Pac-Man CE DX+: Maximising Scoring Opportunities

Know your maps, where the big points are, and get the highest possible scores within the time limit.

Introduction

Welcome to my guide of Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+! (Bear with me, as this is my first guide of this game.) Here, you will find ways to maximise scoring potential when chomping on many, many ghosts during the Score Attack runs. Below are all maps related to each one, with an appropriate video on each relevant Score Attack run. (On each course, the 5-minute runs are always first in order, with the 10-minute run being next.)

(NOTE: Also, please bear with me as I get the other courses uploaded onto Youtube. Thank you for your patience, and enjoy the guide!)

Map Details

Knowing your maps are key to getting good scores by simply following the patterns, with videos below. The center of the map will remain the same, with Pac-Man's starting point and the Ghost Hub right in the middle. By collecting fruits, the map will continuously change on both sides of the map, with more Pac-Dots to eat and more ghosts to wake or chomp.

Dealing with Ghosts Properly

In many cases, your four main ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde, will NOT be available from the start of the game. Instead, they'll start appearing when your score starts to skyrocket. In the case of Blinky, this usually happens after you chomp a full train of ghosts. So don't start worrying about ghosts until mid-late game.

If even one ghost comes near you, the game slows down (but not the timer). You either can wait it out, squeeze through, and play back at "normal" speed, or use a bomb to return all ghosts (the latter if you become trapped by more than one). Using a bomb may seem less harmful, but it can still affect your value, as the speed slows down a bit. Dying is NOT an option; use a bomb only when necessary.

If you do touch a ghost, your speed and dot multiplier drops more than using a bomb. So don't touch a ghost -- even if you do use a last-second bomb to get out right after touching a ghost. The speed penalty still applies, but you do save the hassle of wasting 5 seconds of watching him die and respawn.

The green ghosts you pass by will not behave differently; they will always be chasing after you no matter what. (Even when you eat a Power Pellet, they STILL follow you! Pretty stupid to run into you when they're vulnerable.) Just watch out when you're a bit too fast and take different routes, along with the four other loose ghosts.

Some courses add all four at certain score points, listed below, not including DLC:

(Championship II, Highway, and Junction)

• ~75,000 = Blinky
  
• 250,000 = Pinky
  
• 750,000 = Inky
  
• 1,000,000 = Clyde

(Spiral)

• 500,000 = Pinky
  
• 1,000,000 = Inky and Clyde

(Manhattan and Dungeon) Inky and Clyde won't appear in these.

• 500,000 = Pinky

All four ghosts are available during Championship I, the very first course in the CE series.

Game Speed

Speed is ALWAYS crucial, along with accuracy, in getting the most out of your ghost-chomping. For the highest possible score, play on Expert, which starts at the highest speed for that difficulty (20 for Championship II, for instance) and maxes out at 50.

Every 10,000 points you score (or so, depending on how fast the game is), the speed will kick up by one notch. You're more likely to speed up with a higher dot multiplier (along with fruits) than with a lower one. But your main source of speed are the ghosts themselves. With all of these 3200's coming in, the speed will start to skyrocket, so be ready to make some incredibly quick decisions and reflexes.

Using a bomb always lowers your speed by one, and touching a ghost will drop your speed depending on how fast the game is, up to a maximum of 10 when on 50.

Scoring

Scoring has changed drastically compared to the arcade version of Pac-Man. Your Pac-Dots are now multiplied for every 20 dots eaten, raising by one each time, up to a maximum of 10 times the value (for 100 points each). Fruits and Goodies are also worth more: (You must collect these to change each side of the maze.)

• Cherry = 1000
  
• Strawberry = 1200
  
• Orange = 1400
  
• Apple = 1600
  
• Watermelon = 1800
  
• Banana = 2000
  
• Peach = 2200
  
• Galaxian = 2400
  
• Bell = 2600
  
• Key = 4000
  
• Coffee = 4200
  
• Cake = 4400
  
• Galagan Flagship = 4600
  
• Space Bug = 4800
  
• Burger = 5000
  
• Scrambled Egg = 5200
  
• Candy = 5400
  
• Four-Leaf Clover = 5600
  
• Diamond = 5800
  
• Heart = 6000
  
• Bat with Gold Wings = 6200
  
• Crown = 7650

Ghosts have gained a significant point boost as well, and are the main source of big scores.

• 1 Ghost = 400
  
• 2 = 800
  
• 3 = 1200
  
• 4 = 1600
  
• 5 = 2000
  
• 6 = 2400
  
• 7 = 2800
  
• 8+ = 3200

Championship II

The first course to deal with. Plenty of all-around action in this course.

Highway

This deals with more warping between the left and the right side of the map, with long chains of dots and ghosts.

Junction

This map involves many warping in all aspects of the maze, not just between the left and the right.

Spiral

Less warping, more spiral and circle-like motions. One of my favorites.

Manhattan

Deals with "going around the city blocks".

Dungeon

Cramped layout, tons of ghosts.

Championship I

The original, with a twist. No green ghosts, but chains will start if even one normal ghost gets near you.

Conclusion

These strategies on each of the Score Attacks can easily net you at least 1,000,000 points (2,000,000 on the 10 minute ones), maybe higher. (In Championship I, don't expect THAT high of a score due to no green ghosts available.) Lining up ghosts are a potential for scoring big points.

I will not be covering Half or Darkness (due to the sake of them being only Time Trial modes) as well as Big Eater, Championship III, Highway II, and Mountain.

For the Time Trials, just be fast and ignore anything distracting; clear all dots and collect the fruits as fast as possible. Speed can help in this factor.

Ghost Combo is played differently; you must eat as many ghosts as you possibly can within 10:00 AND within one power charge. You can keep powering up when active, but the streak will end when the timer of the pellet runs out.

If you guys wish, I will do the unlisted courses above whenever I have time available.

Thanks for reading, and keep chomping!

[Nabal-Gion]

I did 1,8000,000 points Medal in the Big Eater 5 min score attack and only got A rank. I don't know if it the best map to get that medal but it's easy to do (got 1,900,000 on my second attempt)

[bluii 凹]

which map that includes a 5 min score attack is best for getting the most points?

[Storm_at_Sea]

Maximizing scores is easier on certain maps- but some of them are locked for me- I'm just returning to the game to finish up the acheivements I have left- can someone refresh my memory on how to unlock the maps? Thanks.

[Dylan Rahman]

Thanks man :D

[Pinballwiz45b]

Dyll77, to unlock any new map, you'll need to play the one preceding it (ie Junction after Highway). To unlock Time Trials and 10 Minute modes, you'll need to complete at least one game on any map I believe.

[Dylan Rahman]

this was very helpful, but can you update how to unlock certain modes and levels?

[Muffnღ]

Thank you!!

[Julian Golov]

Thank You!

[Trexel]

Thank you for this

[Darb]

Very helpful, learned a couple things that will help for sure, thanks!