Pac-Man: Adventures in Time

It hasn't been an easy life for Pac Man. Born in 1980 of a Japanese father Puc Man, Pac's childhood was tormented by ghosts that doggedly pursued him wherever he went. He was forced into an arranged marriage with Ms Pac Man barely a year later, a fast moving chick who knew how to accessorise (lest we forget that bow).

Pac was used and abused at every opportunity, baring countless offspring and enduring the humiliation of his own cartoon show and pinball game. And now at last, when he thought he was destined for that golden maze in the sky, Pac suffers the ultimate indignity, a 3D Pac Man game. The poor little guy.

Whether or not you like this latest Pacman incarnation will depend on how much you liked the multitude of Pacman spin-offs. In fact it's not the first time Pac has taken tentative steps towards 3D. In 1988 there was Pac Mania which used a 3D isometric interface to imprison the Yellow One in a maze so big the screen had to scroll to follow him around.

Adventures In Time turns Pac into a cute, chubby, and overly smiley creature who makes a sound like someone rubbing a balloon against their teeth whenever he eats a pill. On the whole, the mazes are very challenging, especially towards the end of the levels, even on easy mode. You're also given the opportunity to save frequently, which makes the levels a lot less tedious.

Unfortunately they are perpetually interrupted by dumb little games, usually involving running very fast, and eating pills while some cutesy alligator or cannibal runs after you. I'm a Pac Purist and proud of it. Adventures In Time is just wrong.