Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness (Game Boy Advance)

GameSpot editors' review

• CNET editors' rating: 3.0 stars Good
  Detailed editors' rating
  Overall score: 6.5 (3.0 stars)

• Reviewed by:
  Frank Provo
• Reviewed on: 10/12/2004
• Released on: 11/03/2004
• Originally published on GameSpot: Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness (Game Boy Advance) Review

Take the classic Pac-Man formula and add switch, key, and push block-style puzzles to it, and what you end up with is Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness. Your goal in each of the game's 13 levels is to collect all of the dots and fruits that you can find and then make it to the exit. It's a process that involves basic puzzle-solving skills, such as block-pushing and key-gathering, and steering clear of a variety of different enemies, including ghosts, snowmen, wild dogs, and fire-breathing witch doctors. These new concepts enhance the classic formula without ruining the basic maze-running that made it so likable in the first place, but ultimately, the game is best suited for inexperienced or younger players because it just isn't very challenging.

Namco originally published versions of Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness for the Nintendo 64, PlayStation, and Dreamcast. This GBA version, which was developed by Full-Fat and published by DSI Games, is a scaled-down approximation of Namco's console game. It offers the same exact play modes, including a single-player quest, a time attack mode, and a trio of multiplayer link games (collect the dots, tag, and bomb tag), but there are 160 fewer levels, and this time the original Ms. Pac-Man is no longer offered as a secret bonus. The 13 all-new single-player levels are fairly big, though. Multiplayer games require that each player have his or her own game cartridge. The game has a clean 3D look, even though the 3D polygons that made up the mazes in the N64 and PS versions have been replaced in the GBA version by isometric 2D backgrounds. You won't be blown away by the sprite-based enemies, the ever-present dot-munching sound effects, or the airy music that never seems to change, but the game doesn't look any worse than the other puzzle games that are available for the system.

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