In ironic fashion, this multiplayer-only update was equally dismissed and panned when it was first revealed last year. It provided only the merest hint at the potential that connectivity between Gamecube and GBA was about to offer, and yet it was unfairly ignored for being a supposed throwback to a long-lost era. Those same people may well have been eating the proverbial humble pie when the game was released, however, for until you actually get your hands on it and give it a whirl, it is hard to understand just what makes this an addictive, competitive, stab-in-the-back game.

All in all, the concept is still fairly simple: at one moment in time, one player is in charge of the GBA. He or she is playing as Pacman, with a traditional-looking maze on the GBA screen and the ability to see everything that is going on. The other players control the ghosts who play on the main screen with normal Gamecube controllers, tasked with tracking down Pacman and doing him up a treat. Problem is, their field of view is pretty limited and they must work together to achieve their aim. Normally this involves plenty of verbal co-ordination (of both the mature and immature variety) but there are visual clues to take into consideration as well.

Any ghosts not being controlled by humans are free roaming to begin with until a ghost player tags them, and then become "theirs" until the end of the round or when that ghost gets eaten. They still remain under CPU control when tagged, but if they happen to nab Pacman, the capture is still the claim of whomever "owns" the ghost at the time. The successful player then swaps their controller with whoever has the GBA, and the victor becomes Pacman for the next round.

Play continues like this until one player reaches a certain score threshold, predetermined beforehand at 7000, 10000 or 15000 points. Points are scored at the same levels as the original arcade machine, which means 10 per dot, 40 per power pill, and a gradient of 200-1600 for gobbling ghosts in succession. Fruit is a set 400 points, and the ghosts can actually eat it as well; not only does this stop Pacman from getting points, but that player's view is expanded temporarily, making it easier to track and spot where Pacman is.

Pacman is a game universally played, and hence there is no need to explain why it is much loved and why it works. However, for all the nuances and coding Namco did back then, each level could be reduced to a pattern and repeated based upon how each individual ghost behaved. Which is why this new realisation of the game works on a level the original programmers could not possibly have dreamed about.

Facing down (and swearing at) your fellow players in such a competitive arena as this is worthy of the price needed to obtain the game in the first place. It is the game’s inherent simplicity, that makes Pacman Vs a pure test of skill, nerve and the occasional jammy move. There are no gimmicks, no special moves, and no "get out of jail" cards here. It is you against up to three other people in a pure test of gameplay prowess, and Pacman is going to die either through your ill judgement or great teamwork between the ghosts.

Because of this factor, there are no calls of cheating; no way to feel the program has treated you harshly. For once, there is an addictive, edge of your seat game begging to be played where you can only berate your fellow humans, and not the program at all. Six different mazes may not seem like many, but with the original Pacman maze being included along with five new variations on the theme, there is plenty of variety as each maze requires a different set of tactics to survive.

Tactics that are wholly dependent on the people you are playing with, and how they react in each situation. Or in other words, no game is going to be the same, and it is hard to get bored in the short run with very little being predictable. Whether it is screaming at the ghost who somehow lets Pacman through an elegantly crafted net, or watching more than one ghost break off the pursuit to go "fruit camping", it is another example illustrating the fact that multiplayer action would not be the same if all the protagonists were not in the same room.

Pacman Vs is a great example of an old, established game being given a new makeover for the current generation. Whilst it is good with any number of players participating, it really comes into its own when all the on-screen action is human controlled. It is also a lot more accessible than other multiplayer titles such Crystal Chronicles and Four Swords because only one GBA is required. For all that though, it is a multiplayer title only. There can be no real complaints, though, because it is essentially being given away as a freebie. Say what you will about Nintendo's current generation titles, it is still apparent most gaming innovation continues to emanate from their direction.