If you don’t remember Pac-Man, the chances are you weren’t around in the 1980s. It was the biggest video game of the era, but now there’s a chance to enjoy an entirely new Pac-Manexperience. Microsoft has introduced Pac-Man 21st Century Championship Edition for its Xbox 360 and Xbox Live Arcade platforms. The new gamewas introduced on Tuesday during the finals of the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship in New York. The 10 finalists had the chance to be the first to play the new game. This new version ofPac-Man has great continuity from the original, in no small part because it was created by Toru Iwatani, the man responsible for the first version of Pac-Man. But there are also plenty of newfeatures in the revamped game. Mazes change shape during play, there are timed game modes and an entirely new soundtrack. The graphics are also HD – a long step from the fuzzy screens of 1980sconsoles. The timed modes are designed to offer a series of different challenges. Pac-Man Championship Edition became available on June 6 for 800 Microsoft Points or around $10 via the XboxLive Arcade. “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 division of Microsoft. The new game also marks Iwatani’s swan song, as he’s retiringfrom the gaming industry to teach at Tokyo Polytechnic University.
