Pac-Man Museum

71%
Game Brain Score Based on 299 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
Pac-Man Museum Game Cover
Pac Man Museum + is certainly packed full of arcade entertainment, but not all of its games were created equal.
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"Pac-Man Museum" is a collection of classic and new Pac-Man games, including the original Pac-Man, Pac-Man Championship Edition, and Pac-Man Battle Royale. The game features museum-like displays with arcade history and concept art. Players can earn achievements, compete in high scores, and customize their cabinet appearances.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Cloud
  • Nintendo 3ds
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Wii
  • Wii U
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
  • x_box_cloud_gaming
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

71%
Audience ScoreBased on 299 reviews
story5 positive mentions
grinding8 negative mentions
  • Great selection of classic and obscure Pac-Man games, including the highly praised Pac-Man Arrangement (1996) and Pac-Man Championship Edition.
  • The customizable arcade hub adds a fun and engaging element, allowing players to decorate their space and earn collectibles.
  • Overall, the game provides a nostalgic experience for Pac-Man fans, with many titles that showcase the evolution of the franchise.
  • Input lag and poor emulation quality in some games detract from the overall experience, making controls feel unresponsive at times.
  • The absence of Ms. Pac-Man and other notable titles, along with the lack of online multiplayer, limits the collection's appeal.
  • The coin system for playing arcade games feels unnecessary and can be frustrating, as it requires players to earn tokens to access certain titles.
  • story31 mentions

    The story aspect of the game is minimal, primarily consisting of small cutscenes and lacking a cohesive narrative. While the missions add some replayability and customization options for the arcade hub, they are often criticized for being tedious and lacking challenge, with many players expressing a desire for more engaging and rewarding objectives. Overall, the focus is more on gameplay mechanics and mission completion rather than a compelling story.

    • “The soundtrack is great, the presentation is okay for the time it came out, and there's an actual story here.”
    • “You start off with a basic room, but you can earn more decorations by completing missions in the games, which can include missions such as eating a set number of ghosts or completing a certain level.”
    • “There is a lot of fun to be had in most titles, and the missions system adds a lot to the experience, with the customization of the arcade hub being a lot of fun, even if it is a little too cramped.”
    • “However, one headache that I had involved the atrocious and ugly Pac-in-Time, since there's an unlock quest which is only completed by playing that horrid game.”
    • “I guess I could continue, but with no story other than small random cutscenes, there's no point to.”
    • “Game progression is laughable and unrewarding; missions are often tedious and flat, with poor rewards.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and variety, with a soundtrack that changes across different worlds and a good mix of instruments. However, some players noted a significant lack of music overall, with issues such as overlapping tracks and sound distortion during gameplay. Despite these drawbacks, the inclusion of a jukebox feature and the ability to unlock additional music and customize the arcade environment adds to the overall enjoyment.

    • “The soundtrack is great, the presentation is okay for the time it came out, and there's an actual story here.”
    • “Not to mention the music, sound effects, and length of it all wrap it up to be the definitive version of Pac-Man arcade (at least, out of this collection).”
    • “The sound Pac-Man makes when they eat a ghost now is extremely satisfying compared to the original sounds, and the complete music overhaul in Pac-Man Arrangement (arcade version) was a really nice welcome.”
    • “That being said, its major downside is the sheer lack of music.”
    • “Only problem that I really had with the game is that there is no music.”
    • “Firstly, the audio has some issues, like every song playing all at once while in the arcade (might be a bug) and the games not letting you change audio settings individually but instead being left to one entire volume bar that you can't access while in the games.”
  • gameplay15 mentions

    Gameplay in this title is a mixed bag, with some players enjoying the new mechanics like jumping and bouncing that add frantic energy and high-score challenges, while others criticize the imprecise controls and trial-and-error nature of certain levels. The coin mechanic is seen as a valid addition that enhances the arcade experience, but issues with enemy placement and one-hit kill obstacles can lead to frustration. Overall, while the game offers engaging elements, it struggles with balance and precision in its execution.

    • “When you get good with the new mechanics, high scores are very fun and challenging to go for, but it takes quite a bit of practice.”
    • “The new jumping feature enables that super frantic gameplay that also allows for huge points from ghost chains!”
    • “This might be this high up mainly because of how tight the controls are and the way the simple jump mechanic can make you change the way you approach ghosts.”
    • “Despite being my favorite Pac-Man game ever, I do concede that the key gameplay is a little too subject to trial and error than I'd like, and the super speed can be hard to control.”
    • “The problem is the rest, as the controls are way too bouncy for what the precise level design demands. Especially in the latter half of the levels, there are way too many one-hit kill obstacles, bad enemy placement, and elusive mechanics that, unless you know beforehand, might get you stuck (such as rope pulling and hammer shockwave).”
    • “The inputs are really, really bad; I don't see how you mess up Pac-Man gameplay in 2022.”
  • graphics11 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some users noting that the 3D visuals are inferior to the original arcade versions, leading to a slower experience. While certain titles in the collection are praised for their faithful representation and solid art style, others criticize the lack of visual options and the overall aesthetic quality, particularly in the arcade titles. Additionally, users have reported needing to adjust settings outside the game to improve performance, indicating some technical challenges.

    • “Each individual game within this collection is a great representation of their physical counterparts. I think this is a much better and updated version of the original museum, and I continue to enjoy this game on a regular basis.”
    • “It is faithful to the original, difficult, has great graphics and art style, and adds new power-ups that introduce strategy to the mix.”
    • “Solid graphics, solid controls; the game is as good as the cover art.”
    • “Pac-Man arrangement (console version): it’s very slow compared to the arcade version with uglier 3D graphics despite it coming out years later.”
    • “You can't really interact with anything, so any choices you make to your arcade will be strictly aesthetic.”
    • “They play as you'd expect, though as a user of VSync, I did have to manually mess with graphics settings outside of the game, since while this game does have graphics options, they only apply to the game's arcade hub and not the games themselves.”
  • grinding8 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of games like Pac-Man 256 to be excessively tedious and unfulfilling, with missions often requiring repetitive tasks such as defeating a set number of enemies or collecting a large number of items. Many reviewers express frustration over the lack of meaningful rewards for their efforts, leading to a sense of burnout and diminished enjoyment. Overall, the grinding mechanics are seen as a major drawback that detracts from the overall gaming experience.

    • “Some missions require excessive grinding, most especially in Pac-Man 256.”
    • “There are also missions for each game, but instead of being used for interesting ways to play, it's all 'kill x amount of ghosts', 'beat x levels without getting a game over', etc. They're extremely easy at best and awfully grindy at worst.”
    • “Pretty fun, but the extremely grindy missions (seriously, max out 10 power-ups? It costs 4080 coins to fully power up one) make me never want to touch this game again.”
  • monetization5 mentions

    The monetization model of the game is entirely free of microtransactions, allowing players to start with a set amount of coins that are used to play arcade games. Players appreciate this approach, as it encourages engagement without the fear of running out of resources, although some feel the historical content could be more in-depth. Overall, the absence of in-game purchases is seen as a positive aspect.

    • “The coins are also used to play the arcade games, and while that sounds like the setup for a horrifying microtransaction system, I don't think it's actually possible to run out given how many they give you at the end of each game. It's just a fun way to keep with the theme and give players some reason to invest time into each title.”
    • “This release does have a 'history' tab on each game, but it really reads more like a general synopsis or advertisement for the game, and the only real historical info is the actual release date.”
    • “Thankfully, there are no in-game purchases or microtransactions to be found here, and that is a very good thing.”
    • “You start with a set amount of coins, and there are no microtransactions whatsoever.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Players find the replayability of the game enhanced by online leaderboards, in-game missions, and a diverse catalog of power-ups and skins. The combination of these features, along with the pursuit of improving skills and earning Steam achievements, contributes to a satisfying and engaging experience that encourages repeated play.

    • “Not only is this fresh, it has the biggest catalog of power-ups from the collection, not to mention the skins which make it very replayable.”
    • “It has a nice amount of replay value and getting better at Pac-Man is always a fun time.”
    • “In addition, you get in-game missions to increase replay value, and that's on top of the Steam achievements which you're also getting here.”
    • “Online leaderboards and in-game missions add replayability to all the games.”
    • “In addition, you get in-game missions to increase replay value, and that's on top of the Steam achievements you also earn here.”
  • stability4 mentions

    The stability of the game collection is criticized for poor emulation and persistent glitches, making it unsuitable for players seeking a flawless experience. However, it performs well on the Steam Deck, suggesting that platform-specific performance may vary.

    • “It runs great on the Steam Deck, if you're interested.”
    • “If you're not interested, it still runs great on the Steam Deck.”
    • “Some of the games in this collection have bad emulation and they were never fixed. If you want your games to run perfectly without any glitches, then this collection probably isn't for you.”
    • “Namco has really fallen off in terms of museum collections lately, and while this one looked promising, it's a buggy, laggy, hard-to-look-at mess.”
  • optimization4 mentions

    The game suffers from significant optimization issues, impacting performance and overall user experience. Players note that coin earnings are heavily tied to individual performance, which adds to the frustration. Many reviewers express a willingness to revise their opinions if these performance problems are addressed in future updates.

    • “The amount of coins you can earn from the games can depend on your performance in a game session, mainly your high score for most games.”
    • “It would be significantly easier to recommend if the performance issues were fixed, so if that ever happens, I'll try to update my review.”
    • “This is very poorly optimized.”
    • “Performance issues are a major concern.”
    • “It would be significantly easier to recommend with the performance issues fixed, so if that ever happens, I'll try to update my review.”
  • humor2 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by a quirky charm, highlighted by a collection of amusing characters, including a "funny yellow man." While the levels may be limited, they are memorable and challenging, adding a layer of seriousness that contrasts with the lightheartedness of the musical elements.

    • “The songs also have a good repertoire of instruments, and despite not having that many levels, the worlds leave their mark and are no laughing matter in terms of difficulty.”
    • “Funny yellow man collection.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

70% average critic score

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Play time

3hMedian play time
3hAverage play time
2hMain story
2hCompletionist
3-3hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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