But what if you have a hankering for Ms. Pac-Man in a more portable format? Sure, you could always download an emulator and [insert emulation legalese here], but what if I want something more authentic, something more tactile, something more like the arcade?
Enter: My Arcade and the Ms. Pac-Man Joystick Player. First of all, I have to give credit to the wonderful folks at My Arcade who continue to put out really solid replica devices with quality emulation.
My first My Arcade device was the Namco Museum release from 2020, and while I do love the abundance of titles available being the Namco girlie that I am, the screen is washed out and stretched out, and unfortunately due to the size constraints the controls can be a little rough at times. The two best options for arcade enthusiasts looking to get their classic arcade fix, at least in my experience, would be the joystick player I am reviewing now and also the handheld Ms. Pac-Man arcade.
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| "Pac-Mom" |
I like the handheld unit for portability. Gameplay is decent with a solid directional pad and a comfortable grip in the rear of the device. I don't quite understand why these devices require 4 AA batteries, but I appreciate the replaceability of AA batteries enough that it is a worthy sacrifice for overall device longevity. This device is fun and extremely portable, but it pales in comparison to the Joystick Player.
Design
The presentation of this player is striking, from the bright pinks and deep blues, to the classic Ms. Pac-Man yellow in the joystick's ball top, the design is great for anyone Ms. Pac-Man fanatic like myself. I appreciate the inclusion of a high-quality LCD panel with a wide range of viewing angles for a device at this price range. The colors are deep and true to the original arcade ROM, albeit an updated one, as evidenced by the BNEI copyright in the start screen. More on that later.
My favorite aspect of the Ms. Pac-Man Joystick Player is undoubtedly the control deck, which features a sexy Ms. Pac-Man from the original cabinet sitting on the edge of one of the game's alleyways, a mix of yellow, pink and blue immediately inviting you to play. Unlike the Galaga Joystick Player, this unit finds the My Arcade logo at the base of the control deck, a much more elegant placement than immediately below the screen.
My Arcade is great at paying homage to the cabinets from which they draw inspiration. This unit is no different, featuring a glowing coin door below the navigational controls above the joystick that provides a nice touch and is reminiscent of other My Arcade designs, including the aforementioned Namco Museum player.
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| Device side profile |
Gameplay
There are two modes to choose from after passing the My Arcade splash screen, regular old Ms. Pac-Man and Speed Up Mode. The latter mode is my personal favorite, speeding up the game to a point of action where I need to hold down the marquee to keep the device stable. The feeling is not unlike my need to grip onto the top of the traditional arcade cabinet when playing intensely.
Playing in the traditional Ms. Pac-Man mode is a tad less hectic in the beginning stages, but quickly escalates as you pass the pretzel level. The joystick itself is mega comfortable compared to the D-pad or the silly baby joystick on the other players. I found myself retaining full control throughout the game in a way that you really can't do with say a Switch joycon or the SNES D-pad (we all know what Ms. Pac-Man I'm referring to here...), but the feet of the player can only hold on so much without additional support from the top. All in all, this is indeed Ms. Pac-Man, and it plays comfortably.
Sound on this player is fairly loud by default, so make sure to turn that shit the hell up if you're playing this in a public space. Everyone should know you're cool enough to lug around a miniature Ms. Pac-Man cabinet with a full-sized joystick. In all seriousness though, the speaker is pretty good and gets loud, but the sounds do feel a little off. This is something that GenXGrownUp mentions in his review of the unit, and it should only bother you if you were hoping for the exact sound of the original ROM.
There is also a two player mode, and it is surprisingly fun to pass the unit from player to player as your individual games heat up. I'm not saying you should bring this thing to a party, but I'm not not saying that either.
The Verdict
Whether you're looking for a fun way to play Ms. Pac-Man for years to come or just a fan looking for a classic arcade fix to keep on your shelf or a desk, this is a solid unit. It is also frequently on sale on Amazon, Micro Center, and I'm sure other less problematic places as well. This is the unit you want if you want to play with a joystick without having to spend an Arcade1Up amount of money to do so.
Even at the entry price of $49.99 (yes, in this economy!), the Ms. Pac-Man Joystick Player is one of My Arcade's best products to date, and I hope that this design scheme continues to appear in future units. Already, My Arcade is poised to release more players based on Sega franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog and Revenge of Shinobi, and they look GOOD.
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Oh, by the way, this review is not sponsored by anyone, and written entirely by myself. If you like what you read, please subscribe to the blog. Thanks for reading!
