Dauber Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 I'm looking for feedback for a future episode of the Atari 7800 Homebrew Podcast (you can find it on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or use this feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/homebrew78 ) What are your thoughts on Super Pac-Man on the 7800? This game will be covered on Episode 8. Yep, that's right: episode 8. And I'm posting this when episode 4 is still a week and a half away. Why am I posting this so early? Well, I'm not going to get into the details right now, but I'd just like to start prep on this particular one ASAP. You can also e-mail text or audio to homebrew78 -at- fab4it -dot- com. Deadline is, kinda-sorta, 11:59pm CST on Friday, April 7. Any comments from after then will be addressed in a later episode. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+save2600 Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 We had the arcade cocktail table at home BITD and used to play with my Dad until the wee hours of the night. Was one of his favorites and mine as well. 7800 version is definitely a solid+ game... probably more like a HOF game really. Difficulty doesn't ramp up too quickly, but the game still feels right compared to the arcade by most counts. Another excellent conversion for our beloved system and is still one of my all time favorite Pac-Man games to this day. Love the concept and strategy of the gate/key dynamics. Really helps to keep things interesting in a static maze. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted February 1, 2017 Share Posted February 1, 2017 Best pac man game ever on the 7800. Solid and plays great!! I like this better than all pac man variants. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebor Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Although never seeming to reach the accolades of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man, Super Pac-Man is a very enjoyable game once it is understood how to play, as it does breakaway considerably from the original formula. In all honesty, I remember stinking up the joint pretty badly the few times I played this in the Arcades. I never made it further than 3 or 4 stages. After being emulated under MAME, as the old saying goes, practice makes perfect, I found myself enjoying this game more and more. It may not ever receive the warm-fuzzes that Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man provide for many, still though, it is a very good game that's worth the time and attention. How does it stack up on the 7800? Near perfect; a fantastic port has been created which captures the Arcade original excellently. What has become nothing less than a hallmark of his arcade ports to the ProSystem from Bob, the attention to detail for this game is quite extraordinary. While it can be challenging to take note of some of the similarities between the Arcade original and the 7800 port, things such as: 'Eyes' will turn blue on their way back to home pen if another energizer is eaten, and eyes do not leave the home pen if a monster is chomped inside of it, are present, among a plethora of other items. The above are some of the little details of what helps to make this port arguably the best of all the ones released on classic 8-bit systems. Even where the 7800 can easily fall short - infamously, its default TIA sound – it may not be believe how incredibly good this game sounds, really nailing the Arcade effects quite well. Is there a downside? Well, yes and no. This port is less difficult than the Arcade original default. Not ‘Atari 2600 Ms. Pac-Man Teddy Bear’ easy, but indeed less difficult than the Arcade. While it may be nice to play at the full arcade default difficulty, the upside of it not being as difficult is newcomers to the game, or those that may have never been able to improve their gaming on the Arcade original, will likely have a considerably easier time playing the 7800 port. To help offset if it is a little too easy for experts at the game, instead of starting with Stage 1, the freedom to begin at one of the higher stages is present; a very nice added feature. Super Pac-Man should be a part of every 7800 gamer's library as it is a blast to play, becoming "Super", flying over monsters and ripping through doors, trying to nail that bonus with the slots of items, and the 'cat-mouse' chase still very much in place, keeps it entertaining and paced well. The changes/upgrades from the forerunners in the series include bonus rounds too; again emphasizing how this game is something old, yet something brand new under the 7800. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toiletunes Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 I loved Super Pac Man in the arcades- if you ever see the cabinet, you know exactly what it is. Years later, maybe 2002, I bought the PCB off eBay. My first electronics project was getting it to work in a ms Pac cab. I still have the PCB. A HUGE thank you to Bob for bringing one of my favorite games to one of my favorite consoles. Fun fact: While Pac man PCB had two difficulty options, super pac man PCB has several! Unfortunately, the home port only has one, but the level select (not present in arcade) makes up for it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PacManPlus Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Thanks guys I need to say, I had a LOT of help from Kenfused on this one. I asked him quite a few questions about how to do certain things. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dauber Posted March 26, 2017 Author Share Posted March 26, 2017 Just wanted to bump this one, as I posted it a long time ago. If you care to share any feedback about Super Pac-Man, you may reply to this thread. Or you can e-mail homebrew78 (at) fab4it (dot) com -- text or audio! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Fiorillo Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 Super Pac-Man always seemed like the red-headed stepchild of the series, but I had fun playing it in the arcades (when I was able to find one, which was kinda rare). Robert's version captures the look and feel really well! Very glad I purchased it. Marc 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Is it better than Atari's own unreleased commercial version for the 5200? I'm talking graphics and playability, not audio because unless it uses a POKEY, it's not going to trump the 5200 version in that department. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Is it better than Atari's own unreleased commercial version for the 5200? I'm talking graphics and playability, not audio because unless it uses a POKEY, it's not going to trump the 5200 version in that department.Did you play them both? I have and can say that the 7800 version is better. Like all homebrews Bob does all dominating the 5200 versions with ease. I never studied the audio on both close enough to see which is better but found nothing wrong with the 7800 version. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebor Posted May 1, 2017 Share Posted May 1, 2017 Is it better than Atari's own unreleased commercial version for the 5200? I'm talking graphics and playability, not audio because unless it uses a POKEY, it's not going to trump the 5200 version in that department. TIA "trump" POKEY sound...likely not (ever), but it is no slouch here either. Bob did a great job bringing over the effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeOOZVa3T-g While the 5200 port from 'Atari' is very good, I am in agreement with Jinks, Bob's 7800 port plays and looks better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dauber Posted May 1, 2017 Author Share Posted May 1, 2017 The 5200 version is too...yellow...for my tastes. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dire 51 Posted May 4, 2017 Share Posted May 4, 2017 Super Pac-Man is one of my all-time favorite arcade games. I remember the day many years ago that I bought Jr. Pac-Man for the 2600. I was amazed at how good it was, especially compared to the earlier 2600 Pac-Man games, and I hoped that Atari would release a port of Super Pac-Man for either the 2600 or 7800 after that. Sadly, it never happened. After getting back into the 7800 after a very long break and finding out that a 7800 port of Super Pac-Man had finally been created - and was being sold in the store - I had to buy it. My copy arrived today, and I just got done spending time with it. Now, in the years since I played the arcade game originally, I have played it to death on MAME, Namco Museum Vol. 2 (PS1) and Namco Museum Virtual Arcade (360), so it's still pretty fresh in my mind. So do I think the 7800 version lives up to the original? In a word, absolutely. I spent the better part of the last hour playing it, and I enjoyed it just as much as the arcade. Given the limitations of the console compared to the arcade, I'm amazed at how close it is to the original. Honestly, if this had been released for the 7800 back when I first got one, I'd have begged my parents for a copy, and then been absolutely thrilled at just how good it was. This was money well spent, and one 7800 game I look forward to replaying as time goes on. PacManPlus, my hat is off to you. Thanks for making a childhood dream a reality. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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