Pac 'n Roll (パックンロール Pakku n Rōru) is a Nintendo DS game released by Namco in 2005.
Gameplay[]
The objective of Pac 'n Roll is to maneuver Pac-Man to the Goal at the end of the stage. He will also have to collect Pac-Dots to open Golvis Gates, and avoid the Ghosts. If a ghost hits Pac-Man, it will have to be shooed off on the touchscreen; if the player fails to do so, a life will be lost. Occasionally large crates will also get in Pac-Man's way, which can be destroyed via a charge attack.
The player controls Pac-Man via the touchscreen. The controls are rather difficult to explain, but are easier to understand naturally. Effectively, the bottom screen has a giant Pac-Man, which can be "rolled" by swiping the stylus across him. Special moves can be performed via different swiping methods.
Pac-Man can also eat Chocolate Bars to gain special abilities. They are needed in specific parts of the game. The different kinds of chocolates are:
- Knight Chocolate - Turns Pac-Man into a knight. Allows him to break metal crates and roll underwater. Pac-Man also becomes invincible to arrow attacks and Golvis' guitar slams. The armor that Pac wears makes him heavier and a bit more difficult to control.
- Wing Chocolate - Gains Pac-Man a winged cap. He can now fly short distances and becomes "as light as a feather," as Krystal says in the game. Pac-Man will be blown away more easily by the wind.
- Pac Chocolate - Reverts Pac-Man back to normal.
At the end of every world is a boss battle with Golvis. These levels take place on a narrow path, with Golvis chasing Pac from behind. Pac-Man must use three Power Pellets, and eat Golvis three times to defeat him.
Once the game is beaten, extra versions of each level are unlocked. These levels are very challenging and frustrating, often requiring precision-perfect movement and precise timing.
Worlds[]
Story[]
Note: some parts of this section may be considered spoilers.
Pac-Master trains Pac-Man.
Pac-Man is staying at Pac-Master's during the school holidays to train in fighting against Ghosts. He hopes to be able to defend Pac-Land from the mischievous Ghosts himself one day. Pac-Master continuously defeats Pac-Man in combat, telling him that he needs to train harder to become a true Pac-Warrior.
Pac-Man, exhausted from training, sleeps like a log every night, but has the same dream that involves a large dark Ghost. He is woken up one day by Pac-Master's Wife, who invites him to the Harvest Festival. There, Pac-Master comments that they won't have to worry about Ghosts for a while, as they have a great harvest of Power Pellets.
Meanwhile, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde are watching Pac-Man on the television. They begin to panic, realizing that they don't stand a chance against the Pac-People. Pinky comes up with the idea to resurrect the "Legendary Ghost," who was sealed away by Ghosts in the past because he was so dangerous.
Golvis kidnaps the Pac-People.
At the Harvest Festival, Pac-Man meets up with Pac-Girl, Pac-Master's daughter. They walk around the Harvest Festival together until they spot a UFO in the sky. A mysterious figure laughs and reveals itself to be Golvis, the self-proclaimed king of Rock 'n Roll. Pac-Man recognizes him as the Ghost from his dreams. Pac-Master prepares to attack Golvis, eating a Power Pellet. The Ghosts turn blue, but Golvis is unaffected. Golvis begins playing his guitar, Jack, turning all the Pac-People into balls. Golvis gloats, telling Pac-Master to watch as he takes over Pac-Land. He then uses Jack to suck up Pac-Master and his family.
Suddenly, a fairy named Krystal appears. Golvis tries to use Jack against her, but ends up getting sucked in himself. Krystal finds Pac-Man, who hadn't been captured by Golvis, and tells him he has to defeat the evil ghost. Pac-Man is unsure of himself, as Pac-Master couldn't even beat Golvis. Krystal guides Pac-Man through Castle Pac in order to find Golvis and restore peace to Pac-Land.
After rescuing all of the Pac-People, Pac-Man arrives at Golvis' lair. Golvis is shocked that Pac-Man and Krystal made it to his hideout, but attacks them regardless. After several battles, Golvis is finally defeated.
Golvis begins crying, asking why Pac-Man always has to take advantage of his clumsiness. Krystal scolds Golvis, then realizes the UFO is plummeting to the ground. The heroes make it out and reunite with Pac-Master and his family. With the UFO destroyed, Pac-Man and the rest of the Pac-People return to their original forms. Pac-Man then appears on television for his heroic deeds and soon after becomes a celebrity. Pac-Master congratulates Pac-Man for his excellent work, and Pac-Man realizes he no longer needs training from him.
Meanwhile, the Ghosts watch television on a scrap from the UFO in the ocean. Golvis asks if he can watch the television with him, but the other Ghosts yell at him. Jack then reveals that he was sent away in the past because he was so clumsy and only caused problems. Golvis starts crying again, while the other Ghosts scream that they should have known that earlier.
Characters[]
- Pac-Man
- Krystal
- Golvis
- Jack
- Blinky
- Pinky
- Inky
- Clyde
- Pac-Girl (Ms. Pac-Man)
- Pac-Master
- Pac-Master's Wife (Ms. Pac-Master)
- Pac-Dog (Chomp-Chomp)
- Pac-Baby
Pac 'n Roll Remix[]
Pac 'n Roll Remix in Namco Museum Remix
An alternate version of Pac 'n Roll, titled Pac 'n Roll Remix, appears in Namco Museum Remix for the Wii (and subsequently, Namco Museum Megamix). It changes the controls to use the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, and adds a new world titled Golvis' Hideout. This version would later be included in Pac-Man Museum +, slightly reworked to feature more conventional controls.
Despite seeming like an enhanced version of the original, it is lacking much of the original DS game's contents. There is no story whatsoever, no extra versions of the levels, and is missing the Ghost Land, Golvis' UFO and Pac-Moon worlds from the original. It is unclear why this content was excluded; though in the case of its story, it was possibly removed due to the legal issues regarding Ms. Pac-Man, who had a major role in the plot.
Trivia[]
- In Korea, the game was released under the name Pac 'n Ball for both the original and Remix releases.
- Despite this, Pac-Man still screams "Pac 'n Roll!" on the DS version's title screen.
- This was the final Pac-Man game to be developed by Namco before the company's merge to become Bandai Namco Holdings.
The tech demo version of Pac 'n Roll shown at E3.
- A tech demo of Pac 'n Roll was shown at E3 2004 (alongside Pac-Pix), over a year before the game's release. It notably features a completely different Pac-Man design, resembling his look from Pac-Mania (lacking the nose and eyebrows, larger mouth).[1] A polished version of the demo is featured as the second level of Pac-Moon in the final game.
- The game is a prequel to the Pac-Man series, as it takes place during Pac-Man's childhood. It does not take place before the original arcade game however; the events of that game are somewhere in the middle of this one (as evidenced by the Pac-Moon).
- A mobile version of the game was released exclusively in Japan.
- Much of the game's soundtrack was reused in Pac-Man Monsters.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
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Artwork (2D)[]
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Artwork (3D)[]
