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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games.
Pac 'N Roll
Mixed or average reviews
Based on 35 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 1 vote
Read user comments
Rate this game >
Game Info
Publisher: Namco
Developer: Namco
Genre(s): Action, Platform
Players: 2
ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)
Release Date: August 23, 2005
Summary
In Pac'N Roll, the inhabitants of Pac-World have been turned into spheres by the evil monster Golvis’ Ghost Light. Pac-Man must roll his way through Ghost-Land, collecting pellets and confronting Ghosts to save his family and restore peace to Pac-Land. Introducing an innovative new control scheme, Pac'N Roll lets players control Pac-Man with the Nintendo DS stylus. Players can roll and dash around the environment as well as execute maneuvers such as hairpin turns, immediate stops and precision rolling with effortless strokes of the stylus. In his quest to save Pac-Land, Pac-Man will venture through stages such as Castle Pac, Gyro-Jungle and the Ghost House, while facing perilous hazards like moving floors, dash panels, jump zones and wind zones. Along the way, Pac-Man will find power-ups like the Winged Chocolate, allowing him to fly through the worlds and jump over Ghosts, or the "Knight Chocolate," providing him with armor which grants him the power to crash through walls and withstand more damage. Pac’N Roll also includes the original Pac-Man arcade game, allowing up to two players to munch on pellets and claim the highest score. [Namco]
Cheat Codes & Hints: Cheat Code Central
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Nintendophiles
This is one of the most addictive games I've played in recent years.
Read Full Review >Game Chronicles
Simple to learn, easy to master, yet quite challenging to complete.
Read Full Review >Next Level Gaming
This is the type of game I've been waiting for to hit the DS. Something that makes practical use of the touchscreen without sacrificing gameplay.
Read Full Review >Armchair Empire
This game does a good job in retaining its cartoony look and it does that well.
Read Full Review >eToychest
If Pac N’ Roll had been on any other system, it would still have been a fun game, but the way it plays out on the DS is just magic.
Read Full Review >Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
Pac 'n' Roll is a really good, fun game. And with Pac-Pix already putting a smile on our faces, it seems that Pac-Man is turning out to be one of DS's biggest stars. [NGC Pocket]
Read Full Review >NintendoWorldReport
It goes beyond the "gimmicky" nature of touch screen controls and provides a unique and fun experience.
Read Full Review >IGN
And anyone who's a fan of "Super Monkey Ball" or the classic "Marble Madness" should definitely give this one a spin. Or a roll.
Read Full Review >N-Insanity
It doesn’t quite measure up to current DS standards in the presentation area, but other than that, it provides a very fun, laid back gaming experience.
Read Full Review >BonusStage
However the game isn’t that difficult until the very end, so more experienced gamers will be able to fly through the story mode with relative ease.
Read Full Review >Nintendojo
A more fleshed out offering than Pac-Pix, and is a cut above most handheld games. It’s a competent 3D platformer with a great camera system and a well-implemented control mechanic.
Read Full Review >VGPub
Pac ‘N Roll has very good pick-up-and-play value thanks to its short levels and easy to learn gameplay.
Read Full Review >Gaming Age
Pac'N Roll unfortunately isn't terribly long, but the chance to go back, improve on your scores and unlock a few goodies is still worth the purchase. This is an ideal title for any fan of puzzle games or just a fan of Pac-Man himself.
Read Full Review >1UP
One warning to potential consumers, though: The bizarrely long cut-scenes (and the baby-game story they painfully tell) will bore any gamer old enough to read them. Avert your gaze.
Read Full Review >Nintendo Power
The stylus control is perfectly tuned and single-swipe boosts are easy to trigger, yet quick and accurate movement gets tiring after several minutes. [Oct 2005, p.97]
Play Magazine
Unlike "Yoshi's Touch and Go" and "Kirby: Canvas Curse," I found myself growing tired of moving Pac-Man along in this fashion. Maybe I'm just lazy. [Sept 2005, p.62]
GameZone
Pac ‘n Roll isn’t a flawless game by any means, but it does in fact offer a very unique and refreshing twist to one of the most beloved franchises in the industry’s history.
Read Full Review >GameSpot
The game is part puzzler, part platformer and it offers a decent implementation of the stylus and touch screen for control. Unfortunately, the novelty of the interface can wear thin, despite some different wrinkles in gameplay that you encounter over the course of the game.
Read Full Review >Cheat Code Central
The gameplay may be too consistent (read: repetitive) for continuous play, but an hour here and there may be just what the doctor ordered.
Read Full Review >Deeko
A colorful, engrossing run through one of the best "rolling ball simulators" since Atari gave birth to the idea. Some extra bulk weighs the title down and keeps it a gnat's wing away from being a true classic, but Pac n' Roll is good, clean fun for gamers of all ages.
Read Full Review >NTSC-uk
The tight platform skills and stylus control go hand in hand to create an intuitive, instinctive experience that challenges and entertains in equal measures.
Read Full Review >Eurogamer
If the mechanics were applied to stronger level design, then it would plant its flag firmly in 80 territory. As it is, it remains well worth playing, but not a necessity for any DS shelf.
Read Full Review >Yahoo! Games
Even with a thin (even irritating) story and relatively short play time, Pac N Roll is fun in small doses.
Read Full Review >AceGamez
Due to its unique gameplay though, if you have the opportunity to rent this title you should definitely do so, but there's just not enough content here to justify a purchase, unless you decide you really want to collect all of those gems.
Read Full Review >Worth Playing
The game's very playable, but it's just not very much fun. More imaginative level concepts and a better implementation of the rolling game mechanic could've resulted in a brilliant title.
Read Full Review >Electronic Gaming Monthly
I found myself playing the game simply because I had nothing better to do, not because I was particularly into it. [Sept 2005, p.119]
Read Full Review >Game Informer
Proves that completely unique games can still be as painfully dull as sweeping your bedroom. [Sept 2005, p.114]
Modojo
Namco definitely had some great ideas and managed to capitalize on several of them, but the lame story coupled with the troublesome burst move somewhat mars the overall experience.
Read Full Review >GameBiz
Pac 'n' Roll proudly stands as the king of mediocrity. Not bad, not good, but just there anyway, pushed out of the door to keep the income coming.
Read Full Review >Edge Magazine
Pac ‘N’ Roll is regrettably short and, with few rules to master, its replayability is quite limited. With the DS’s library rapidly expanding beyond minigame collections and touchscreen experiments it’s a tough sell, but as a fast, cheap diversion there’s enough simple fun in exploration to make it worthwhile. [Nov 2005, p.113]
Game Revolution
You have to appreciate the fluid control and decent gameplay, but the lack of depth and marginal delivery should keep it from gobbling up your cash.
Read Full Review >Detroit Free Press
Though it's fine for killing time, only big "Pac-Man" fans will truly be engrossed with this game.
Read Full Review >G4 TV
Yet another DS title that feels like it should have been part of a larger overall game, rather than the entire focus of the product.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this game is 7.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Paul B. gave it a7:
An odd little game-- it's got some solid traditional Pac-Man elements, but I get the feeling the touch-screen trackball simulation is more a tech test (and possibly an attempt to develop a workable control method for a DS Katamari Damacy) than a fully developed game. And I agree with the review that mentioned how problematic the burst move is-- it's damn difficult to execute, and often leaves you drifting off the edge of a ramp and into the depths. But there's still fun to be had here, just not as much as in Pac-Man's recent outings for the big consoles.
