Pac-Man 256: Endless Arcade Maze

 iOS
User Score
7.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 56
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 56
  3. Negative: 11 out of 56
Buy Now
Stream On

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. GBHBL
    May 1, 2016
    4
    Where do I even start…I mean how in the hell do you screw up Pac-Man?

    Pac-Man 256 is inspired by the glitch that appeared in the original Pac-Man game. I **** you not, the basis of this game was a freakin’ glitch. Oh, but of course they had to chuck in plenty of pointless in-app purchases because if there is anything Pac-Man needed to cement his legacy it was to be made into a free to    Where do I even start…I mean how in the hell do you screw up Pac-Man?

    Pac-Man 256 is inspired by the glitch that appeared in the original Pac-Man game. I **** you not, the basis of this game was a freakin’ glitch. Oh, but of course they had to chuck in plenty of pointless in-app purchases because if there is anything Pac-Man needed to cement his legacy it was to be made into a free to play, endless runner…inspired by a glitch.

    It’s simple enough…you control Pac-Man in a never-ending 3D maze while trying to avoid ghosts, eat dots & make it as far as you can to set a high score. All while the Pac-Man glitch is chasing you down.

    So this glitch…in the original Pac-Man game should you make it to map 256 the right side of the map turns into a mess of numbers & letters obscuring the dots making the level impossible to beat.

    This numbers/letters mess is what fills up the bottom of the screen as you play forcing you to constantly move Pac-Man onwards.

    To try & add more to a pretty basic game a number of new ghosts have been included & the further you make it the more hectic it gets. Thankfully power pellets make their return as does a number of new abilities that Pac-Man can use such as lasers.

    You get 6 credits to play with it & they are refilled over time. 1 credit, every 10 minutes or you can watch an advert to earn more quickly. You can pay 79p for an extra 12 or £3.99 for unlimited credits (please note that this is currently on sale & the normal price is £5.99). Now it is nice to see this option available as paying for unlimited credits will open up most of the game to you however that price is a joke.

    This is an endless runner where you set a high score, that is it. They are charging more than the cost of Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, The Sims 3, Goat Simulator, Lego Jurassic World, Five Nights at Freddys, Hitman Go, Worms 3, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2…these are fully fleshed out games with not just hours of fun but days & even weeks of gameplay!

    …but it doesn’t end there.

    You have the option of playing on different looking mazes, basically different skins. There is a range from the classic 80’s look to one that takes on the form of an office. Each costs 79p or can be bought using in-game coins that collect as you play. To buy one of these skins you would need 2048 coins. I hope you’ve got a lot of time on your hands because you’re going to need it.

    You can speed up your coin count by purchasing (are you surprised?) a coin doubler which automatically gives you 2048 coins & doubles any collected afterwards. It only costs £3.99…

    Seriously!?

    The thing is while gameplay is brief, it is fun. Pac-Man 256 encourages you to try once more when it comes to beating your own high score & having a ‘free play’ option (although you get no power-ups in this mode) is a great idea. It’s not enough to make this game anything but another poorly thought out free to play game obsessed with trying to take as much money from its customer base before they work out they’ve been ripped off.    … Expand
  2. wnick2000
    Aug 23, 2015
    7
    From the makers of Crossy Road and Bandi Namco comes PAC-MAN 256, a "re-imagining" of the classic PAC-MAN formula makes for what is an addicting, but very bare-bones game. The game puts your normal game of PAC-MAN on a 3D grid, in which you have to go as far as you can, collecting pellets, and escaping the "glitch", which is a throwback to the old "Level 256" in which the game would glitchFrom the makers of Crossy Road and Bandi Namco comes PAC-MAN 256, a "re-imagining" of the classic PAC-MAN formula makes for what is an addicting, but very bare-bones game. The game puts your normal game of PAC-MAN on a 3D grid, in which you have to go as far as you can, collecting pellets, and escaping the "glitch", which is a throwback to the old "Level 256" in which the game would glitch out, which is probably what inspired the title. You can also "level up" and unlock power-ups, which provide new ways of taking down ghosts. But other than the power-ups, there really isn't much to collect in this game. This is coming from the studio who made crossy road, a huge game that had about a hundred and growing characters to use, but the game is still new so I'm sure we'll see additions. The game (at least for my phone) drains the battery a lot, which is really a set back. And playing the game itself also may get tedious at more than an hour or 2 at a time. Overall, PAC-MAN 256 is a fun re-imagining of the original PAC-MAN formula, even if there isn't much to collect and might not take up a ton of your time.… Expand
  3. TheRavingTimes
    Aug 20, 2015
    8
    Pac-Man 256 is pretty much everything you love about the 1980 classic, but with a unique twist that forces gamers to adapt to a completely brand new game. Include some brand new features and you've got an amazing classic revived, but with the free-to-play restrictions associated with it.
  4. Action_Critic
    Aug 22, 2015
    8
    PAC-MAN 256 is an endless PAC-MAN game made by Hipster Whale, the creators of the insanely addicting and award-winning game, Crossy Road, based on the glitchy 256th level of the classic arcade hit. Hipster Whale was hired by Bandai-Namco games to make this game, so the burning question is, is it any good? I'm happy to report that PAC-MAN 256 is an fantastic free-to-play game that isPAC-MAN 256 is an endless PAC-MAN game made by Hipster Whale, the creators of the insanely addicting and award-winning game, Crossy Road, based on the glitchy 256th level of the classic arcade hit. Hipster Whale was hired by Bandai-Namco games to make this game, so the burning question is, is it any good? I'm happy to report that PAC-MAN 256 is an fantastic free-to-play game that is thankfully not a cash grab.

    In this game you obviously play as PAC-MAN and collect as many points is possible while outrunning the infamous level 256 glitch. The game is paced steadily as it is easy for newcomers to the PAC-MAN franchise to play, but it is hard to master as you will have navigate around many ghosts and trails of glitchy sprites.

    The presentation is beautiful as the presentation style of Crossy Road and the gameplay of PAC-MAN combine to make a fantastic 2.5D game. They have detailed this game very well as the style of it emulates an old 1980s arcade machine, yet it feels so new. If there are only a couple of small complaints I have with the presentation, it would probably be where the edges of the maze are edged off and not rounded like the original PAC-MAN, and the irritating sound of the level 256 glitch.

    This game also contains power-ups you can use to your advantage as you unlock them by eating PAC-DOTS. Power-ups can vary from slowing down ghosts to absolutely squashing them. They are a lot of fun to use, but you can't always use them. You see, there is a credits system in the game in which you use one of your six credits to either play with power-ups or continue when you die. When you're out of credits, you have to wait before you can play with power-ups again or continue after you die. Luckily, if you run out of credits, there is a free play option which uses no credits at all at the cost of no power-ups, which is a very good feature to have. This separates PAC-MAN 256 from other free-to-play games as it is not a money-making scheme.

    Overall, PAC-MAN 256 is an excellent spin on the arcade classic. It's gameplay is both simple and challenging, and it's presentation is excellent on most parts. It does miss a perfect score though as there are a couple of minor annoyances with how the maze was made, the awful ear-grating level 256 glitch sound, and limited use of power-ups. Don't let these negatives mess with your thoughts of getting the game though, as the positives greatly outweigh the negatives. This is still a fun game to play, and it is a must-have for fans of PAC-MAN and classic arcade game enthusiasts alike. Hipster Whale, well done. My final score is an 8 out of 10.    … Expand
  5. XDavidX
    Nov 23, 2015
    10
    The game is just amazing. I love play this game. For me this game is amazing ! Nothing more to comment because this game is amazing ! I rate this 10/10
  6. BoomBoy64
    Sep 10, 2022
    8
    If you want Pac-Man, than here you go. Not much more I can say, it’s just an endless version of Pac-Man. However, the whole “running from the glitch” thing is a super cool idea, simply due to it being the glitched killscreen from the original game. It gives this game, oddly enough, a much better feeling. If it was just a line of ghosts or something, then it’d suck. The glitch just makesIf you want Pac-Man, than here you go. Not much more I can say, it’s just an endless version of Pac-Man. However, the whole “running from the glitch” thing is a super cool idea, simply due to it being the glitched killscreen from the original game. It gives this game, oddly enough, a much better feeling. If it was just a line of ghosts or something, then it’d suck. The glitch just makes sense. I’m not at all nostalgic for the first Pac-Man, I’m way to young, and find the original game to be pretty boring, but this game just feels a lot less soulless then you would think.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

38
#38 Best iOS Game of 2015
32
#32 Most Discussed iOS Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
  1. CD-Action
    Dec 16, 2015
    80
    Only intrusive microtransactions could have ruined this great game, but fortunately it’s not the case. [12/2015, p.74]
  2. Multiplayer.it
    Sep 30, 2015
    88
    Pac-Man 256 is a great and at the same time respectful way to celebrate the 35th birthday of the iconic yellow hero.
    Read full review
  3. IGN Italia
    Sep 4, 2015
    90
    Not just a tribute to one of the most beautiful games ever made, but a real, addicting game able to hook the players. Pac-Man 256 is the proof that revisiting old classic for a new, extraordinary life on mobile platform is possible.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »