So the stage is set for these kart-racer styled matches, and you'll have a nice variety of different racers to choose from, aside from the titular character himself. For one thing, there's an evil looking red version of Pac-Man, aptly named the Pac-Devil. I was flabbergasted when I first saw him, thinking he was the coolest thing I had ever seen in a video game, but it was actually my mistake, having caught just a glance of him from out of the corner of my eye. No, he was not, in fact, the Kool-Aid Man. A shame that, as he would have sold me immediately. Instead, you get an alternate version of Pac-Man that resides as evil overlord of the underworld, or some such entity. Still, there are some nifty Namco characters to choose from, besides the Pac-Man ghosts. You can race as several of the characters from the pumped up arcade classic Dig Dug, and even as Mr. Driller, the star of Namco's more modern incarnation of the digging franchise.
The racing itself is a Pac-Man flavored style of kart-racing, although instead of karts the characters are tooling around on gas-guzzling motorcycles or other powerful looking vehicles. Racers are rated in three characteristics: acceleration, top speed, and handling, and their effect on your performance is easy enough to understand. A refillable meter plays a large part in your success, as this meter can be replenished by picking up pellets that are strewn throughout the courses. Once this meter is filled, you can activate your special power, basically turning your vehicle into a Pac-Man-looking tank type thing, which, much like the powered-up Pac-Man from the original arcade game, can just plow through enemies. It wouldn't be a fun kart racer without solid powerslide mechanics, and hopping around corners with your vehicle struck me as pretty solid, and it could amount to some simple, appealing fun for the casual racing fan or the younger gamer.
Fruits like strawberries, grapes, and watermelons have their part in the action as well, both in the races and in the battle arenas. Picking up fruit during your runs through the courses will unlock secret areas and shortcuts, allowing for much better times. In the multiplayer combat modes, specifically the battle arenas, these fruits become the armaments of choice. Watermelon seeds can be shot at high velocities, grapes become powerful grenades, and strawberries are guided missiles.
There will be four difficulty levels, allowing you to challenge yourself or have an easy ride as you drive through the requisite haunted mansion and other course types that are the standard for this type of game. The multiplayer features may be the most intriguing part of the package, with four-player split-screen deathmatch mode available, as well as a last kart standing mode. The PSP version of the game should also include extra content not available in the console versions. Pac-Man World Rally is scheduled for release this summer.