Pac-Man World 3 is the third installment in the Pac-Man World series. It was released in 2005 for PlayStation 2, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, Microsoft Windows PC, PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS.
An evil genius by the name of Erwin has found a way to suck energy from the Spectral Realm (the world of the ghosts), which threatens to collapse the realm into Pac-Land, causing a massive catastrophe in the process. This causes Orson, the main antagonist from the first game to teleport Pac-Man to the spectral realm during his birthday party in order to stop Erwin's plans. While Pac isn't exactly pleased with this turn of events, given that it happened on his birthday, he happily obliges.
It is now up to him, Orson, Pinky and Blinky (Clyde), the few ghosts who aren't kidnapped by Erwin to join forces and stop Erwin's evil plans from coming to fruition and to save both of their worlds.
The game is notable for a few things. One, it notably shifts away from the pure platforming of the first two games, instead having a bigger emphasis on combat, two, it is the first entry in the series to give Pac-Man a voice (courtesy of Martin Sherman) and three, it is the only title in the World series to not be released in Japan, due to low sales of the previous two games.
Pac-Man World 3 contains the following examples:
- A Birthday, Not a Break: As with the first game, its story takes place on Pac-Man's birthday. This time, it's his 25th.
- Aborted Arc: Pinky appears to have completely gotten over her crush on Pac-Man since the last game.
- Actionized Sequel: Pac-Man World 3 emphasizes action and combat while still preserving most of the platforming elements from the previous entries.
- Advanced Ancient Acropolis: The Ancients, who built many of the ruins that a few levels take place in. They were destroyed when their lust for power drove them to try and siphon energy from the Spectral Realm. Erwin's big plan? Do it right this time.
- Big Bad: Erwin is the Evil Genius behind the plot to siphon energy from Pac-Land and the Spectral Realm to fuel his conquests.
- Bash Brothers: Pac and Clyde towards the game's end. While it starts as obvious Teeth-Clenched Teamwork, the two end up manning the same mecha to take down a literal army and generally spending the rest of the adventure tagging out with each other to dish out punishment.
- Character Development: It took a while, but this game finally provided a defined personality for Pac-Man - it turns out he's quite the Deadpan Snarker.
- Continuity Nod: When Orson's initial attempts to teleport Pac-Man in instead send him all over the town, Pac-Man grumbles that at least it was still better than his 20th birthday.
- Darker and Edgier: Compared to the rest of the trilogy. The levels have a much more gritty feel in this game, and Erwin is the most evil Pac-Man villain to date, with the fate of both Pac-World and the Spectral Realm hanging in the balance.
- Somewhat more subtly, the sound effects (or at least the ones that aren't traditionally in every Pac-Man game) are less cartoonish. Compare the "butt-bounce" sound in this game to the one from Pac-Man World 2.
- Also, the game's art style is noticeably bleaker and more realistic than the colorful, cartoony style of the first two games.
- Deadpan Snarker: Pac-Man.
- Distressed Dude: Inky and Blinky are captured and held captive by Erwin thoughout the game.
- End of the World as We Know It: What will happen if Pac-Man doesn't stop Erwin's Energy Syphons in time, for both Pac-World and the Spectral Realm.
- Enemy Mine: Pac-Man has to work together with the ghosts he fights in every other game in order to stop Erwin's plan. Once the mission's complete and Pac is returned home, the brief alliance is finally over and Pac-Man decides to have the ghosts for dinner...literally.
- Expy: Since the ghosts are working with Pac, the role of "enemy that is invincible until you eat a Power Pellet" is filled by even more ethereal creatures simply called Spectrals.
- Good Old Fisticuffs: Pac finally puts those boxing gloves he's been wearing for twenty-five years to proper use.
- Gotta Catch 'Em All: The trading cards. One can be found in each level, and you can get another by collecting all of one type of fruit in a level. Unlike World 2, however, Pac-Dots just add to your score and are not required.
- Heel–Face Turn: Orson has reformed since his last appearance in Pac-Man World, and now serves as Pac-Man's Mission Control. It is unknown what happens to Orson's alliance with Pac-Man following Erwin's defeat.
- Heroic Mime: Not this time. See Suddenly Speaking below.
- Hollywood Hacking: Orson manages to simplify hacking into Erwin's Energy Syphons by turning it into a classic-style Pac-Man maze.
- Mad Scientist: Erwin, who smells of clams and hates kittens and chocolate.
- Make Me Wanna Shout: Clyde can use a sonic scream to attack enemies in the segments where you control him.
- Mini-Mecha: The new Toc-Man, described by Orson as being "15 tons of the most state-of-the-art bad guy-smushing technology ever balanced on legs". When Clyde's in the copilot seat, it gains a sonic scream cannon.
- Mission Control: Orson. A few other characters join in on occasion.
- Mordor: The Spectral Realm, although there are hints that it looks different to everybody.
- Retcon: In the first two games, the ghosts live on Ghost Island. Here, it is stated that they live in the Spectral Realm.
- Shockwave Stomp: Pac's Butt-Bounce is upgraded to have one of these every third bounce. As well, a certain powerup gives a greatly-amplified version.
- Suddenly Speaking: Pac-Man, after many years of being a Heroic Mime, is finally given a voice for this game.
- Take Your Time: With the exception of the Timed Mission, you can go through the game at whatever pace you want despite the fabric of space collapsing around you.
- Thin Dimensional Barrier: A new Big Bad named Erwin is creating energy siphons to drain energy from the Spectral Realm. In theory, these siphons can be set up anywhere, but one particular area where he'd set up a siphon is later explained by Mission Control as making a kind of sense, as the barrier between dimensions was thin there. This doesn't seem to have any effect other than to make the siphon's operation easier for Erwin, though.
- Timed Mission: The end of the second Gogekka level, which has an enormous bomb that needs to be defused before it blows up the whole tower.
- Unexpected Gameplay Change: Level ten has Pac-Man and Clyde fighting off Erwin's forces invading Orson's base in the new Toc-Man mecha.
- You Could Have Used Your Powers for Good!: Pac-Man tells Erwin he should have used his "death machines, world conquest plans and rampaging insanity" for good instead of evil.
