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Pac-Man - Atari - Atari 5200     HTML Manual   


PAC-MAN

BY ATARI, INC.


  • To insert your 5200 game cartridge, hold the cartridge so the name on the label faces you and reads right-side-up. Then carefully insert the cartridge into the slot in the center of the console. Be sure the cartridge is firmly seated, but do not force it in. The POWER ON/OFF switch is located on the bottom right side of the 5200 console unit. Press this switch to turn the power on AFTER inserting the game cartridge. See your Owner's Manual for further details.

    TABLE OF CONTENTS

    1. Pac-Man Comes Home
    2. Game Play
    3. Using the 5200 Controllers
    4. Game Levels
    5. Scoring
    6. Survival Tactics
    7. Your Best Game Scores

    1. PAC-MAN COMES HOME

  • PAC-MAN has won the hearts of men, women, and children all over the world. So, ATARI has created a PAC-MAN game for your ATARI 5200 system. This PAC-MAN game has all the excitement and challenge of the arcade game. And now you can play it in the comfort and convenience of your home.

  • Why, PAC-MAN and Shadow, the red ghost, even provide half-time cartoon entertainment.

  • If challenge is what you're after, try playing the key game difficulty level. And, if you're new to PAC-MAN, don't worry. It's so easy to learn, you'll be a pro in no time.

  • So relax, read on, and enjoy the game.

    2. GAME PLAY

  • Keep PAC-MAN alive. Guide him and guard him; protect him from the ghosts. Gobble dots, energy pills, truit, bells, ATARI logos, keys and ghosts to score points. Eat all the dots on the screen and the maze starts all over. Score 10,000 points and earn a bonus PAC-MAN.

  • The game starts with three PAC-MAN lives, which are indicated by three small PAC-MAN symbles at the lower left corner of the screen. When game play begins, PAC-MAN moves to the starting position at the center, close to the bottom of the screen. Use the joystick to guide PAC-MAN around the maze. As PAC-MAN passes over the dots, he gobbles them up and you score points (see SCORING). Also in the maze are four large energy pills and four ghosts (see Figure 1). The ghosts are out to devour PAC-MAN, but the energy pills give PAC-MAN the necessary power to gobble up the ghosts before the ghosts gobble him up.

  • When PAC-MAN eats an energy pill, the ghosts turn blue with fright (see Figure 2). PAC-MAN can then chase the ghosts and gobble them up. But watch out, when the ghosts start blinking, run quickly; they're about to change back to their true colors. The more ghosts you gobble up with one energy pill, the more points you score.

  • For a tasty bonus treat, PAC-MAN delights in munching fruit. Cherries, strawberries, oranges, apples, and melons appear at the center of the screen (see Figure 1). They only last a few seconds, so grab the fruit quickly to score bonus points. After munching all the fruit, PAC-MAN can collect these other valuable bonus prizes: bells, ATARI logos, and keys (see SCORING, for the specific points you can score throughout the game).

    3. USING THE 5200 CONTROLLERS

  • Use your 5200 controllers with this ATARI game cartridge. Be sure to plug the controller cables firmly into the jacks at the front of the 5200 console. Use jack 1 for one-player games, and jacks 1 and 2 for two-player games. The player using jack 1 controls game selection and starts the game in two-player games.

    KEYPAD OVERLAYS

  • For your convenience, two keypad overlays are included with this game. Slip the tabs into the slots above and below the keypad on your controller (see Figure 4).

    GAME SELECTION

  • Press * (1-2 PLAYER) to choose a one or two-player game.

  • Press # (GAME LEVEL) to choose the game difficulty level you wish to play. You can play PAC-MAN at the easiest level -- cherries -- or the most difficult level -- key -- or anything in between. Regardless of the level you start with, the game becomes increasingly more difficult with each new maze. If you don't make a selection, the program automatically sets to the cherries level.

    GAME CONROL KEYS

    START
    Press START to begin a game.

    PAUSE
    Press PAUSE at any time to freeze the action. Press PAUSE again to resume game play.

    RESET
    Press RESET to reset the game.

    CONTROLLING PAC-MAN

  • Use the joystick to maneuver PAC-MAN up, down, right, or left around the maze. Use the joystick to slide PAC-MAN in and out of the openings on either side of the maze (see Figure 2). If PAC-MAN exits on the right, he re-enters on the left; if he exits on the left, he re-enters on the right. But beware, the ghosts can travel these routes too!

    4. GAME LEVELS

  • You can start playing PAC-MAN at any one of eight game levels: cherries, strawberry, orange, apple, melon, ATARI logo, bell or key. Regardless of the game level you start with, you will automatically go on to the next level after PAC-MAN eats all the dots on the maze. All levels can be played by one or two players.

  • The cherries level is a good choice for beginning PAC-MAN players. In this game, the ghosts move slowly and stay blue for a longer time.

  • At certain points between game levels, PAC-MAN provides half-time cartoon entertainment. We won't tell you exactly when the cartoons appear, but we will tell you to relax and enjoy the show.

    5. SCORING

  • Scores appear at the top of the screen. The score for player 1 is on the left; player 2 score is on the right. The highest score is displayed at the center of the screen, and will continue to accumulate points until the 5200 console is turned off. (See Figure 2 for highest score).
    
    Dot .............. 10 points
    Energy Pill ...... 50 points
    Cherry .......... 100 points
    Strawberry ...... 200 points
    Orange .......... 500 points
    Apple ........... 700 points
    Melon .......... 1000 points
    Atari Logo ..... 2000 points
    Bell ........... 3000 points
    Key ............ 5000 points
    
    First Ghost ..... 200 points
    Second Ghost .... 400 points
    Third Ghost ..... 800 points
    Fourth Ghost ... 1600 points
    
    6. SURVIVAL TACTICS

    * Novice PAC-MAN players should practice eating all the dots to clear the maze before trying to eat ghosts.

    * Stay close to an energy pill before you eat it, and tease the ghosts into moving toward you. When the ghosts get close, eat the energy pill and gobble up as many of them as you can.

    * Use the side openings of the maze like escape tunnels. Move to either side while quickly evading the ghosts.

    * Use strategy, and try to save your energy pills until you absolutely need them. When you are in a hurry, travel a route already cleared of dots. You move 20 percent faster if there are no dots in your path.

    * Look for patterns in the maze. When you find one that works well, memorize it.

    7. YOUR BEST GAME SCORES

    
    Name:             Date:    Score:
    _______________   ______   ________
    _______________   ______   ________
    _______________   ______   ________
    _______________   ______   ________
    [snip]
    
    END

    Typed by Keita Iida

    Used with permission from Atari Gaming Headquarters