So how exactly does
Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions leverage the Nintendo 3DS' unique capabilities? The answer: by going for obvious gimmicks. Oddly enough, though, the 3D isn't the star of the show; rather, it's the gyroscopic controls.
Pac-Man Tilt is a strange game. It's essentially LocoRoco meets Super Mario Bros. The circle pad controls Pac-Man, and there's a jump button involved as well. However, you won't get any momentum without tilting the 3DS. By doing so, you will tilt the world itself. If Pac-Man is already running, he will ball up and start rolling. Many of the contraptions he has to deal with rely on clever use of the gyroscopic controls. For example, a impossible zigzag becomes a perfect staircase with a bit of tilting, and special platforms react accordingly to the shifts in gravity. However, Pac-Man has a tendency to lose his momentum for no good reason. If you launch him into the air while the 3DS is tilted at an angle, moving it back to a normal position will bring him grinding to a halt. This becomes a huge source of frustration, especially late in the game. Things become even more complicated when you factor in the special traps you must use to your benefit. Special pipes and flippers activate with a touch of a button. It would be a neat idea if you didn't constantly have to juggle between the already strange tilt mechanics with the more familiar platforming mechanics. Overall, I would say that Tilt is easily the weakest link in the collection.
Galaga 3D Impact is a neat little game, but before I get too deep into it, I have to applaud the developers for not requiring the use of gyroscopic controls. They work just fine, but as mentioned before, they don't always get along well with the 3D effect. The circle pad works just fine, provided you stay perfectly still while you're playing. If you move around a lot, you might find yourself getting motion sick. As for the rest of the game, it's simple enough. You start off with the standard rapid-fire lasers, but once you start capturing enemy craft with your tractor beam, you gain new weapons and level up your old ones along the way. All of this works quite well and the game is indeed good fun. However, that doesn't mean it deserves a place alongside the likes of Panzer Dragoon Orta and Sin & Punishment: Star Successor.
At this point, I haven't leveled too many significant complaints at this collection. You're probably wondering why the game is receiving such a low score. I'll be blunt: Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions is good, but it's not good enough to even consider spending $39.99 for it. That's far too much money to spend on two merely decent new games and four older games that are better represented elsewhere. Once this game gets its price halved, consider it a solid 85.
