XboxLive.The year was 1981: Big hair, high-waisted jeans and popped-up collars were popular fashions, Bette Davis Eyes topped the charts, Raiders of the Lost Ark hit theaters, and everyone was saving up quarters to play the latest video games.

Also that year, a new video game by game designer Toru Iwatani at NAMCO LTD. (currently NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. ) hit arcades around the world and would soon become a pop- culture phenomenon and one of the most beloved games of all time. That game was Pac-Man, and today Microsoft and NAMCO BANDAI Games made video game history by unveiling the Pac-Man Championship Edition, featuring the first new Pac-Man mazes in more than 26 years, available only on Xbox 360.

This brand new game was introduced today in New York City at the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship, presented by Quiznos. As a special surprise from Iwatani and NAMCO BANDAI Games, the 10 tournament competitors became the first in the world to play and compete on the Pac-Man Championship Edition before its launch at 0900 GMT (5:00 A.M. EDT) on June 6, 2007, only on Xbox Live Arcade on Xbox 360. For 800 Microsoft points.

Pac-Man Championship Edition is the same beloved Pac-Man game played in pizza parlors and arcades of the eighties but is updated with new features that former Pac-Man fanatics and new generations of fans alike will love. It includes new mazes that dynamically change shape during gameplay, six new timed game modes, new soundtracks, and high-definition (HD) graphics.

The game features a classic 2-D “Pac-Man” presentation with a new, modern look in HD, including six new, timed game modes:

  • Championship Mode: This is the main game mode designed by NAMCO BANDAI Games and Iwatani specifically for the championship round of the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship. This mode—as well as all others within the Pac-Man Championship Edition—features redesigned mazes with wide maze walls and a widescreen configuration to better enable high-speed game play. Timed limit of five minutes.
  • Challenge Mode 1 (Patience and Reward Course): This mode is an evolution of the Championship Mode. Patience mazes strategically offer fewer Power Pellets and Reward mazes provide a large number of Power Pellets—providing unique challenges and rewards. Timed limit of 10 minutes.
  • Challenge Mode 2 (The Darkness Course): In this mode, only the area directly around Pac-Man and the Ghosts is visible and the maze walls are completely hidden. Timed limit of 10 minutes.
  • Extra Mode 1 (The Freeway Course): An extremely high-speed mode for advanced players, this mode features warp-speed Pac-Man and Ghosts and plenty of tunnels. Timed limit of five minutes.
  • Extra Mode 2 (The Manhattan Course): A mode inspired by the streets of Manhattan—the home for the first-ever Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship. Timed limit of five minutes.
  • Extra Mode 3 (The Overall Course): A mix of all other modes resulting in extreme mazes for the most devout Pac-Man fans. Timed limit of 10 minutes.

The game also features Xbox LIVE leaderboards, achievements, and Gamerscore. Pac-Man Championship Edition has been rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.

Filed under: News • Xbox 360 • Xbox Live

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