As a comparatively fledgling medium, videogames are only now beginning to come to terms with their past, and to embrace it. Audiences are responding positively to remakes and revamps, whether they were there for the originals or not. Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions sees Namco attempt to introduce two of its oldest brands to new consumers, though this compendium works best when remixing past ideas with modern sensibilities.
Galaga Original and Classic Pac-Man, therefore, feel slightly irrelevant in the company of recent updates Pac-Man Championship Edition and Galaga Legions, two Xbox Live Arcade titles making their 3DS debuts. Neither benefits significantly from the 3D effect, but both thrillingly rework the mechanics of their predecessors into faster-paced and more satisfying high-score challenges. Indeed, Legions, underrated upon its digital launch in 2008, is perhaps the highlight of the whole package.
By comparison, Pac-Man Tilt and Galaga 3D Impact seem to have entirely misunderstood the appeal of their respective franchises. The former is an unconvincing platformer that uses the console's accelerometer for movement, while Impact's title is a complete misnomer, this forgettable on-rails shooter offering garish visuals and little else of note. Rounding out this uneven compilation is a short 3D movie, the sole saving grace of which is its brevity.
