When a developer makes their bones with a tribute to an arcade classic as Hipster Whale did, I suppose it’s only a matter of time until classic arcade gamemakers come calling. Bandai Namco have just announced a partnership with the creators …
When a developer makes their bones with a tribute to an arcade classic as Hipster Whale did, I suppose it’s only a matter of time until classic arcade gamemakers come calling.
Bandai Namco have just announced a partnership with the creators of Crossy Road to develop PAC-MAN 256, an endless variant on PAC-MAN that will debut on smartphones and tablets later this summer.
“We are thrilled to be working with the creators of the huge hit Crossy Road in creating a new PAC-MAN game for his 35th anniversary,” said Bandai Namco Vancouver’s Daisuke Hattori, the game’s project manager in today’s press release. “We’re already seeing incredibly strong, hooking gameplay in the early prototypes, and cannot wait to share this experience with everyone!”
Like Crossy Road, PAC-MAN 256 will be a free-to-play download. And if you’re wondering what significance the title has, you’ve probably never mastered an original PAC-MAN arcade unit. (That’s ok, we haven’t either).
Reaching level 256 in PAC-MAN would trigger a glitch that effectively ends the game. If you’ve never seen it, YouTube is your new best friend. PAC-MAN 256 pays homage to this moment, offering an endless maze experience that has players trying to outrun the glitch.
Classic elements, like Pac-Dots, power pellets and your four favorite ghosts, will be returning for the latest edition of the game — but they’ll be joined by new twists like power-ups and coins.
We’ve been wondering for awhile now what Hipster Whale would tackle for their second project. Partnering with Bandai Namco to further share their love of arcade classics seems like a perfect choice. We’ll find out if we’re right when PAC-MAN 256 launches sometime this summer.
