Chomp, chomp, chomp... ugh…
THE GOOD
-Some strategy involved
THE BAD
-Eating ghosts isn't very advantageous
-Extremely repetitive
-Poor sound
OVERVIEW
Pac-Man for the Nintendo Entertainment System is a port from the arcade game. Pac-Man, the main character, has to try and eat all the dots on the game board while avoiding four pesky ghosts. These four ghosts are nicknamed Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (teal) and Clyde (orange). As you complete each level (around 256), the ghosts become faster. Plus, if by chance you make it to the 256th level you'll reach the kill screen (or glitched level).
GAMEPLAY
In Pac-Man there are two ways to play the game. One way is to try and avoid the ghosts and progress through each level. The other way is to play for points. The never changing game board is filled with dots that are worth 10 points, power pellets worth 50 points and ghosts worth 200 points (with a multiplier if eaten in quick succession). There are some bonus fruit to eat like strawberries, peaches, and cherries for extra points too. The four power pellets, located in each corner, give Pac-Man the ability to eat the four ghosts. Blinky and friends turn blue and shy away from our hero. Once you eat them they'll turn into eyes and find their way back to the middle to be regenerated. This sometimes proves to be detrimental because typically you'll have more time to eat dots if you don't eat the ghosts. Mastering the game will take plenty of practice trying to figure out how the ghosts react level by level and trying to find a "fool proof" strategy. The strategy part of the game is fun and makes you feel like a "mastermind" in defeating the computer. However, since the game basically never changes, it becomes repetitive quickly and can also make you feel like a hamster in a cage.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The graphics haven't changed much from the arcade game. The visuals are simple and work fine for an uncomplicated game.
Since the gameplay is so rhythmic the sound effects of chomping every single dot is mind numbing. Pac-Man is definitely not the game to play if you have a headache.
CONCLUSION
Pac-Man is not a game for everybody. Probably only the hella old-school gamer that likes playing for high scores will enjoy this one. For the vast majority Pac-Man ends up being a bore. I would only recommend a rental just for the nostalgia.