Pac-Man Smash Air Hockey Table by Namco Now Available
Pac-Man Smash is the new air hockey table from Namco that you've been hearing about since January this year, and it is finally available! Originally launched in Japan under the title Big Bang Smash, this two to four player game is all about colours and friendly competition.
Making its debut at EAS 2012 in Berlin and at the 2012 IAAPA trades shows recently, crowds were simply drawn to the tables at the Namco exhibits, and visitors described the game as "fun" and "hectic". What makes this game different in comparison to your standard air hockey tables is its unique multi-puck feature.
If you want to be challenged switch the game to multi-puck mode (it also plays in standard air hockey mode) and prepare to face an onslaught of dozens of mini pucks dispersed onto the table top at random intervals during the game. That has to be the overall winning feature about this game, not only are you challenged with more than one or two pucks at a time, but these pucks are also significantly smaller, which means they move a lot faster and are much harder to keep your eye on.
The Pac Man theme has nostalgic and mainstream appeal, while the bright graphics, lighting and sound effects make this easy and fun to watch, as well as to play. The overall response to the tester games released in the US and the UK, and from the exhibits as well, has been extremely positive.
Other selling points for the game include its implementation of safety nets to try and make the game as self contained as possible and to make it safe for innocent bystanders wanting to watch. Namco has also redesigned the mallets the players use, making them bigger and adding a hand guard to protect players from unwanted flying-puck injuries.
To show you just how much fun this is, I found a video on YouTube of two grown men having a blast playing this game. Enjoy!
