Pac-Man Review from 1982

[+Random Terrain]

The indented text below is from Video Games Magazine (August, 1982)

Anyone who buys Pac-Man because they love the arcade game with the same name may wind up disappointed. Other than retaining the basic game concept, it bears few similarities to the "real" Pac-Man. There are dashes instead of dots and "power pills" rather than "energy capsules." A square-shaped "vitamin"—no fruits or keys—serves as a bonus. There is no music.

Pac-Man himself doesn't look well. He's a bit square and seems to be lacking in the motor skills one might expect of him. He just doesn't zip around those corners in the maze like you're used to.

(Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde?), they're all shadows of their former selves (no pun intended). They flicker and fade and it's really hard to tell when they've changed colors, much less see them at all. At least once a game l lose a life because I think they're still blue. Oh well.

There are eight game variations, only two of which ("fast" Pac-Man with either ghosts "jogging" or "running" after him) could challenge even novices. The exits on the top and bottom, at times, seem involuntary; on several occasions, as I passed by one, I was sucked in and spat out the other side. When the maze is completed, another one immediately—like, in half a second—replaces it. Plus there's no show.

[Goochman]

Back when magazines didnt fear to put out a review that was honest

[Video]

I remember me and friends laughing at this review back then. Hey, the game was fun to us back then and that was the important part.

 

And yeah, don't remember which setting, but the one with everybody fast was th3e one we played the most.

 

Of course, MsPacman came out a year later and we got to see that it could have been a lot closer to the arcade.

 

Still, we all enjoyed it....other than a few mags, I never knew of anybody who didn't like it, pre ms pacman.

[cybercylon]

Interesting reading that. What I remember from time was being disappointed, but I still played it, and it was the only version that I had ready access to. Never understood why this shows up on so many "worst games lists" or caused the video game crash. There were many other factors behind the crash and Pac-Man isn't one of them. It is at least playable.

[davyK]

Pacman is all right. It's a bit boring and needs better pacing - games lasted too long even when you were a beginner. I was never really a big fan of the arcade game (though I have since grown to appreciate it) so I wasn't disappointed with it as a port.

[VectorGamer]

Pac-Man for the 2600 was a disaster. A lot of hype and a huge disappointment. It looked nothing like the arcade game. The review hits on most of the points but fails to mention the horrible audio effects.

 

2600 Pac-Man is a turd.

[Master Phruby]

Unlike today's reviews, it's nice to read a review that uses nouns and verbs correctly.

[Goochman]

Like the Pontiac Aztek, 2600 Pac Man checked all the technical boxes (Maze, Ghost, Power Pill, Bonus item, 2 player) - it failed the most important which was to release a pleasing game that looked/played close to the arcade game.

[Unbeliever]

I agree it's a steaming pile of....insert appropriate word here....I still love the game. I know it's nothing like the arcade, but in and of itself it's a "unique" Pacman version. Yes, before I get pelted with sarcasm, you have to take the game at it's face value. I don't think I would be without a copy of this in my Atari 2600 collection, so much so that I have a few copies and one complete in box set. And yes, I do love Ms. Pacman better.

[forrestsmith]

We had about 4 or 5 carts as kids and Pac Man was one of them , What I thought then and what I still cant stand about it is the Turd muted Blue background and the odd looking turd orange/ brown borders, who thought that looked good or even like the arcade version? I dont know anything about programing a game but you only had to play Berzerk once on the 2600 and you would figure out they could have at least made the colors correct for Pac Man.

 

Forrest

[glazball]

I agree that 2600 Pac-Man was piss poor, it still got a lot of play. Back then, everyone in my huge extended family had a 2600 and Pac-Man, and though we were all pretty disappointed, it was still Pac-Man! In retrospect, yea it still kind of sucks but it is unique among the many ports.

[forrestsmith]

This thread got my thinking after my first post, took me awhile to think of the name, KC Munchkin for the Odyssey II Blows Pac Man away. Atari should have hired this guy to make Pac Man! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXawm3pURjk

 

Heck my hand held LCD Epoch Man was way better than Atari 2600 Pac Man.

 

Forrest

Edited December 17, 2014 by forrestsmith

[high voltage]

I loved it (still do), that was the game which made me buy a VCS, having played it before at my friends. But, I never went to the arcades, so I never knew the original.

[Torr]

I've never seen a Pac-Man arcade unit in my life.

I've seen a couple Ms. Pac-Man units and Jr Pac-Man, I think, it was comboination video game/pinball machine... very odd... and was out of order so I couldn't even try it.

 

I got Pac-Man for the 2600 in 86, and as far as I knew that WAS Pac-Man. Not great, not bad, a fun time killer beteen space shooters that were more my speed at the time, I was obsessed with space...

 

Then around 88-89 my friend got a pirate 31-in-1 NES cart (that was very popular where I grew up, many people had it...) and it had the NES Pac-Man on it, however it was called Pack Man on the title select list and Goblin on the actual title screen.

 

At the time we that THAT was a weird Pac-Man... why is his mouth whipping open and closed faster than a weedwhacker? why is the map only filling half the screen? why is it so black? where are the police cars I hear chasing me???

 

Pretty funny looking back!

[The Usotsuki]

That's Baby Pac-Man that had the pinball mode.

[WildBillTX]

I think Pac-Man was the first time a bunch of gamers united together and told a game company "Your Game Sucks!".

[jetset]

Until Atari Age, I had never heard of anyone enjoying the 2600 version. It's just a cheap knock-off a.k.a. KC Munchkin. Difference being Atari paid for the name,so tons of kids bought it thinking it might remotely be like the arcade, but grew an affinity for it because after dropping $40, there was no choice but to play it. I always did wonder though if electronics and computer stores accepted returns on video games back then (not that they do now) how many thousands would have ended up right alongside ET in that landfill.

[Dauber]

My thoughts are summed up right here: https://pacmaniax.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/pac-man-comes-home-to-atari-players-and-gets-a-bad-rap/

[sloth-machine]

My thoughts are summed up right here: https://pacmaniax.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/pac-man-comes-home-to-atari-players-and-gets-a-bad-rap/

My thoughts are exactly the same as what you wrote. I find nostalgic fun in 2600 Pacman, it has a very 1st generation 'Atari' feel, which I like. When Atari started outsourcing 2600 game development to General Computer Corp, the console took a huge leap in quality (Ms Pac Man, Moon Patrol, Jungle Hunt, Centipede, Joust, etc.). If I was introduced to 2600 PacMan today, with mame and perfect console ports steadily available, I would probably think differently.

 

I feel similar to 2600 Defender, a shadow of it's arcade counterpart, but still fun and enjoyable in a nostalgic 'Atari' way.

Edited January 8, 2015 by sloth-machine

[+Random Terrain]

Some say that if Atari 2600 Pac-Man had a different name and there were no expectations for it to be similar to arcade Pac-Man, most people wouldn't think it's a bad game. If most people like irritating sound effects and annoying flicker, that might be true. I'd rather play Lock 'N' Chase.

[Dauber]

I've ALWAYS loved the 2600 Defender. Still do. Gotta say this though: I hate Defender II/Stargate, mainly because of the awkward controller setup...

[sloth-machine]

Gotta say this though: I hate Defender II/Stargate, mainly because of the awkward controller setup...

Wow really? Even if you only use the one controller and ignore all the power-ups, Stargate is still awesome (especially considering Defenders smartbombs and hyperwarp were incredibly awkward to use when the difficulty ramped up). Just keep the second controller in your lap or on the ground and tap it with your toe for smartbombs, that's all you really need.

 

Anyway, I love both. Defender for the classic Atari feeling, and Stargate for the arcade-like feeling.

[BrianC]

I wonder what the reaction would be if this was released in the US back in the day. 2600 version is actually closer in some ways.

[Retro Rogue]

 

Other than retaining the basic game concept,

 

That was the unfortunate choice Rob had though when doing the game and it looks like they picked up on that. Either use up the limited resources to create a version that looked and sounded like it but didn't play like it, or create one that played like it but didn't look or sound quite like it. Rob chose the later.

 

I always did wonder though if electronics and computer stores accepted returns on video games back then (not that they do now) how many thousands would have ended up right alongside ET in that landfill.

The thing was the landfill was not a burial of bad games. And actually, Atari did have an exchange program with stores. They could accept returns (and many did). The landfill is composed entirely of merchandise returned to Atari from retailers, both unsold and returned.

 

When Atari started outsourcing 2600 game development to General Computer Corp, the console took a huge leap in quality (Ms Pac Man, Moon Patrol, Jungle Hunt, Centipede, Joust, etc.)

Well, that's to do with the the move to larger ROM sizes as well. Graphics and games on the 2600 can improve a lot when you do that. Even more when you add more RAM as some carts did.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Retro Rogue

[Mef]

No amount of nostalgia can cover up that Pac Man for Atari 2600 was a horrible piece of shit.

Take Alien for example. It manages to do the pills almost right, has overall smooth and clean gfx, good sound effects and even manages to squezze in "bonus levels" into the same 4k and released on the same year. There's no saving grace, none. Even if Pac Man wouldn't have to meet all the "known Arcade conversion" expectiations, I still can't play that abomination to this day, because of the eye-murdering flicker.

I mean c'mon, there are games that have flicker issues of varying magnitude, but in here you can count - one ghost, two ghosts, three ghosts... as they're alternatingly being drawn on the screen! It feels so broken I hardly believe anyone can actually put up with this shit. As a kid, I'd rather play my other game till next christmas, after throwing a friendly brick thru the window of the shop it was bought at.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Mef