Ms. Pac-Man: Maze Madness

I know I've been out for awhile, but I had some issues to attend to.

...

Ahem.




This review is going to be a bit personal, as this is a gem from my childhood. For those of you not familiar with the PlayStation... who the hell are you? Go on eBay, fork over a 30 year old basement-dweller the necessary cash and lose yourself in one of the greatest systems known to man.

Anyway, the PlayStation is known for it's great franchises such as Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, and Twisted Metal. However, if you are a puzzle game junkie looking for that late-night dose, This game's got you covered. By this point, Ms. Pac-Man isn't exactly new to the gaming world. Her debut hit was more popular than her better half's, and she's starred in numerous games since. However, this has got to be the best game with Ms. Pac-Man in it.

We start off this epic adventure in Pac-Land, as Ms. Pac-Man is told by Professor Pac that she needs to find 4 gems to defeat the witch Mesmerelda. Or so I think, the story seemed a bit stupid to begin with, so I just ignored it.

The object of this game is to make your way through the map, solving puzzles, collecting dots and fruits, and beating the level in a certain time. It's a top-down view, and nothing about the game is that great. At first glance.

The one great thing about this game is the puzzle-solving. Many puzzles involve moving blocks and TNT to the right place and strategizing. It's really addictive. The puzzle-solving is fantastic, and each level throws something new at you. I literally spent 6 hours on the game, and was only 26% of the way done my first day playing. Yeah.

The game originally seemed like a cheap cash-in on the series' prestige, but I've gotta say that this is in the top 5 Pac games, maybe even top 3. Furthermore, this game has the best soundtrack of any Pac game ever. Ever. The music is marvelously cheesy, and every song perfectly accompanies the atmosphere and level. If you can find the soundtrack ANYWHERE, buy it. (It's better than any bullshit you'll hear on the radio nowadays).

If there's one thing negative to say, this game's controls are frustrating. At times the response is slow, but it's in no way a gamebreaker.

If you're hungry for a fix only puzzle-solving can satisfy, dust off your PS1 and free up a few days.