Pac-Man Plus
Encyclopedia
Pac-Man Plus is an arcade game
released by Bally Midway
in 1982, and is the 4th title in the Pac-Man
series of games.
The most noticeable differences between the original game and Plus are various tweaks to the graphics: The maze is green instead of blue, vulnerable ghosts are shortened and have a leaf sticking out of them, the fruits have been replaced by new items (including a can of Coca-Cola
), and Blinky is slightly cross-eyed. In addition to these cosmetic changes, Plus also changes the gameplay slightly: Eating an item causes the ghosts to turn both vulnerable and invisible, and doubles their point values while they are vulnerable. Eating a Power Pellet sometimes has unpredictable results, such as turning the maze invisible or turning only three out of all four ghosts blue. The ghosts are also faster and more aggressive than in the original game, making the game seem overall faster-paced and more difficult.
, Pac-Man Plus was never ported to home video game systems or computers. However, there have been efforts by some homebrew
game developers to port Pac-Man Plus to classic game consoles such as the Atari 2600
, and more recently the Atari 5200
and the Atari 7800
. In addition, Jakks Pacific
released a new Pac-Man TV Games collection that featured Pac-Man
, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man
, and Pac & Pal
. Pac-Man Plus is also featured in TV Games Pac-Man Gold: Edition.
Starcade
Pac-Man Plus was popular enough to be featured in the video arcade game show Starcade as one of the games in rotation.
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
released by Bally Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
in 1982, and is the 4th title in the Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
series of games.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Pac-Man Plus is nearly identical to that of the original Pac-Man. The player controls Pac-Man and attempts to score as many points as possible by eating all the Pac-Dots in the maze, while avoiding the ghosts that roam the maze. Eating a Power Pellet causes the ghosts to turn blue and become vulnerable for a brief period, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for extra points. When the maze has been cleared, a new maze is presented and gameplay continues.The most noticeable differences between the original game and Plus are various tweaks to the graphics: The maze is green instead of blue, vulnerable ghosts are shortened and have a leaf sticking out of them, the fruits have been replaced by new items (including a can of Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
), and Blinky is slightly cross-eyed. In addition to these cosmetic changes, Plus also changes the gameplay slightly: Eating an item causes the ghosts to turn both vulnerable and invisible, and doubles their point values while they are vulnerable. Eating a Power Pellet sometimes has unpredictable results, such as turning the maze invisible or turning only three out of all four ghosts blue. The ghosts are also faster and more aggressive than in the original game, making the game seem overall faster-paced and more difficult.
Development
Despite Midway advertising it as "the only legal PAC-MAN conversion package" and claiming it was "New!" and "Exciting!", Pac-Man Plus is actually just a single modifier chip that replaces the game's program code and graphics.Ports
Because there were so few differences between Pac-Man and Pac-Man Plus and because the game was released right before the video game crash of 1983Video game crash of 1983
The North American video game crash was a serious event that brought an abrupt end to what is considered the second generation of console video gaming in North America. Beginning in 1983, the crash almost destroyed the then-fledgling industry and led to the bankruptcy of several companies producing...
, Pac-Man Plus was never ported to home video game systems or computers. However, there have been efforts by some homebrew
Homebrew (video games)
Homebrew is a term frequently applied to video games or other software produced by consumers to target proprietary hardware platforms not typically user-programmable or that use proprietary storage methods...
game developers to port Pac-Man Plus to classic game consoles such as the Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, and more recently the Atari 5200
Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem, commonly known as the Atari 5200, is a video game console that was introduced in 1982 by Atari Inc. as a higher end complementary console for the popular Atari 2600...
and the Atari 7800
Atari 7800
The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a video game console re-released by Atari Corporation in January 1986. The original release had occurred two years earlier under Atari Inc. The 7800 had originally been designed to replace Atari Inc.'s Atari 5200 in 1984, but was temporarily...
. In addition, Jakks Pacific
Jakks Pacific
JAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
released a new Pac-Man TV Games collection that featured Pac-Man
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
, Pac-Man Plus, Super Pac-Man
Super Pac-Man
, released in 1982 is the third installment of the Pac-Man series of arcade games and the second starring Pac-Man himself. It is also the second game to be created by series originator Namco, as Ms...
, and Pac & Pal
Pac & Pal
is an arcade game that was released only in Japan by Namco in 1983. The game ran on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware, and the object of the game was for Pac-Man to eat all the items before he was caught by the ghosts. Most of the items are fruits from the original Pac-Man game with a few new additions....
. Pac-Man Plus is also featured in TV Games Pac-Man Gold: Edition.
StarcadeStarcadeStarcade was a game show where contestants competed against one another by playing arcade video games. The series originally aired on WTBS from 1982–1983, followed by a run in syndication for the following season....
Pac-Man Plus was popular enough to be featured in the video arcade game show Starcade as one of the games in rotation.External links
- Pacman Plus with Java emulator