Bandai Namco Games has released Pac-Man Friends on Android and iOS devices, introducing a new action puzzle game to fans of the franchise. In Pac-Man Friends, players complete levels by guiding Pac-Man through 95 mazes, using one of two control schemes (tilt or touch). Along the way, players rescue eight of Pac-Man's friends, each with their own skills.
In each level of Pac-Man Friends, users navigate corridors, avoiding ghosts and collecting all of the stage's pellets in order to open the exit door. Early on, Pac-Man is joined by friends, meaning multiple characters are on screen at once. Regardless of the control scheme, moving one character moves them all simultaneously, so users need to watch out for ghosts on all sides of the screen in order to protect each individual character.
Thankfully, Pac-Man's friends come with powers. One is invisible to ghosts, and can travel down paths that are otherwise inaccessible, while another shines as a glowing light in dark levels, as examples.
These powers are important, as levels become increasingly difficult over time, with moving, rather than stationary ghosts, speed boost areas that may cause players to inadvertently hit a ghost due to momentum, and other obstacles. Users earn up to three stars on each stage, depending on their performance, and will need to collect these stars in bulk to unlock sets of levels at the world map.
If players hit an obstacle, they'll fail the stage and will need to try again, or spend premium cherries to save the fallen character and their progress. Users can also purchase and use hourglass powers to slow down the movement of enemies on the screen.
Pac-Man Friends is available to download for $4.99 on iOS. The game is free on Google Play.
