If there is one video game icon that could possibly rival Mario as a symbol for videogames, it's Pac-Man. With his debut in 1979, Pac-Man (or Puck Man, as he was originally named in Japan) quickly became one of the most recognizable gaming icons around. After more than twenty-five years, Pac-Man is still going strong. The aptly named Pac-Man World Rally (PMWR) is Pac-Man's first attempt at kart racing, but so many years of chowing down on power pellets has made him more than a little bit loopy if he thinks he can now enter a genre where Mario and his gang are the undisputed champs. This isn't to say that PMWR is a bad game, it's just very forgettable.

PMWR offers most of the staples of kart racing: circuit, time trial and various battle modes. There's a pretty good variety of tracks to choose from: two cups (four tracks each) are available at start, with another three cups (only two of the three unlockable cups hold new tracks) waiting to be unlocked. However, you can only unlock each cup one difficulty level at a time (easy, medium, and hard). While this is not too bad when you are just concerned with unlocking the different tracks, it gets tedious when it comes to unlocking extra drivers. To gain access to the three locked drivers, you will have to take first in each cup, at every difficulty level. That's a lot of racing. Of course, that wouldn't be so bad if the racing had much to offer. Unfortunately, even on "hard," you'll find yourself racing all by yourself in front of the pack in no time. While this makes the game very kid-friendly, the lack of any real challenge makes solo play more than a little bit of a let down for the rest of us.

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Pretty…That is, pretty choppy
The PSP's gorgeous screen is put to good use in PMWR. All of the tracks look great on the system, with plenty of vibrant colors. Of course, this beauty comes at a price. PMWR on the PSP isn't the smoothest ride out there. The frame-rate could certainly use a power boost of its own. Character animations lack any real fluidity; they're either doing something or not, without much in the transition department. While still very playable, it's easy to see that the PSP is having a tough time staying with the pack.

Let's face it, PMWR's strongest selling point is nostalgia. It's this fan service that really sets PMWR apart from other kart racers. Nods to past Namco classics such as Dig-Dug, Galaga and current fan favorites Katamari Damacy and Mr. Driller take the form of special tracks, drivers and theme music. In fact, besides the special "throwback tracks," most of the music in PMWR takes the form of remixed versions of the original Pac-Man arcade theme. Each track has its own particular vibe, which can range from playful to throw-your-PSP-against-a-brick-wall. Where PMWR does fail in the nostalgia department is in some of the characters it brings back from the non-arcade Pac-Man universe. Do you have any idea who Erwin is? Pac-Devil? Toc-Man? Only faithful followers of the Pac-Man World franchise will find any of these names familiar. Of course if that's you, you may want to go bake yourself a cake, because all of those Pac-Man enemies are coming over (of course Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde are all available as well).

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There's nothing overtly wrong with PMWR. There's just not much that makes it stand out from the crowd either. On second thought, that's not really true. PMWR on the PSP certainly stands out from the versions on the PS2 and Gamecube when it comes to price. PMWR on the PS2 and Gamecube is priced at $29.99 while the PSP version is listed at $39.99, and you don't even want to know how much the PC version costs (here's a hint: $19.99). At a lower price point, it would be easier to recommend PMWR, but $39.99 is a hard sell even for the diehard Pac-heads out there.

The bottom line is that Pac-Man World Rally is a very mediocre game in a genre that is ruled by a single franchise (I'm looking at you Mario Kart) with an iron fist. Of course, if you don't have a DS and absolutely NEED a kart racing fix, PMWR will do the trick. Just don't expect to become a junkie.

-Teal