16-Bit Gems #29: Pac-Man 2 (SNES, Genesis)

[JynxBlack13]

Love your reviews Roo, but seriously man you need to give us some FF6 and Chrono Trigger love man, you mention them enough, give the titans some of your time. Ya I know EVERYBODY has said what you will prob say, but I would love to hear your take on these games. LET THE NOSTALGIA SHINE!!!

[Galvais]

I LOVE that rendition of the song "Here's to the Losers"! :D Vic Fontane's character on DS9 was pleasantly surprising on that series...

[AlirazaVideoGames]

this game sucks. it isn't pac-man. mario 2 wasn't mario and castlevania 2 was a broken game. zelda 2 also is not zelda (it is my fav "zelda" personally). these blacksheep sequels deserve that ugly moniker

[jdaster64piano]

@3:27 Ha, I love that America felt the need to make its box art just slightly more "extreme".

[CSProductions918]

Just finished watching Soul Blazer review on RWT, and was wondering why you stopped making video's. Then I was smart enough to click on your youtube link, and now I'm oh so happy to see your still active!

[TheRadPlayer]

CUM MONSTER!!!

[CGRIM5150]

haha. the cum monster

[Reacted1991]

for some reson it reminds me of hey you pikachu where you order him around

[OminousSquid]

People really need to back off of sonic. There is nothing wrong with his games. It's mostly tasteless dickheads who have complaints about his games.

[Lollipop708]

@OminousSquid There is everything wrong with more recent games in the franchise. If you grew up with the genesis you will know exactly what I am talking about. In the Sonic universe its supposed to be Animals = Good People= Bad. 

[sholva81]

@OminousSquid why his games on ps3 are complete piles of dogshit except generations

[Eatmyassproductions]

@sholva81 unleashed is great. Colors on Wii is really good.

[doom1killer123]

finally, someone who doesn't say it sucks because it not being pacman 1.

[lazavideoz]

3:27 I Guess people in Europe are not as "X-TREME!!!!" As us.

[starscream1646]

I love this game, it's AWESOME!!!!

[ultimatemoy]

Ah must have rented this like 4 times when I was younger. It was great none of my friends wanted to play it though.

[spookydonkey420]

yes yes a thousand times YES! i farking love this goram game!!! ty so mauch Roo for giving this game some spotlight.

[Sammy102093]

@spookydonkey420 lol nice usage of Firefly slang xD

[Alexawesome7]

I have seen my fair share of reviews and you by far are the best. Thank for choosing to make videos I envy your knowledge.

[BlazeTheMovieFan]

This review alone made me wanna subscribe.

I should have checked you out when Asalieri mentioned you first.

[WhiplashPuppet]

This is why I subbed this channel. I LOVED this game when I had it. Can't wait to see the next 16-Bit Gems.

[scurveycur]

i'm still pissed they changed toe jam and earl so much....fuck the first one was good!

[BotmanR]

@scurveycur I suppose I should count myself grateful that I played the second one before the first one. It doesn't leave me with any disappointed expectations. (Both games are pretty good.)

[scurveycur]

@BotmanR i suppose toe jam and earl 2 was an above average platformer, but the original was really the only game of its genre i believe, i can't think of any similar games that allowed randomly generated levels with tons of powerups and split screen adventuring if you were playing 2 player

[wdcain1]

I'm glad to see you updated; but I have to ask: Is the Neo-Geo ever going to recieve some love? I own ALL of SNK"s compllimation dics and even a couple import ps1 games. And since the AES is technically a 16-bit system with an 8-bit processor it should stillcount for 16-bit gems!

[TheSegaStoner]

I actually REALLY LOVE this game!

[Datleco]

Always happy to see updates from you guys, thanks for the review and I recall playing this game quite a bit at a friend's house on the SNES

[ProkoLokor]

8:43 I wouldn't call 2006 a recent year. Especially that Seonic learned that lesson and in the next game - Unleashed from 2008 - we have proper cartoonish humans.

[ProgressiveAudio]

I had this game when it came out, now that I replay it, it makes me feel like Im having a lobotomy.

[ProgressiveAudio]

Will you ever be doing a Kirby game like Super Star or Dreamland 3?

[HamtaroSonicHedgehog]

This is one of the reasons why some great games intend to be so underrated or ignored,When a sequel produces a different concept and doesn't use a gameplay concept of it's previous game,people bash it simply for being different,which is the case for Pac-Man 2,Pac-Man 2 is not a horrible game at all,So what if it's different? Just because the gameplay has nothing to do with the original arcade game doesn't mean that it's gonna automatically be horrible,Play the game first before you judge it.

[charizaro2]

Love this game! I used to always get stuck in the 3rd part, where you're in the city. :v

[tbirddddd]

I loooooove Pac-Man 2! It's the only decent 16-bit point and click adventure that I know of. There is some replayability if you want to get 100% of secrets. There's a way to track your progress (hold a+c at the menu screen?). This game has so much personality, and unlimited lives give you opportunities to have fun with (torture) Pac-Man. As you can see I had nothing to learn from your review, but great job anyway.

[DrunkenMasterWarrior]

@tbirddddd hey man, i'm with ya 100%, this game kicks ass

[advancedpillow]

roo, respect to you for choosing a game for point-and-click fans. also can i make a recommendation for a 16-bit gem? well, two actually -- Super Turrican 2 and Run Sabre.

[daedamot]

I love your opening commentary. I've seen that to be the case of too many times when people had flawed expectations going in and that ruined the game for them.

Specifically, a lot of the criticism of Zelda: Skyward Sword went along this route. Oh but it doesn't do this! Or it doesn't have this! I wish people could just put that aside and just try the game objectively.

[NadrianATRS]

The game is too slow for my taste. I also don't like the way he's constantly moving when I just wanted him to stand still for a minute.

[majormelthesackboy]

Stuttering craig(from screwattack) said this game sucked.But after seeing your opinions on this game,I now officially believe stuttering craig is a idiot.Roo,I really liked this episode.

Also, I played a flash game similar to pac man 2's gameplay.Except it was pretty hard.

[AsciiKid]

Someone got an Atari shirt for Christmas =->

[dickharper112]

this is my favorite game o all time.

[Dre2Dee2]

I LOVE this game. Finally happy for it to get some love :D

[Hidraga]

Awesome!

[prohpetsong]

Does anyone understand he significance of the coin at the end?

[CriticalJay]

@prohpetsong This is what I want to know...what game is the coin hinting at?

[SmashLuigiFan1]

I like how this is the only 16-bit Gem I've ever played and owned.

[XxVicistxX]

@SmashLuigiFan1 haha seriously, this is the only one I have not heard of before. 

[SmashLuigiFan1]

@XxVicistxX Really? Because this is one of my childhood games. I'd also like to mention I prefer the Genesis port just because the SNES sound just bothers me. It sounds like it echoes and Pac-Man sounds like a robot! His voice sounds funny in the Genesis version though. At least in my opinion.

[XxVicistxX]

@SmashLuigiFan1 That funny because, correct me if I'm wrong, wasn't the SNES supposed to have a better sound card then the genesis?

[SmashLuigiFan1]

@XxVicistxX Apparently it's supposed to but honestly I haven't seen proof. Only thing I've seen is the Doom music comparison AVGN did, and even then, that's the 32x vs the SNES. 

[XxVicistxX]

@SmashLuigiFan1 Ya i guess the comparisons are all made on specs and preference, I guess you cant argue with opinion, I for example love the music in sonic, but I also love the music in chrono trigger so I am really indifferent on the sound quality of the systems.

[SmashLuigiFan1]

@XxVicistxX TBH I only don't like the sound engine for the SNES when it's very echoey like it is for PM2. I often like it because I usually like SNES music just not in this case.

[XxVicistxX]

@SmashLuigiFan1 thats perfectly understandable

[IronBuddha80]

That's awesome to see you like this game as well. Any time I tell someone Pacman 2 is a good game, they look at me like I'm crazy.

[OmagaMinion]

0:50 dont forget brain lord

[girgirgirzimzimzim]

who is the red haired girl in sonic xD? wtf

[liveFinalFantasy]

Wow, I thought I was the only one who loved this game.

[Rubberman202]

HOLY CRAP, I REMEMBER RENTING THIS GAME ONCE! I looked like fun, but I could never figure out what to do or where to go.

[Rubberman202]

Roo...  You look and sound a lot like Paw from TGWTG.

[thepacman2]

dude, I got that game, it was fun torturing pacman as a ten-year-old.

[deathman1021]

this problem happens way too much, great games ignored simply because it isnt a carbon copy of the original

[809Ollie]

sorry but this game is bad

[MrMacGrungy]

YAY! No 16 bIT GEM :D :D ;D

[fenrisilver]

I've given this game several tries, but I just can't get into it. Not because it's different, but because I could never understand how to make Pac-Man actually do what I want, which is extremely frustrating. And it's not like I'm inept at Point and Click games, I beat Clock Tower and got one of the best endings. Anyway, good episode, and despite what I've said, good work defending a game that has a bad reputation, that's not exactly an easy thing to do.

[DrunkenMasterWarrior]

Thank you ROO!!! Finally an online reviewer who doesnt bash the shit outta Pacman 2! I loved this game as a kid and still do. The original Pacman was my very first game ever on the Atari 5200. And when I rented this a few years later on Super Nintendo...I loved it! Still have my boxed copy and cherish it very much.

[Kirbyguy12345]

Don't remind me of sonic 06 i fucking hate that game

[duhmez]

I hated this game not because it was different from pacman, but for it's own merit.

[starsoldier1]

I would have been much happier with the name Hello Pac Man then this odd sequel baiting here in North America.

[spiderjerusalem100]

7:00 the name of that boss....erm......ok.....

i think i saw a movie involving naked ladies with that title once.

[cubeface21]

I played this game a lot as a kid, but it was so damn hard. Good times though, absolutely love this game.

[BobbyShyne]

I hate when americans called that Super Mario Bros. 2, it's not, it's a port of a shitty game. The original Super Mario Bros. 2 was a GREAT game, but that only game out in Japan on the NES and then later on SNES in Europe and North America, yes I'm talking about what you probably call Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels.

[BotmanR]

@BobbyShyne Gotta disagree on that. The Japanese SMB2, by today's standards is nothing more then a glorified map pack.

And Miyamoto himself was more personally involved in the creation of Doki Doki Panic then he was for SMB2.

[nljuggalo]

@BotmanR Today's standards are lacking at best. SMB2 FTW

[KamisamanoOtaku]

@BobbyShyne

Plus Roo (and I am guessing most of his subscribers) are the exact kind of people who know that the U.S. game labeled Super Mario Bros. 2 was Doki Doki Panic with some alterations, and that the Japanese Super Mario Bros. 2 was what we later got as "The Lost Levels" in Super Mario All Stars.

My experience is that most people like both versions equally or prefer the American version, just because the Japanese SMB2 feels almost boring in comparison. Weird>Boring 4 sequels

[321cheeseman]

@KamisamanoOtaku Boring? The word that comes to mind for me is "Frustrating."

Super Mario Bros. 2 (Japan) is easily one of the hardest games available for the NES, if not THE hardest, and it has some INSANE competition with games like BattleToads, Zelda II, Shatterhand, Gradius, Ninja Gaiden, Recca, etc., so that's saying a LOT.

[KamisamanoOtaku]

@321cheeseman

If you get stuck in the game, it can be both "frustrating" and "boring" at the same time. If not the exact same time, the moment the adrenaline rush dies because you KNOW you once again aren't going to make it any farther than last time in the game, the anxious frustration becomes bored resignation.

Still, you make a valid point, "boring" was ultimately a poor choice (I was almost out of characters XD). "Tedious" might be a bit better, but still not quite right.

[MrJobocan]

@BobbyShyne

Since when is Doki Doki Panic/Super Mario Bros 2(U)/Super Mario USA "shitty"? Seriously, what's actually wrong about it? It has really fun gameplay (who doesn't love picking up enemies and smashing them against each other?), cool enemies (most of which became beloved Mario staples... see: Bob-ombs, Shy Guys, Birdo), great varied level design, cool boss battles, good challenge, great graphics, great music... so what exactly about it "sucks"?

[castlevania78]

@BobbyShyne The Lost Levels is basically an add on pack to the original Mario Bros. designed for masochists. The U.S. version of part 2 is a much better game. Thank goodness we didn't get the Japanese version here, as it would have hurt the series because of it's difficulty and dated graphics (why Nintendo didn't release it here). The only people who claim to dislike Mario 2 U.S. are hipster Japanophiles who won't admit they loved it back in the day.

[nljuggalo]

@BobbyShyne Ohnoes.

[TheFinishSign]

@BobbyShyne Oh right where'd you learn that, the Irate Gamer's videos? I knew about where the American SMB2 came from since I was a kid. People call it SMB2 because that's what it was called in America. It wasn't a port of a game as they were released on the same console. It was a modification. There's nothing wrong with the American SMB2, and in fact it was localized in Japan as "Super Mario USA." I think it's more interesting than the Japanese SMB2 which was practically the same game.

[Workingplayer53]

@BobbyShyne Nice try hipster. Seems that nobody really agrees with you on this one. SMB2 is a GREAT game while the Lost Levels was just painful. I tried to like it but I can't. In fact, I'd rather play Ninja Gaiden, TMNT (the first NES game), Battletoads and Probotector in one sitting without losing ONE life. It would still be easier and a lot more fun. Nice try but I rather play some games that are actually worth my time. Have fun with your "real"' game.

[cubeface21]

Oh I love these videos :D

[Kousaburo]

Pac-Man World for the PS1 is great too.

[PvPDeathKnight]

Sometime I feel like I'm the only one who actually preferred Castlevania 2 to the original (or even liked it).

[MrVenom1974]

Thanks for this great review. I'll give this game a try. It looks very interesting.

[Ryutarockz]

as always. great review!! BOF1 and BOF2

[ferm65]

I thought you were going to use chrono trigger and chrono cross as an example of a sequel not many people expected.

[NecrophageonIII]

Multitudinous? Now you're just showing off. :P

[JOKER92092]

The cum monster must be related to the great mighty poo

[tf2fan006]

i liked this it was great oh and FOURTH!

[Bliced]

lol wut i felt like i should check out this channel and bam new video :D

[SCBianchi]

Anyways, another great review...always comprehensive. I really liked how you cited TJ&E. I always look forward to new stuff from you in my sub box. For some reason I thought the point and click game was a TG-16 exclusive and Pac-Man 2 for the SNES was a totally diff game. Anways, happy new year, Roo!

[SCBianchi]

SCREW YOU 'FIRST' GUY!!!