March 9^th, 2005 (2:51pm) - Namco has announced that Pac-Man’s newest adventure will be available for the U.S. market in April 2005. Exclusively for the Nintendo DS, Pac-Pix joins Namco’s previously released DS titles -- Mr. Driller Drill Spirits and Ridge Racer DS - in an exciting new take on the classic franchise.

In Pac-Pix, Namco’s iconic hero finds himself facing off against his perennial foes - the Ghosts. With the aid of mysterious "Ghost Ink," a mischievous wizard has drawn meddling Ghosts from thin air. Armed with only his mighty Magic Pen, Pac-Man rushed to defeat the Ghosts and to lock them into a book. But in the process of turning them back into Ghost Ink, our hero finds himself trapped inside. Now, using the DS stylus, players must resume Pac-Man’s quest by drawing him into life and directing his movements on the lower screen of the Nintendo DS.

"Pac-Pix gives players a completely new way to experience Pac-Man" said Yoshi Niki, Business Unit Director with Namco Hometek Inc. "With the help of the Nintendo DS’s stylus, players have full control of Pac-Man’s every move and fate."

Combining exciting new technology and the timeless gameplay of one of the world’s most beloved franchises, Pac-Pix promises to be a handheld game like no other and a must-have for Pac-Man fans. Players must draw multiple Pac-Mans in order to eat all the Ghosts - drawing a bigger Pac-Man allows him to take on bigger Ghosts. Or, the player can control Pac-Man’s movements by drawing walls in his path to force him to change direction and hunt down the sneaky Ghosts. Players can also enjoy collecting hidden items along the way and unlock the ability to draw Ghost-shooting arrows and even bombs - the bigger the bomb, the bigger the blast.