Namco Ms Pac II - the best TV game yet?

[atarilovesyou]

..man....you wanna know something embarrassing...I spent the equilvalent of 50 bux Canadian funds (around 38 american) for that wirless Ms Pac...wish I didn't, but oh well. It looks cool!...live and learn.

[+remowilliams]

I went by the toy isle to see if the price of the FB2 had gone down and found the wireless Ms Pacman units have gone down to $4.88.  The batteries cost more than the system.    Oddly, the wired systems were 15 bucks more!    Maybe it's because of the cartridge feature?

1016401[/snapback]

Yeah, that's a pretty good deal alright

 

Mine actually is still out and still being used. The other TV game stuff I had was either given away or turned into something usefull (the 7800 RSI) and my soon to be FB1 to C64 project.

 

Well, except for my 64DTV and my FB2

[Paranoid]

I just picked up 2 flashback 2s today, and saw the wireless Ms. Pac Man for $4.88 also... there were none left. The wired/key based one was right above it for $19.99.

 

I also paid $38 for the POS...

 

Hopefully the FB2 prices won't plummet to closeout anytime soon. Somehow, I think they'll sell all of their stock at their asking price, though.

[uosipa llamxew]

I played it a little more tonight. I actually dig the way Pole Position plays with the twist control. I played Xevious and Bosconian seem to play nicely as well. It's too bad that Galaga and Ms Pacman seem off.

 

Anyways, I've decided to go pick up a couple more tomorrow for gifts. My neice's birthday is next week and she is into the classic games.

[Paranoid]

I played it a little more tonight.  I actually dig the way Pole Position plays with the twist control.    I played Xevious and Bosconian seem to play nicely as well.  It's too bad that Galaga and Ms Pacman seem off.

 

Anyways, I've decided to go pick up a couple more tomorrow for gifts.  My neice's birthday is next week and she is into the classic games. 

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Yeah, the Pole Position twist is an innovative and decent alternative.

 

The controls on EVERY other game on the stick suck, though. I can play Pac Man... but it aggrivates my wife. I can't play Xevious... it occasionally does not respond to diagonal input... and on a game like Xevious... occasional refusal to move diagonally just doesn't work.

 

Actually, the rest of the games on the stick play decent... but they're not titles that really excite me. Xevious and Ms. Pac Man are the big ones... and the controls of both are marginal at best.

[ninjarabbit]

I bought one of these for my mom for Christmas at Walmart for $10

[NightSprinter]

The only gripe I really have with Pole Position is the lack of that crucial brake. The break has ALWAYS been how I managed to place decently in the game. I've tried the "shift to low gear on the sharp turn", but it never worked. So it's a bit of a let-down, but the game's fine regardless.

[atarilovesyou]

The only gripe I really have with Pole Position is the lack of that crucial brake.  The break has ALWAYS been how I managed to place decently in the game.  I've tried the "shift to low gear on the sharp turn", but it never worked.  So it's a bit of a let-down, but the game's fine regardless.

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....hmmm, it's been a while since I saw one in the arcade, but was there even a brake in that version?...I thought it was just a shifter and gas pedal...could be wrong, but I didn't think so. Anyone remember?

[+remowilliams]

....hmmm, it's been a while since I saw one in the arcade, but was there even a brake in that version?...I thought it was just a shifter and gas pedal...could be wrong, but I didn't think so.  Anyone remember?

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IIRC the regular old stand up version only had an accelerator and the sit down version (which I rarely saw back in the day) had a brake and accelerator.

[Flojomojo]

....hmmm, it's been a while since I saw one in the arcade, but was there even a brake in that version?...I thought it was just a shifter and gas pedal...could be wrong, but I didn't think so. Anyone remember?

1023516[/snapback]

IIRC the regular old stand up version only had an accelerator and the sit down version (which I rarely saw back in the day) had a brake and accelerator.

This is correct. Check http://klov.com/game_detail.php?letter=&game_id=9063 for confirmation.

 

In stand-up Pole Position, the absence of acceleration = braking. Tight, responsive controls, and a wheel that you could spin all the way around. What a great game.

[Paranoid]

Just wanted to update. I went ahead and converted my Ms. Pac Man stick to a 7800 stick (it is uniquely well suited for this, having a CX-40 type form-factor and the two buttons). Unfortunately, the same problems, especially with going from a hard left or right to a diagonal, still plauge the stick. I thought it was something to do with the I/O controller logic, but this makes me think it is a mechanical problem in the microswitches or play of the stick, itself.

 

So, when I decided to convert this, I went on eBay and won the same stick for $.50 plus $6 s/h. This one arrived today, and it is much, much better. The stick is far more responsive (although less 'clicky'), and doesn't seem to get hung up on diagonals. I was going to make this one a 7800 stick too... now, I'm twice as torn. The fact that it works *well* means that it would also work better as a 7800 stick... but the fact that it works well makes it less of a paper-weight as it was originally intended to be used.

 

It also makes me wonder if this new one is just better broken in, and that all mine needs is some good old fashioned wear and tear in order to become a better stick. That seems unlikely to me... but I suppose it is possible.

 

But, having played this, I can see why some people have favorable views of this stick. I always felt that the only problem was the controls, and I thought that the control issues were part of the circuit, not something mechanical. Having a decent stick on the game makes all the difference in the world. I'd still fault Jakks for having such inconsistent quality control. It is really a shame that my two retail bought attempts at a Jakks game turned me off to their products so badly.

[Bryan]

I finally figured out why the wireless version of Ms Pac is so hard to play. When you turn from heading right to up, or from left to down just before the turn, Ms Pac stalls in place for a second (actually, it appears that the game thinks you've asked to turn, then go straight, then turn again at the intersection). It's maddening.

 

-Bry

[Paranoid]

It just sucks that they screwed that version up, too. Especially when they put "Improved Control" right on the box.

 

So I went... "Sure, they listened to me... I'll give it a try... it is only $40..."

 

<insert picture of my head turning into a big SUCKER here>

[Bryan]

It appears that the wireless version is sped up, and that's probably how they broke the code.

 

-Bry

[Paranoid]

I guess I spoke to soon on the new stick, too. It is a newer revision than I have, because it has the red ball-stick with words telling you that you twist the stick to drive printed on the plastic at the bottom of the stick, and it is better, but not perfect. The problems, unfortunately, become most noticable in Xevious. It will often refuse to go from a hard right or left to a diagonal, making the game fairly unplayable.

 

It is still better than the first version...

 

I also noticed the timing was off for Xevious in this game. Or perhaps the timing is off on my MAME cabinet and I just haven't ever noticed it before. It seems like it is sped up, though. I've got a real arcade Choplifter and I don't notice a difference between it on the arcade cab or the mame cab... but with Xevious, there is a noticable speed increase on the Jakks stick over the Mame cabinet.

[Prodos8]

Just wanted to update. I went ahead and converted my Ms. Pac Man stick to a 7800 stick (it is uniquely well suited for this, having a CX-40 type form-factor and the two buttons).

 

Did you convert the wired stick or the wireless one? 'Cause the wireless one would be really cool and I'd like to know how to do that.

[Paranoid]

Just the wired one.

 

the wireless one is beyond my skill. I suppose I could convert the wireless stick to a wired 7800 stick, but once it gets sent back to the wireless base, the only output is video.