe president Barry O'Neill showcased Taisen Pac-Man; O'Neill highlighted the game as being "inspired" by Pac-Man Vs., but did not consider it a direct port.[2]
- Several Japanese phone models featured a preinstalled "demo" of Taisen Pac-Man; these include the Vodafone 705SH and 905SH, and the docomo P-04B and SH-07B.
- A 2010 release of the game features the Pac-Man 30th Anniversary logo upon bootup.[5]