5200 Ms. Pac-Man vs. 8-bit Ms. Pac-Man?

[+Ransom]

I know a number of 5200 games differ from their 8-bit counterparts. Usually it's a control scheme thing, but in some cases the graphics are also improved.

 

I can't see much difference between the 16K Atari 8-bit computer version of Ms. Pac-Man, and the 32K Atari 5200 version of the same game. But there must be some reason they used a 32K cart on that one!

 

Has anyone noticed anything different between the two, aside from the splash screen?

[+Allan]

I know a number of 5200 games differ from their 8-bit counterparts. Usually it's a control scheme thing, but in some cases the graphics are also improved.

 

I can't see much difference between the 16K Atari 8-bit computer version of Ms. Pac-Man, and the 32K Atari 5200 version of the same game. But there must be some reason they used a 32K cart on that one!

 

Has anyone noticed anything different between the two, aside from the splash screen?

Are you sure it's 32K? Some roms a doubled to work with emulators (or to fit on an eprom). If you are using a 32K eprom and want to put a smaller size rom on it you have to make it 32K, sometimes by just doubling it but sometimes you have to divide it up in half and double each side.). So it could be that 5200 Ms.Pacman is just 16K.

 

Allan

[+Ransom]

Aha! Maybe that's it. I was just looking at the emulator roms, so your explanation makes sense. Thank you!

[lushgirl_80]

I think the Jaxx TV Games version of Ms.Pacman is the best ....just like the arcade! So good I don't feel like buying the 5200 one It even has Pole Position.

[cybercylon]

Some may blast me for this... 5200 Ms. Pacman... unplayable. Horrible slow down when it comes to moving Ms. Pac-man around the screen, especially in the early levels. Lot's of flicker. The 5200 Pac-man did not have these issues.

 

Pop in the 7800 version of Ms. Pac-man to see what I mean, and this has nothing to do with the controllers.

[ZylonBane]

I think the Jaxx TV Games version of Ms.Pacman is the best ....just like the arcade! So good I don't feel like buying the 5200 one It even has Pole Position.

Thank you for your irrelevant contribution.

[lushgirl_80]

I think the Jaxx TV Games version of Ms.Pacman is the best ....just like the arcade! So good I don't feel like buying the 5200 one It even has Pole Position.

Thank you for your irrelevant contribution.

 

 

Hey you're very welcome!!!! We're talking about Ms.Pacman right???? Just my opinions....

[Wickeycolumbus]

I think the Jaxx TV Games version of Ms.Pacman is the best ....just like the arcade! So good I don't feel like buying the 5200 one It even has Pole Position.

Thank you for your irrelevant contribution.

 

Did you not just do the same thing? At least hers is somewhat relevant.

[ZylonBane]

Did you not just do the same thing?

No, I didn't. Thanks for asking though.

[Tempest]

I think the Jaxx TV Games version of Ms.Pacman is the best ....just like the arcade! So good I don't feel like buying the 5200 one It even has Pole Position.

Thank you for your irrelevant contribution.

 

Did you not just do the same thing?

Ha!

 

And that's all for my irrelevant contribution to this discussion. Please carry on.

 

Tempest

[accousticguitar]

Did someone just say something irrelevant? How dare they, that's my job!

[+Ransom]

Wait, what were we talking about again?

[slampam]

5200 Super Pac-man moves like the 7800's Ms. Pac-man. This (52SuperPac) is the one that needs to be hacked into and turned back into a Ms. Pac-man. It can be done, but the 7800 crowd is just too greedy with their programmers. The 5200 camp is grateful for anything it gets. (even a mock-up box.) End Rant.

 

I'm so impressed with the 5200 programmer for Super Pac-Man I stuck his "Dad Hacker" days at Atari inside a DK rom. (you got to fill a 32k up with something when it's really only 16k or 8k as most 5200 carts sadly are)

 

Dad Hacker:

"Atari marketing had forced its engineers to write games that lacked polish and fun, and that practice had come back around. People were bored with playing the same old junk.

 

There were layoffs and reorgs every few months. Our little group moved to one corner of the Coin-Op division's building; a consolidation to save money. I was working on Super Pac-Man and nobody seemed to care, so I took my time on it and did a good job."

 

I think the Jaxx TV Games version of Ms.Pacman is the best ....just like the arcade! So good I don't feel like buying the 5200 one It even has Pole Position.

I don't blame anyone who uses something to give them a better game experience. That's why I play in the nude. Less restraint and it gives me that edge.

[Artlover]

And now for something completely semi-irrelevant.

 

Someone really really REALLY needs to re-make Ms. Pac-Man on the 2600 with the arcade mazes, as has been done with Pac-Man ad nauseum.

 

Edited April 3, 2009 by Artlover

[Gorf]

I think the Jaxx TV Games version of Ms.Pacman is the best ....just like the arcade! So good I don't feel like buying the 5200 one It even has Pole Position.

Thank you for your irrelevant contribution.

 

Talk about irrelevant contributions.

[Gorf]

Wait, what were we talking about again?

 

See that? ZB was so completely irrelevant that the very guy who started the thread is confused.

[Rybags]

Atarimania version is 16K. I kinda doubt there would be a 32K version, I'd say it's just a mirrored copy.

 

There's only 2 official 8-bit versions on cart, no? 8K without intros and 16K?

[NE146]

I was working on Super Pac-Man and nobody seemed to care, so I took my time on it and did a good job."

 

..And he did. EXCEPT for the ghost blue time. That was the one oversight that stopped the game from being perfect at that point. Thank god there are hacks for it now..

[Lord Helmet]

And now for something completely semi-irrelevant.

 

Someone really really REALLY needs to re-make Ms. Pac-Man on the 2600 with the arcade mazes, as has been done with Pac-Man ad nauseum.

 

 

Nukey was working on it (a ms. pac-man version of hack'em)...and it was looking really good. I think he lost interest though:

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?s...mp;hl=hack%27em

[slampam]

While we're on the irrelevant pac-thing...

 

Pac-Man Jr manual:

"Watch for a toy-shaped candy that tromps across the playground. It turns every dot it touches into a bigger dot worth more points. But have Junior eat it before it goes too far - it can destroy the power pills!"

 

Anyone get this glitch where the toy destroys the powerpill only halfway and there's no way to eat it and so you can't clear the screen?

Edited April 3, 2009 by slampam

[NE146]

Anyone get this glitch where the toy destroys the powerpill only halfway and there's no way to eat it and so you can't clear the screen?

 

Yep. It's a known bug in the game. Someone needs to hack a fix for that

[+Allan]

While we're on the irrelevant pac-thing...

 

Pac-Man Jr manual:

"Watch for a toy-shaped candy that tromps across the playground. It turns every dot it touches into a bigger dot worth more points. But have Junior eat it before it goes too far - it can destroy the power pills!"

 

Anyone get this glitch where the toy destroys the powerpill only halfway and there's no way to eat it and so you can't clear the screen?

Yea, just like NE146 said. It really is a bummer because otherwise it's a great game. Granted no intermissions but still great. Unlike Landon's great Super Pacman, nobody knows who programmed this other than it was done at GCC. I doubt we will ever get lucky like we did with Super Pacman and have the original programmer present a final version that is fixed. I'm still hoping that Steve Baker will one day find his final version of Stargate.

 

Allan

[lushgirl_80]

Ohh how 'relevant' can one be talking about Ms.Pacman????

 

 

Sorry if my post was'nt nerdy enough lol. I've played the 5200 version and well, it's no where

near as good as the one I mentioned.

[Artlover]

Sorry if my post was'nt nerdy enough lol. I've played the 5200 version and well, it's no where

near as good as the one I mentioned.

Only because it is the arcade version, and it's "equal" to all the other rom emulator versions out there. Be it MAME or some complilation disc for a modern console.

 

To that end, I think it's breaking the spirit to consider them when talking about native mode console games. We can use them as a bench mark for comparing how good consoles versions are to one another. But to simply say they are the best goes without saying and is unfair.

 

With all that said: Ms.Pac-Man on the 7800 is the best native console mode version of Ms.Pac-Man out there I think. But then, since it was designed by the same people who designed the arcade version, it's no wonder.

[Chris-in-NJ]

Just played the 5200 version for the first time ever, having had the cart in my collection since I got my 5200 running in 2003. The ghosts are so aggressive! They seem to be just too smart and head for you almost immediately. Even with the five lives you get, I couldn't make it past the banana board, something I can do on the arcade and 7800 versions (with three lives on Pac-Man Plus's Collection cart) practically every time.