New pacman for atari 2600

[Shannon]

Sounds like it is perfect for the 8k edition! Don't forget he already has 200, 400, 800, and 1600 scores for when eating the ghosts.

[WildBillTX]

This is awesome already, the best Pac-Man I've played on the 2600. I'd love to see an options menu with plenty of things like a Pac-Man plus mode, normal-high speeds and difficulty level, maybe a turbo button?

 

I've noticed one little glitch on the apple and higher levels. The siren that signals the monsters are blue stays on for a few extra seconds after they've returned to their regular colors.

[NE146]

I think it's just whatever position Pacman is sitting in when he munches the last pellet. It may depend on the position of said pellet or the route Pacman takes to get there. I've played lots of Pacman ports and it seems the position (mouth closed, narrow, or wide) at stage ending occurs at random.

 

Yep.. something that many ports got wrong (oddly).. Pacman starts and ends with his mouth 100% closed of course, as mentioned by darryl1970 earlier. Ms. Pacman on the other hand always ended with her mouth open. Just a minor detail from the arcade

 

Another cool thing you could do in the arcade is make Pacman face another direction when he hits a dead end.. not that I'm saying that it's a behavior that should be in this VCS port at all.. (but if it was it'd blow my mind). Yeah I'm a dork.

[NE146]

Whoah.. double post!

 

Edited October 8, 2014 by NE146

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Yep.. something that many ports got wrong (oddly).. Pacman starts and ends with his mouth 100% closed of course, as mentioned by darryl1970 earlier. Ms. Pacman on the other hand always ended with her mouth open. Just a minor detail from the arcade

 

Another cool thing you could do in the arcade is make Pacman face another direction when he hits a dead end.. not that I'm saying that it's a behavior that should be in this VCS port at all.. (but if it was it'd blow my mind). Yeah I'm a dork.

Wow. that was a fast game over!

 

Jonestly I have no idea because I haven't actually played the real arcade machine, only lots of console based Pacman ports, although I've clunked plenty of quarters into those Ms Pacman / Galaga Class of '81 arcade machines.

Edited October 8, 2014 by stardust4ever

[raindog]

There are so many options for emulated Pac-Man on every modern platform, it seems a shame to not acquaint yourself with the original. MAME is probably the easiest, though of course no one here can really tell you where to get the ROM images. (Then again, there have been commented disassemblies out there on the web unscathed for years, so apparently Namco's legal department isn't as heavy-handed as the big N.)

[NE146]

Yknow.. i take that back. I think Ms. Pac sometimes ends with her mouth closed (in that odd graphic she has). Been way too long.

 

Anyway, back to the discussion at hand.

[+darryl1970]

 

Yep.. something that many ports got wrong (oddly).. Pacman starts and ends with his mouth 100% closed of course, as mentioned by darryl1970 earlier. Ms. Pacman on the other hand always ended with her mouth open. Just a minor detail from the arcade

 

Another cool thing you could do in the arcade is make Pacman face another direction when he hits a dead end.. not that I'm saying that it's a behavior that should be in this VCS port at all.. (but if it was it'd blow my mind). Yeah I'm a dork.

That was huge for me! LOL. I was at the local arcade one time, and I saw some guy doing that. It's SO SIMPLE to do. I tried everything to replicate it. I got in the corner and wiggled the joystick.. It wasn't until years later that I realized how it was done. Every home version ON ADVANCED SYSTEMS, like NES and up that do not do that lose points in my book.

 

Another similar trick is that Ms Pac-Man will not consume a fruit if it bounces through her while she isn't moving. I was so impressed that the 8-bit/5200 got this right, that I look for it in every version. Very few capture that small nuance!

 

Similarly, very few home versions get the spring-back right when Mario jumps off a beam and hits the edge of the wall. He actually propels up and back, not just ricochet back. I know that got way off topic, but it struck a chord in me.. lol.

Edited October 8, 2014 by darryl1970

[Andromeda Stardust]

That was huge for me! LOL. I was at the local arcade one time, and I saw some guy doing that. It's SO SIMPLE to do. I tried everything to replicate it. I got in the corner and wiggled the joystick.. It wasn't until years later that I realized how it was done. Every home version ON ADVANCED SYSTEMS, like NES and up that do not do that lose points in my book.

 

Another similar trick is that Ms Pac-Man will not consume a fruit if it bounces through her while she isn't moving. I was so impressed that the 8-bit/5200 got this right, that I look for it in every version. Very few capture that small nuance!

 

Similarly, very few home versions get the spring-back right when Mario jumps off a beam and hits the edge of the wall. He actually propels up and back, not just ricochet back. I know that got way off topic, but it struck a chord in me.. lol.

Does the backwards facing glitch require an 8-way joystick?

 

There are so many options for emulated Pac-Man on every modern platform, it seems a shame to not acquaint yourself with the original. MAME is probably the easiest, though of course no one here can really tell you where to get the ROM images. (Then again, there have been commented disassemblies out there on the web unscathed for years, so apparently Namco's legal department isn't as heavy-handed as the big N.)

I've got the Pacman/Galaga port on the 3DS. Is that one good?

Edited October 8, 2014 by stardust4ever

[+darryl1970]

Does the backwards facing glitch require an 8-way joystick?

 

No 8-way. Harder to explain than show.. lol. For example, when Pac-Man starts, he goes to the left. If one were to press down, he won't go down, because there is a wall right below him (until he reaches the corridor of course). Well, if one presses in a direction that Pac-Man cannot go, he will be facing that direction when he stops at a wall. In the previous example, he will be facing downward when he reaches the wall at the far left.

 

I don't think it's a glitch nor programmed in purposely. I think it's just the way it WAS programmed. Kind of like Mario can jump backwards in DK. I think Mario jumps before he changes direction.

 

Since the CollectorVision Pac-Man Collection, for the ColecoVision, was actually taken from the arcade code, that version is one of the few where Pac-Man will face the last direction the joystick was pointed in.

 

The 5200 version of Pac-Man and Ms Pac-Man are programmed to go that direction the first possible chance. It's kind of like a buffer.

[+darryl1970]

I've got the Pacman/Galaga port on the 3DS. Is that one good?

I do not own a 3DS, but I had to check that version on YouTube. It looked pretty interesting.

 

I know the GBA Namco 50th Anniversary uses an emulated version, and it does all the arcade trickery. The 3DS on YouTube looked very similar to some other emulated versions. Good chance it's pretty solid.

[+darryl1970]

I think "GAME OVER" and "READY!" would be cool, but if accuracy is the issue within the space, I'd suggest:

1. Monsters should slow down when BLUE. They go full speed, even through the escape route when blue. On high levels, Pac can't catch them.
2. Make the 3rd intermission repeat every 4 screens thereafter.

I still like it the way it is though..

[BrianC]

 

I've got the Pacman/Galaga port on the 3DS. Is that one good?

 

I have that port and it seems to be based on the 360 version. It even has the same achievements. As far as I can tell, the arcade tricks work in it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

I have that port and it seems to be based on the 360 version. It even has the same achievements. As far as I can tell, the arcade tricks work in it.

Sweet. My only complaint was the low res 3DS display. What of the vertical scrolling GBA port? I think I have the cart somewhere.

[johncl]

I don't think it's a glitch nor programmed in purposely. I think it's just the way it WAS programmed. Kind of like Mario can jump backwards in DK. I think Mario jumps before he changes direction.

 

Most games have inherit "features" based on the order of the logic. Pacman also has the well known "feature" where you can run straight through a ghost simply because collision detection is done tile based and both pacmans and the ghosts move logic is executed before the check for a collision between pacman and the ghosts.

 

If you want to go realism I guess Pinky and Inky should both suffer from the up vector offset bug (2 up and 2 to the left and 4 up and 4 to the left), I am sure all seasoned pacman players know about that one and use it to their fullest.

[davidbrit2]

I do not own a 3DS, but I had to check that version on YouTube. It looked pretty interesting.

 

I know the GBA Namco 50th Anniversary uses an emulated version, and it does all the arcade trickery. The 3DS on YouTube looked very similar to some other emulated versions. Good chance it's pretty solid.

The 3DS version seems to be pretty accurate, except it appears to run at 30 FPS rather than the true 60. The GBA version on Namco 50th is also really good, and you have a few screen modes to choose from: horizontal with scrolling, horizontal squished to fit, or rotated. The rotated view works great with a GBA micro held vertically. You could probably build a tiny little Pac-Man arcade cabinet using one of those.

[Andromeda Stardust]

The 3DS version seems to be pretty accurate, except it appears to run at 30 FPS rather than the true 60. The GBA version on Namco 50th is also really good, and you have a few screen modes to choose from: horizontal with scrolling, horizontal squished to fit, or rotated. The rotated view works great with a GBA micro held vertically. You could probably build a tiny little Pac-Man arcade cabinet using one of those.

I have Pacman Collection, if that helps. I also downloaded it on Wii-U.

[davidbrit2]

I have Pacman Collection, if that helps. I also downloaded it on Wii-U.

That one's not bad, but it's a port rather than emulation, as far as I can tell.

[NE146]

Does the backwards facing glitch require an 8-way joystick?

 

 

The original Pacman & Ms. Pacman of course use a 4-way joystick so it does not require 8-way I wouldn't call it a glitch either.. whenever I go camp near a power pill I make Pac/Ms.Pac FACE the power pill because I've always thought they can jump to it faster that way rather than having to turn before getting there. I'm probably wrong but that's the way I've been doing it since I was a kid in 1982.

 

But yeah the trick is easy.. before you get to the end of a passage, TAP the stick (and let go of it) in the direction you want to face...obviously only perpendicular directions will only work because if you tap backwards you will go backwards. Then when you reach the end, pacman will face that direction. Piece of cake.

 

And regarding ports.. lets just get real, the ONLY reference should be the original arcade game. Everything else of course is an attempt to bring that particular game home.. so why look at them as benchmarks? Just saying.

Edited October 9, 2014 by NE146

[Csonicgo]

 

The original Pacman & Ms. Pacman of course use a 4-way joystick so it does not require 8-way I wouldn't call it a glitch either.. whenever I go camp near a power pill I make Pac/Ms.Pac FACE the power pill because I've always thought they can jump to it faster that way rather than having to turn before getting there. I'm probably wrong but that's the way I've been doing it since I was a kid in 1982.

 

But yeah the trick is easy.. before you get to the end of a passage, TAP the stick (and let go of it) in the direction you want to face...obviously only perpendicular directions will only work because if you tap backwards you will go backwards. Then when you reach the end, pacman will face that direction. Piece of cake.

 

And regarding ports.. lets just get real, the ONLY reference should be the original arcade game. Everything else of course is an attempt to bring that particular game home.. so why look at them as benchmarks? Just saying.

I have to agree with you here - If there's any "change" to the Ghost behavior - not counting Ms. Pac Man here - I know immediately if it's going to be a fun time for me or not. I'm not the one to go into excruciating details about the ghosts (e.g. Inky's weird bugs) but the ghosts should act like the ghosts. Blinky should chase you, Pinky teams up with him, Inky tries to cut you off, and Clyde just.. is himself.

[+darryl1970]

I have to agree with you here - If there's any "change" to the Ghost behavior - not counting Ms. Pac Man here - I know immediately if it's going to be a fun time for me or not. I'm not the one to go into excruciating details about the ghosts (e.g. Inky's weird bugs) but the ghosts should act like the ghosts. Blinky should chase you, Pinky teams up with him, Inky tries to cut you off, and Clyde just.. is himself.

I agree the arcade is THE standard. Since the arcade instructions clearly refer to the enemies as monsters, Google translator translates the Japanese PuckMan to monsters, the cartoon retained "ghost monsters",and there are no white, flickery "ghosts" in this version, they should be referred to as "monsters" Per the arcade. Edited October 9, 2014 by darryl1970

[Thomas Jentzsch]

We had this discussion above. They are definitely ghosts in the Japanese original.

[Csonicgo]

We had this discussion above. They are definitely ghosts in the Japanese original.

Aren't ghosts "monsters" anyway? Per Monster wiki:

 

 

Ghosts are the disembodied souls of either humans or other creatures

In other news, there's a Monster wiki.

 

So there you have it. A Ghost is a Monster but a Monster is not always a Ghost!

_{Edit: Please don't take this post seriously.}

Edited October 9, 2014 by Csonicgo

[+darryl1970]

Yes @ Csonicgo. I found it amusing, and your logic took me back to Geometry (A square is a rectangle, but not every rectangle is a square).. lol.

 

 

 

(Sorry for the edits.. .I tried to type from my phone originally, and it got screwed up)

 

We had this discussion above. They are definitely ghosts in the Japanese original.

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/229152-new-pacman-for-atari-2600/page-11?do=findComment&comment=3082817

 

It was not solved above as "ghosts". I said that I respect that point, but it is plastered "monster" on every arcade machine; thus, we should stick to the arcade experience, even if that may be a mistranslation. It is the history of the game,

 

I posted a picture of the Google translation, and it translated the Japanese instruction card as monster.

 

Regardless, this Is The US version. They are DEFINITELY monsters on all arcade instruction bezels in the arcade.

 

This version deserves a fresh start from the 2600 version that messed up the world of Pac-Man.

 

The ARCADE Bezels:

 

 

Edited October 9, 2014 by darryl1970

[Andromeda Stardust]

Aren't ghosts "monsters" anyway? Per Monster wiki:

 

In other news, there's a Monster wiki.

 

So there you have it. A Ghost is a Monster but a Monster is not always a Ghost!

_{Edit: Please don't take this post seriously.}

Ghost vs Monster: Does it really matter?