2600 Pac-Man questions

[supercat]

Yup, it is a major, major hack. But AFAIK it still uses the Pesco kernel, so IMO one essential criteria for a homebrew is missing.

 

Though, since batari BASIC, this isn't really a criteria anymore.

 

Batari gave permission for his kernel to be distributed with bB games. Ebivision gave no such permission for the Pesco kernel.

[[d2f]Iggy*SJB]

I will admit that I was seriously disappointed in 2 games I bought new for the 2600.... Pac Man, and Defender.

 

Neither was very good, in fact, even as a tweenager, I felt that they could both have been done much better. However, the fact that I paid over $30 each for them, I did play them. Including a marathon session of PacMan(where I discovered that you could leave PacMan in one spot, and not worry about him being killed(so I could sleep without resetting the game)) where I racked up enough points to turn it over(Yes, I passed 1million points). It took me all weekend, but I did it.

 

Defender, I could never play for more than 30 minutes at a clip. Then again, I was more addicted to Stargate in the arcade than Defender.

[Nukey Shay]

Not this can of worms again!

 

Hack'Em (by that name) never used the Pesco kernal. It was always an extensively-hacked version of Ebivision's Pac-Man. The full story (at least the most that I'm willing to devulge) is written in the changelog.

 

It was and always will be a hack...regardless of how little of the original code remains. That was the whole point of doing it - hence the name. As it currently exists, you'd have a difficult time finding any stretch of memory greater than, I dunno, 16 bytes or something that doesn't differ from the original in some way (tho it's true that the large horizontal positioning table is a total graft). What is significant is that the various tests and conditions that the kernal arrives at is an almost 1:1 identical copy. So even tho the code itself is different (rewritten, optimized, or replacement), what it does isn't.

 

As Supercat mentioned above, the criteria for such a program to be considered a "homebrew" is if the program has legal right to use the code. I never did. Therefore, it never had the prospect of becoming one...and never will.

 

 

@littleman jack-

None of my hacks have ever been "officially" released on cartridge. Partially because I lack the cash/resources to do it, but mostly because the programs were never mine to begin with There's quite a number of people that will burn a cartridge for you tho (and I don't have a problem with it...I'm just a hacker, ya know?).

 

IMO everything is secondary to enjoying a game. Perhaps I'd feel differently if something I developed was totally unique? I dunno. With hacks taking years to develop, I'm kinda scared at trying to find out how long a homebrew would take me!

[atwwong]

IMO everything is secondary to enjoying a game. Perhaps I'd feel differently if something I developed was totally unique? I dunno. With hacks taking years to develop, I'm kinda scared at trying to find out how long a homebrew would take me!

I'd say only 100 years give or take a decade with all the tweaks you keep doing...

[supercat]

Hack'Em (by that name) never used the Pesco kernal. It was always an extensively-hacked version of Ebivision's Pac-Man.

 

I would have thought the Pesco and Ebivision Pac-Man kernels were essentially the same. Are they not?

[uosipa llamxew]

I apologize for re-opening the can of worms and derailing this thread. After re-reading the thread, I'm not really sure why I did.

 

I look back fondly on the days when I would eagerly log into Atariage in anticipation of an update! First they came by PM and then it was the thread with no name. Those were golden times! If it isn't apparent, I'm very fond of the game. Hack 'em is a great accomplishment... and a game I will play for years to come.</sappy>

 

Mmmkay... I'll leave it to you guys to get back on topic, because I obviously have nothing to contribute! HA!

[sandmountainslim]

I'm curious, since I'm not one of the fans of 2600 Pac-Man, which is a shame since Pac-Man is one of my favorite games, but which of the hacks and homebrew versions of Pac-Man for the 2600 is people's favorite? How does the one sold in the Atari Age store - Pac-Man Arcade - hold up?

 

Thanks!

 

 

I have been curious about Pac-Man Arcade myself so I ordered a copy of it last night.

I know Ms. Pac is on of the VCS's best arcade translations and if Pac Arcade is just as good with a single maze, fruits in the middle and no extra tunnels it should satisfy my craving for the original

Wp

[Lord Helmet]

I'm curious, since I'm not one of the fans of 2600 Pac-Man, which is a shame since Pac-Man is one of my favorite games, but which of the hacks and homebrew versions of Pac-Man for the 2600 is people's favorite? How does the one sold in the Atari Age store - Pac-Man Arcade - hold up?

 

Thanks!

 

My personal favorite is Hack-'em...followed by Debro's Pac-Man. PMA is nice, but the other two I mentioned are better.

 

You should try them out...you know...with an emulator

[sandmountainslim]

EDIT Posted in wrong thread

Edited November 29, 2008 by sandmountainslim

[sandmountainslim]

A writer who obviously knows nothing of the Atari Pac-Man story

http://dir.salon.com/story/ent/masterpiece..._man/print.html

 

"Atari's travesty ultimately not only exposed the limitations of its own gaming console, but signaled the beginning of the end of America's romance with the game."