Pac-Man VS coming to DS via Namco Museum
by Ross Miller 
{ Apr 11th 2007 at 5:55PM }
The GBA connector, one of Nintendo's experiments with integrating its portable and home consoles, spawned only a handful of games: Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Four Swords Adventures and Pac-Man VS. The latter title had one character play as Pac-Man viewing the classic screen (via the Game Boy) while the other three played as the ghosts in an isometric view on the TV.Namco is revisiting Pac-Man VS in its Namco Museum collection for the DS. The game sports single pack multiplayer and is priced at $20. Other games in the collection include Dig Dug II, Xevious, Pac-Man, Mappy, Galaxian, Galaga, and Tower of Druaga. We're happy paying $20 just for the multiplayer Pac-Man VS action.
[Via Evil Avatar; thanks, Sam!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1up @ Apr 11th 2007 6:06PM
GREAT news! Me and my friends had such a blast playing pacman VS. It was an amazing revamp to such an old game. I love Miyamoto! :D
bm @ Apr 11th 2007 6:38PM
That game is awesome. We still play it every now and then.
Rubang B @ Apr 11th 2007 6:44PM
When I first read about Miyamoto having this amazing idea for Pac-Man Vs. and calling up Namco and asking if he could make the game with them, I knew I had to play this game. But then I realized I didn't have 4 GBAs and 4 GBA-GC connectors. I also didn't even have a GameCube. I had a friend with 1 GC, 2 GBAs, and 2 connectors for 2 player Crystal Chronicles, but there was no way we'd even split the cost of all the other extra crap.
Now, at long last, this game will be mine for $20, with single-pak multiplayer. And EVERYBODY has a DS, so we can rock 4 player immediately. YES!
Whirlo @ Apr 11th 2007 6:48PM
Ooo. Cool. I wanted to try that game but I never actually found it when I was interested. Are those all the games on it, or are there more? It'd be awesome for some Legend of Valkyrie on the DS...
Sam @ Apr 11th 2007 7:02PM
Rubang B-
You could have played it. The GC version only required 1 GBA and link cable. The rest of the players used regular GC controllers, and then you hand off the GBA as needed.
Rubang B @ Apr 11th 2007 7:13PM
Damn. I guess I got burned. This is still a much better deal, and I'll be buying the hell out of it.
Seroth @ Apr 11th 2007 9:17PM
Pac-Man Vs. was THE way to use the GBA-GCN link cable...'cause you only needed one GBA and one link cable. Stuff like Four Swords Adventures and Crystal Chronicles...NO. THEY'RE DOING IT WRONG!
BPM @ Apr 12th 2007 1:09AM
[sighs]
Seroth, can you think of another way to have done FSA and FF:CC better, then?
In FSA:
Each player is allowed to move independently of each other. So, what happens if one player goes into a house/cave, while the others stay outside? Well, the way it's handled in 1P mode (when using a GameCube controller) is an emulated GBA screen pops up on the TV. But... that wouldn't work so well in 2-4P mode, huh?
The only way FSA would've worked is if each player had their own screens to use.
In FFCC:
In 1P mode, the GBA was optional, but would provide a different radar (general map, treasures, enemies, or enemy stats) based on how you painted Mog's fur. When you wanted to change equipment and check your status, the subscreen would pop-up on the TV.
But in 2-4P mode... Boy, that would severely slow down the game if the game had to come to a halt each time one person pulled up the subscreen, eh? But with each player using a GBA, they can view the subscreen on the GBA instead, while the main action continues on the TV.
I'm so sick and tired of people whining about FSA and FFCC. THEY WOULDN'T HAVE WORKED ANY OTHER WAY.
Plus...
IT DIDN'T REQUIRE ONE PERSON TO OWN FOUR GBAs. Ya know, your friends can bring their own? Sheesh.
(Although, I just happen to have several GBAs, since I like to collect the special editions... >_>)
And, the official GCN-GBA Link Cables were only $10 each (cheaper used!). Plus, they were given for free with a couple of games (FSA* and Pokémon Box always came bundled with them, FFCC and Pokémon Colloseum had them as pre-buy bonuses with some stores).
*FSA stopped being shipped with the cables after a while
Anyhoo... This is a sweet deal, even just for Pac-Man Vs. It is, hands down, the best game that used the GCN-GBA Link cable. Making it portable and wireless (and we can only hope, ONLINE) makes it even better.
Though, I'm happy for some of the other games in that package, too (Dig Dug II, Mappy, Galaga, and Druaga). Though, I wish there were more.... Seems kinda anemic compared to the PSP's NamcoMuseum Battle Collection. What I'd do for a portable port of Legend of Valkyrie...
will @ Apr 12th 2007 12:01PM
Uhh, when I played this, we only needed ONE GBA/GC-GBA Cable, and three regular old GC controllers, and it was one of the best multi experiences of my life. Wtf is this about 4 GBAs for Pacman VS?
Rubang B @ Apr 12th 2007 9:09PM
Hey I was wrong. I haven't played the game. I'm definitely getting the DS version. I didn't have a GameCube or a GBA back then.
If the new Crystal Chronicles games for the Wii and DS can interact, then I'll be all over it. There are already 4 in my house and everybody I know has them, and we won't need any new cables. Or maybe you can use the DS as a controller for the Wii FF:CC, like you can for Pokemon Battle Revolution.