PAKU PAKU
PAKU PAKU follows the explosive trend, pioneered by the likes of Flappy Bird, of trimming down gameplay to its barest bones for the raw dopamine-generating power of quick restarts and high-score chasing. Just like in PAC-MAN, you'll control a gluttonous monochrome circle as it attempts to eat as many dots as possible while avoiding instant death at the hands of an ever-pursuing ghost. While said ghost moves faster than you, there are a few options to stay safe in the tube.
Those familiar with PAC-MAN will recognize that the sides of the screen are not dead-ends but warp tunnels. If you go all the way to one side, you'll just come out the other. As the ghost can't use the tunnels, this is your only option for evasion. While they will turn around immediately to begin their pursuit again, you can usually buy just enough time to grab a few more pellets before you need to jump back through the warp. A single power pellet also appears within every set of dots, giving you the chance to turn the tables for a very brief moment. Eating a power pellet will turn the ghost blue, slow them down, and make them run away. You could just use this moment to clean up the rest of the dots on the screen, and depending on how far away the ghost is, that may be the best option, but it is a lot more fun to try to eat them!
The eyes of an eaten ghost will harmlessly fly to the end of the maze before they respawn, giving you free rein of the playing field for a brief moment. This creates a useful reprieve to catch your breath, clean up any straggling dots, and get in a good position for when the ghost returns. That's a great reason to eat the ghost, but there's an even better one. Ultimately, the main goal of PAKU PAKU is to get a high score, and constantly floating under your score for the round is a multiplier. The longer you play, the faster and more difficult the game gets, so having a big multiplier is key to growing your score in kind, and there are only two ways to raise it. First, you can clear the screen of pellets, and second, you can eat the vulnerable ghost. Being able to react to where the power pellet respawns and knowing when to grab it so you can reach the ghost in time takes a little bit of practice, but the payoff is worth it.
I'm not usually one for high-score chasing, but in a game this bite-sized and delightfully familiar, I had a good time. Getting a high multiplier can be a huge adrenaline rush, and it was far too easy to mindlessly start again after a game over, so I played a lot. Without a certain level of nostalgia for PAC-MAN, some of the magic of PAKU PAKU will probably be lost, but I don't think there are going to be many people who play it that fit such a description. For a free game that's playable on practically every smartphone and computer still in service, the only roadblock is finding it, but if you do (see the link below), then I think you'll have an excellent time.
The game is available online here (as of 3/11/24): https://abagames.github.io/crisp-game-lib-11-games/?pakupaku
