Crossy Road is one of the most played games in the world, and now its developer is taking on a classic in partnership with publisher Bandai Namco.
Pac-Man 256 is a new game for smartphones and tablets from developer Hipster Whale. This new app takes the classic pellet-munching gameplay and updates it in an almost post-modern way. The 256 in the title refers to the glitch that occurs when players reached the 256 stage in the original Pac-Man. The game could only handle so much data, and it would start to break down in really weird ways once players got to that level. Most notably, code in the form of colorful letters and numbers would overtake parts of the map. Now, in Pac-Man 256, players will have to score as many points as possible while outrunning the ceaseless bug.
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This is the first example of a recent initiative that Bandai Namco started earlier this year to open up its intellectual properties to indie developers. The company wants young studios brimming with ideas to have a go at remaking classics like Pac-Man, Galaga, and DigDug for modern audiences and devices.
Hipster Whale is an ideal candidate for updating classic games as its Crossy Road game is widely considered a brilliant, modern adaptation of Frogger. Crossy Road has players continuously jumping across rivers, roads, and train tracks — just like in Frogger — but in a world that never ends. It also features a beautiful, eye-catching art style.
Gamers have downloaded Crossy Road more than 80 million times across iOS and Android, and it has made more than $10 million as of March.
Namco Bandai is likely expecting something similar from Pac-Man 256.