The Good: Addicting Puzzle mode; careful presentation
The Bad: Lacks personality
Swap Pac-Panic’s falling ghosts with tetrominoes and you may think the game is trying to rip Tetris off; and it surely does. But fortunately there’s a bit more here to legitimize its existence.
Normal mode throws the main twist in from the start: keep ghosts as organized as possible to multiply your score by dropping Pac-Man over a sweet spot; points will grow as he cleans the way down. Blocks may fall too, but they can make it for good paths or be cleared traditional-way for more points.
Despite that decent endless distraction Puzzle mode is where the novelty really shines. A hundred scenarios can be solved in several ways due to the pieces randomness and the ability to change the direction Pac-Man faces. A simple password system also allows the player to take a rest and get back to it later.
Presentation wise it’s not something to write home about but there’s enough value for Namcot to be proud of: cool tunes, clear sprites and a special color scheme for those who play it in a Super Game Boy or Game Boy Color.
A rip-off it is, but Pac-Panic is still a worthy piece of game to have on the go.