Following the success of the Pac-Man Championship Edition titles on the digital marketplaces of Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Namco Bandai have developed a version for use on the Windows Phone. At first it’s hard to picture a game like this being adapted to touch screen game dynamics, and given the high cost, it become a rather risky move for those who grew up on the man of Pac. But does this new version translate well to mobile gaming devices, or is this new interpretation all glitz and glamour that you’ll regret buying?

Much of the console versions of Pac-Man Championship Edition have been ported to this version. The audio is no exception, taking the main theme of the original series, but giving it a sleeker infusion of Techno. It’s a catchy and upbeat approach to a timeless classic and its sound effects that adds a nice additional layer of fun to the title.

The visuals also look the same as the aforementioned console versions. The game comes with three different maps that keep with a modern digital approach that you can change up through some of the options right before the level starts. You can choose to keep the game somewhat basic, or enjoy it with full blown multi-color lights and ghosts that stick with various eighties to nineties schemes. On the smaller screen it can be a bit overwhelming, but after a while you’ll get adjusted to it and find the imagery easier to follow, though you may still suffer from a bit of eye strain.

Of course, the biggest concern for this title is actually the controls, which are as simple as you might expect. There’s no digital analog stick like some titles on the Windows Phone. Instead it responds to motion and touch. Sliding you finger along the screen will move Pac-Man in the direction of your movement, and you can use bombs the clear the field and prevent being caught by ghosts simply by placing your thumb and pointer finger on the screen and pulling them apart as you would if you were to zoom in on a webpage through an internet application. Other than that, it’s simply touching menu items.

There are a couple different modes of gameplay to keep you entertained, but many of which you have to unlock first. This rule also applies to the second and third arenas. You get three and five minute Score Attack modes, various Time Attack missions per arena, as well as Ghost Mode, which counts up all the ghosts you eat during a single power pellet run, which can be expanded by picking up other power pellets inside ghosts, or that happen appear in the maze somewhere. Most of which can be customized with visuals, sound, and difficulty that ranges between Beginner, Medium, and Expert.

While it may seem like a terrible idea at first, Namco Bandai have managed to capture the joy of the modern take of their most recognizable icons. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX on the Windows Phone is a simple and fun game to pick up and kill a few minutes with. Sadly there’s only the three arenas to play, and after a while the game can become a bit redundant due to the time limitations it imposes, and like the console versions even the achievements are easy to obtain, killing some of the replay value. If you happen to see this one on sale, it’s well worth picking up.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

Digital review copy of this title provided by personal funds.