Pac-Man on the NES

[Mister-VCS]

It looks and sounds like the original arcade-game - but the control with the NES-pad -nearly unplayable!

The VCS-version with the CX-40 is much more fun to play!

[Tanooki]

I never thought it looked that good really. We had it because of all things my mom bought it thinking she'd use it some and never really did. Ms Pac-Man though, now that one looks amazingly solid and has lots of really cool extra options and modes to extend play value.

[mr_me]

The problem I see with Pac-man (a game that has no buttons) and the NES controller is that it is a left handed controller. I played both games in emulation (with the same controller) and I can safely say I prefer the NES version. The NES version, written by Namco, could have even translated code from the arcade machine, that's something which Atari would not have had access.

 

NES Pac-man is a 24kB cartridge, NES MS. Pac-man is a 40kB cartridge. [Atari Pac-Man 4kB; Atari Ms. Pac-man 8kB] Ms. Pac-Man was generally considered a much better game. I was never a fan of these games anyway back in 1980.

Edited November 11, 2017 by mr_me

[Dr.Electric]

Aren't there Pac-man clones on the NES that run quite well? Why would the D=pad cause difficulty? Something like Asteroids I can see the pad causing problems but Pac-man?

[Gabriel]

I agree. It doesn't get much better even with an NES Advantage. There's something severely off about the control of the game. It's just an unpleasant port to play despite the higher accuracy to the arcade it represented at the time.

I'd definitely choose 2600 Pac-Man over the NES version. I'd also easily choose the 5200 Pac-Man with default controllers over the NES version even with an NES Advantage.

[+save2600]

Been too long since I played NES Pac-Man (says it all right there), but have never felt directional pads are very good for such games. Absolute worst Pac-Man I've ever played though, is Pac-Man Championship Edition for the Roku 3. As if using a d-pad isn't bad enough, you can't turn and hold the controller horizontally! Yep, you're forced to hold the remote vertically, which is as uncomfortable and counter-intuitive as you'd think. Ridiculous oversight by everyone involved with the game and is damn near unplayable as a result.

What's even more idiotic is the fact the A and B buttons are oriented the way you'd expect to hold such a controller. Who knows, maybe other games have you orienting it proper, but after this experience, I could care less. Don't need to be playing games on a Roku box anyway. Pretty sick and fed up with the half-assed execution of modern tech these days.

 

 

[zetastrike]

This port has been on my mind lately. Does the AI feel off to anyone else? It seems like the ghosts behave kind of stupidly and it's really easy for the first 10 or so rounds. I'm comparing it to Tepp's Pac Man Arcade for the A8bit, which is supposed to mimic the arcade AI very well, and that version is brutally difficult.

[godslabrat]

We need to stop trying to shoehorn games into platforms that don’t have proper controls.

[mbd30]

The trick to playing NES Pac-Man is hold the direction you're planning to turn in advance. It compensates for the less than perfect controls. Trying to change directions on the fly will result in lots of missed turns.

[mr_me]

Maybe the oversized sprites are giving some of you trouble. Making it appear pacman is still in the intersection when he has actually gone too far to turn.

Edited November 12, 2017 by mr_me

[Great Hierophant]

I prefer this unofficial port over the official one :

[Jess Ragan]

That looks way better than the original NES game! Man, arcade faithful Donkey Kong and Pac-Man on the NES... where was this stuff when I was growing up?

[Flojomojo]

We need to stop trying to shoehorn games into platforms that dont have proper controls.

Or -- change them to embrace the control schemes we have. I adore PAC-MAN 256 on anything, with or without traditional controls. Touch screen swipes are fine for that game. It's like Crossy Road, but with pac man.

 

There's nothing sacred about the the original control schemes. I don't need my automobile steering wheel to feel like I'm holding the reins of a horse.

 

I'm really looking forward to this game: X-Wing VM. Old xWing but with new graphics (yay!) but most importantly, being able to play with a keyboard and mouse instead of a joystick! http://www.moddb.com/mods/xwvm

 

Another example of old and new coming together in a good way: Daggerfall Unity. http://www.dfworkshop.net/category/daggerfall-unity/

[Tanooki]

I forgot about that Pac-Man done right on NES conversion. Man that thing is fantastic. I keep mulling this holiday season over for the yearly everdrive blackfriday-cybermonday sales price cut. I'd like to get probably 2 but 1 realistically I can afford and i'm really leaning strongly towards the NES/Famicom one. GBA would be nice too but given what the NES/FC has and well price issues in games on that trump it as do some solid continued game developments.

[Tanooki]

There's nothing sacred about the the original control schemes. I don't need my automobile steering wheel to feel like I'm holding the reins of a horse.

 

I'm really looking forward to this game: X-Wing VM. Old xWing but with new graphics (yay!) but most importantly, being able to play with a keyboard and mouse instead of a joystick! http://www.moddb.com/mods/xwvm

Whoa ho ho. Now that's news to me right there. I take it this will also work with TIE Fighter too right? I never could decide objectively if TIE/XW or WC1/2 were my favorite space combat sims of that era. I'd love to re-do those old games with this level of overhaul to the a/v package while leaving the core game unmolested which is perfect. Thanks for that link.

[Flojomojo]

Whoa ho ho. Now that's news to me right there. I take it this will also work with TIE Fighter too right? I never could decide objectively if TIE/XW or WC1/2 were my favorite space combat sims of that era. I'd love to re-do those old games with this level of overhaul to the a/v package while leaving the core game unmolested which is perfect. Thanks for that link.

It's not finished yet. I think the focus is on X-Wing, because that's the least playable with modern sensibilities. There's a Facebook group you can follow for updates: https://www.facebook.com/groups/512806878928876/

[Sneakyturtleegg]

I know we are on an Atari forum, but some of you seriously would take the A2600 version of Pac-Man over the NES? Wow. A2600 Pac-Man is one of the 2600's unholy trinity. Even as a kid, I knew I got ripped off. Munch Man on my TI-994A got way more play that A2600 Pac-Man. I get the whole d-pad thing with the NES, but still. With a NES Advantage joystick, the NES home port of Pac-Man is one of the best of its era. I know there is some great homebrew out there, but for me that is in a separate category. The Pac-Man Collections on A7800 and Colecovision are great in their own right.

[Cynicaster]

I know we are on an Atari forum, but some of you seriously would take the A2600 version of Pac-Man over the NES? Wow. A2600 Pac-Man is one of the 2600's unholy trinity. Even as a kid, I knew I got ripped off. Munch Man on my TI-994A got way more play that A2600 Pac-Man. I get the whole d-pad thing with the NES, but still. With a NES Advantage joystick, the NES home port of Pac-Man is one of the best of its era. I know there is some great homebrew out there, but for me that is in a separate category. The Pac-Man Collections on A7800 and Colecovision are great in their own right.

 

I really do get what you're saying, but I think I'd also prefer to play the 2600 game because I can more readily do so with not only a joystick, but a right-handed joystick. Yes, it matters that much. And, for me at least, it has nothing to do with being purist or nostalgic--it's simply that a right-hand joystick is the way my brain is hard-coded to play the game.

 

Using a d-pad for Pac-Man and other such classic era maze games is like raking leaves with a shovel. You can scoop up the leaves and make a pile, but it's still flat out the wrong tool for the job. The Advantage is better, but it's meant to be used left-handed, and is not readily available like the stock controllers are.

[empsolo]

 

I really do get what you're saying, but I think I'd also prefer to play the 2600 game because I can more readily do so with not only a joystick, but a right-handed joystick. Yes, it matters that much. And, for me at least, it has nothing to do with being purist or nostalgic--it's simply that a right-hand joystick is the way my brain is hard-coded to play the game.

 

Using a d-pad for Pac-Man and other such classic era maze games is like raking leaves with a shovel. You can scoop up the leaves and make a pile, but it's still flat out the wrong tool for the job. The Advantage is better, but it's meant to be used left-handed, and is not readily available like the stock controllers are.

Except for the constant glitching, small playfield, and horrid noise, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln?

[Noah98]

 

I really do get what you're saying, but I think I'd also prefer to play the 2600 game because I can more readily do so with not only a joystick, but a right-handed joystick. Yes, it matters that much. And, for me at least, it has nothing to do with being purist or nostalgic--it's simply that a right-hand joystick is the way my brain is hard-coded to play the game.

 

Using a d-pad for Pac-Man and other such classic era maze games is like raking leaves with a shovel. You can scoop up the leaves and make a pile, but it's still flat out the wrong tool for the job. The Advantage is better, but it's meant to be used left-handed, and is not readily available like the stock controllers are.

The nes advantage is really easy to find and relatively cheap. It can also be played right handed, even though it was meant to be a left handed joystick. No need to use a joypad. I play the nes version of pac man all the time, and I think it is a decent version. The 2600 version can be fun, but there is no way it compares with the nes version!

 

The 5200 version would be great if it wasnt for the terrible analog joysticks. I use one of Bohokis adapters to use my 2600 joystick, and that makes it much better.

 

Honestly, its 7800 homebrew Pac Man collection for the win.

[Gabriel]

 

Honestly, its 7800 homebrew Pac Man collection for the win.

 

Re: 7800 Pac-Man Collection = This we agree on. This is my favorite and go-to version of Pac-Man to play.

[NinjaWarrior]

This could have been the Tengen version. If they decided to port the Arcade version, Like they did Ms. Pac-Man

[GameGirl420]

Hated it the first few times I played it. Didn't like that game,but lately has grown on me a bit.

 

It just doesn't compare to the gameplay of the 5200 version which is more like the arcade. I would even say the 5200 version's graphics are way better.

[NinjaWarrior]

What Mapper is this Game using?

[Great Hierophant]

What Mapper is this Game using?

0 but with 8KB of sram.