Pac-Man is the worst game!

[accousticguitar]

I bought Pac-Man when it was brand new. I paid $30 for it. It was the last Atari game I bought. I was so disappointed with it that I sold my Atari and didn't get another gaming system until the PS1 dropped their price to $100.

[+batari]

Another thing that this game does correctly but receives little recognition for is 2-player variations. Almost all other games that use this theme don't include one. Those that do, don't preserve screen data between "lives" (with the exception of Jawbreaker - where the "maze" is not even close to the complexity of Pac-Man's). In that sense, gameplay is more faithful to the arcade machine than Ms and Jr are...neither of which were limited to using only native resources/no bankswitching.

This actually makes me more upset about Pac-Man. Keeping screen data and score for two players is a colossal waste of RAM, IMO. Think how much better the game would be if they had made it one player only or didn't attempt to save screen data.

So really, the fact is that Pac-Man is the best game (to date) that does what it does using only native resources and no backswitching.

To say Pac-Man is superior because of its 2-player option is a poor argument, IMO. I'm sure most of us would trade a better game for 2-player options. Doesn't Ebivision's Pac-Man use the same resources? What about Debro's? Who cares if they don't have 2-player options?

Those that don't agree can try to make a better one. To be fair, it should adhere to the practices of the time period: a non-black background to showcase the console's color capability, no "illegal" opcodes, color-cycling for input timeout, not using any coding techniques not already in use (unless the programmer invents a new one that has never been used before).

I'm sure I could. There are so many ways this abomination could have been improved even within the same design constraints. But, save a 2-player option, I believe this may have already been done twice.

[Pioneer4x4]

Keeping screen data and score for two players is a colossal waste of RAM, IMO. Think how much better the game would be if they had made it one player only or didn't attempt to save screen data.

I never thought or knew about that back then, but I would think that it is a big feature for marketability and playability. I remember how much it sucked watching others play a game until they were done, then the "It's My Turn" fight would begin.

Now assuming I never saw Pac-Man, I might have thought it was OK, and fun. I was just amazed how bad it looked, and never got past that.

[+batari]

Keeping screen data and score for two players is a colossal waste of RAM, IMO. Think how much better the game would be if they had made it one player only or didn't attempt to save screen data.

I never thought or knew about that back then, but I would think that it is a big feature for marketability and playability. I remember how much it sucked watching others play a game until they were done, then the "It's My Turn" fight would begin.

Now assuming I never saw Pac-Man, I might have thought it was OK, and fun. I was just amazed how bad it looked, and never got past that.

As Nukey said, it's a tradeoff, but personally I think this was a poor design choice on the 2600, as the screen data probably takes a major portion of RAM, which is already severely limited.

 

There are other ways a 2-player option could work, such as change players when a screen is cleared. That way, only the score and players remaining needs to be saved.

[Pioneer4x4]

There are other ways a 2-player option could work, such as change players when a screen is cleared. That way, only the score and players remaining needs to be saved.

I agree, I think that is the best way, for simplicity of saving ram, and for playability. When you have a Pac-Man guru (aka nerd,geek,spaz) playing against a 'normal' person, they trade off more often, and the 'normal' person doesn't get as annoyed with the abnormal one.

[Feralstorm]

One thing that stunned me when I did a hack of 2600 Pac-Man, was that the ghosts actually ARE four different colors, just very similar ones close to white. Dunno why that happened. Maybe it was so the flickery sprites read properly over the bright blue background. Maybe someone just wanted to play up the 'ghost' angle.

[tz101]

I think for new members the "same tired old arguments" are "new arguments". There is enough space at the AA forums for discussing these old

arguments....

 

Long-time members should be tolerant...

 

BTW I like Pac-Man for the 2600!

 

Thank you. I am glad someone pointed this out. I see many old-timers on many gaming forums ridiculing posters for posting topics that have been discussed before. Well, when a site is many years old most newer members will not want to waste their time looking through all the previous posts for their topic of choice. Just less time-consuming to post their idea and be done with it. Nitpickers need to get over it.

[NightSprinter]

To be honest, I do give the game a go now and then. Playing it on variation 2 with the difficulty switch to the "A" position is quite a challenge, really.

[Cebus Capucinis]

Nitpickers need to get over it.

 

Yeah! CYBER BULLIES too! :lol:

 

Seriously though Pac-Man really isn't too horrible....just not 'fun'.

[GameGirl420]

Ohhh come on!!! It's not thaaat bad. I grew up with 2600 Pacman and I've played much worse.

 

 

 

IMO the worst 2600 game EVER goes to Home Run. Now that game sucks.

[BassGuitari]

IMO the worst 2600 game EVER goes to Home Run. Now that game sucks.

 

No way, I love Home Run!

 

How about Slot Machine?

[GameGirl420]

Funny I actually enjoy Slot Machine....or am I thinking Slot Racer????

 

 

 

How the hell do you play Home Run!? It seems like you just keep pushing the button and all they do is run,what's so fun about that?

[primeform]

I hope that wasn't aimed at me, Tempest. I have the highest respect for you and for your work on your site, and that felt like a cheap shot.

Nah. It was just a general comment about these types of posts. It seems like every time we get a new member here they have to rehash the same tired old arguments. Just blowing off some steam in a comical way, I wasn't taking a cheap shot at anyone.

 

Tempest

 

I think for new members the "same tired old arguments" are "new arguments". There is enough space at the AA forums for discussing these old

arguments....

 

Long-time members should be tolerant...

 

BTW I like Pac-Man for the 2600!

 

I fully agree! I only started playing atari systems a month ago. I don't care if you AA geezers discussed this stuff 5 years ago or 500 times. still interesting topic to newer members

[Lonely Mountain Hermit]

Ohhh come on!!! It's not thaaat bad. I grew up with 2600 Pacman and I've played much worse.

 

 

 

IMO the worst 2600 game EVER goes to Home Run. Now that game sucks.

 

I agree. Real baseball is boring...atari baseball is Boring-palooza!

[macdlsa]

Bought a Pac-Man cart way back in XMas time of 1982.

Played it SO many times, despite its defections...

But with Rob's "Arcade" release we all can play it as it could have been since the very first time !

Heh, I've just re-read my little review of both versions on "our" italian site http://www.retrogaminghistory.com/articolo.asp?id=1083 .

[gamerz]

I was very disappointed when I bought Pac-man for the 2600 new, but it was still fun enough that I played it a lot.

[Zoyx]

Pac-man for the 2600 kills puppies and is a supporter of Hitler.

[Raiu]

One thing that stunned me when I did a hack of 2600 Pac-Man, was that the ghosts actually ARE four different colors, just very similar ones close to white. Dunno why that happened. Maybe it was so the flickery sprites read properly over the bright blue background. Maybe someone just wanted to play up the 'ghost' angle.

 

I suspect it's because the ghosts are one player object, and the energizers are the shot sprites for that player object (and therefore have to match its colors). If the ghosts were changing colors less subtly, so would the energizers. As it is, the ghosts are similar enough in color that you can't easily tell the energizers are constantly changing colors.

 

As for why they didn't just change the energizers to be something that wouldn't change colors with the ghosts, just toss that on top of all the other "why didn't they...?" questions on the pile.

 

-DS-

[NE146]

Thank you. I am glad someone pointed this out. I see many old-timers on many gaming forums ridiculing posters for posting topics that have been discussed before. Well, when a site is many years old most newer members will not want to waste their time looking through all the previous posts for their topic of choice. Just less time-consuming to post their idea and be done with it. Nitpickers need to get over it.

 

Truth is.. a lot of the guys here discussed this on usenet (r.g.v.c) waay before any web forum was up

 

I'm not insinuating anything.. just bringing up a semi-humorous fact about how long some of the fogeys here have been yapping about Atari

[Cliff Friedel]

Someone else who hasn't played Froggo's Karate, I see

 

-DS-

 

No doubt. Pretty much any froggo game for that matter.

[Cliff Friedel]

I have to admit, Pac-Man for the 2600 sucks (especially compared to the 5200 and 8-bit version), but for me, the all time worst game goes to either Froggo Karate or Street Racer. Horrible mentions ought to go to the Chuck Norris game too, which blows dead goats.

[Cliff Friedel]

If we are bashing consoles now, then I think that the 5200 is a worthless pile of plastic!

 

I don't know, the Intellivision sucked pretty bad, if for nothing else, the disk controllers. I also hated the overuse of the overlays for things like Baseball. The only thing good about it was Treasures of Tarmin and the other D&D game.

[Zoyx]

Game would of been better if the ghosts turned into zombies when pac ate a pill, and pac got a gun.

[Tr3vor]

wasnt pac man on the atari 2600 just a beta that they couldnt finish before the deadline? and this is pretty much a monthly conversation, pacman is the worst.

[Pioneer4x4]

If we are bashing consoles now, then I think that the 5200 is a worthless pile of plastic!

 

I don't know, the Intellivision sucked pretty bad, if for nothing else, the disk controllers. I also hated the overuse of the overlays for things like Baseball. The only thing good about it was Treasures of Tarmin and the other D&D game.

I thought Sea Battle was pretty good, arcade and stradegy.