New pacman for atari 2600

[Jinroh]

Man, get this out on a cart already! It just keeps getting better and better, but you're not taking my money!

 

Also on Darryl1970s note, I have to agree that it's monsters, though thanks to the cartoon I often call them ghosts. Fleshy creatures wearing Charlie Brown ghost sheet costumes though isn't much of a "ghost" in the arcade version.

Edited April 27, 2015 by Jinroh

[+darryl1970]

This is a beautiful port, sometimes when I'm bored, I open Stella just to run this Pacman

 

For some reason it is so good to play it again each time!

Just between you and me (and all of AtariAge LOL!): I used to turn the TV volume down and play VCS Pac-Man, using Pac-Man Fever as my sound effects.

Sometimes I fire up Stella just to look at this and hear the sound effects. It really is an amazing port!

 

I was just thinking how great Ms. Pac-Man VCS was compared to the original VCS. Does anybody know who programmed that port.

That was pretty impressive for the day, especially following the original.

Have to take the development tools into consideration. Tod Frye, nor the Ms Pac programmer, didn't have a quad core PC with Stella for instant results.

I can imagine sound effects were a lot of trial and error.

 

However, given today's tools, I still wouldn't have expected the TIA to reproduce the sound effects so accurately! I am impressed!

[+darryl1970]

Man, get this out on a cart already! It just keeps getting better and better, but you're not taking my money!

 

Also on Darryl1970s note, I have to agree that it's monsters, though thanks to the cartoon I often call them ghosts. Fleshy creatures wearing Charlie Brown ghost sheet costumes though isn't much of a "ghost" in the arcade version.

 

I would even donate some cash for a "final" version download for a hamrony cart. Might be the push I need to grab up one of those.

[kaz321123]

I'm not sure how much more tweaking can be done to it I'd love to see an attract screen tho (I don't think I've seen an update with that).

 

Can the power pellets in the 8k be bigger like the 4k one? Just curious.

Edited April 27, 2015 by kaz321123

[Andromeda Stardust]

This is getting better and better. Once the attract screen is done, and polyphonic intermissions, submit to Albert, jazz it up with some artwork, slap it up on the AA store, and take my mo-freaking money! $$$

 

As for the ghost versus monster debate, it doesn't really matter. We all know they are to be avoided, but power pellet makes them yummy. I like to think of them as marshmellows when they are vulnerable. Ghost and Monster = same thing. And it's not like the game spells it out onscreen. The exact term for the enemies is not mentioned onscreen, as they are only known as Blinky, et al. That's marquee and manual stuff.

Edited April 28, 2015 by stardust4ever

[NE146]

Yeah the whole ghost vs. monster thing doesn't even matter for this. You might as well argue in here whether pacman was really inspired by a pizza with slice out or not... for all it's worth.

Edited April 28, 2015 by NE146

[Thorsten Günther]

Not even the first next-gen consoles survived the shakeout. The 5200 was outdated at the time of its release.

 

Sorry, i just read this. But the 5200 was based on the 8-bit computer hardware, and these computers were continually produced until 1992 (ten years after the 5200 failed), although after 1989 the vast majority AFAIK were sold in former Warsaw pact countries such as Poland and Czechoslovakia. I think the 5200 mainly failed because of a) the non-centering, easily breaking joysticks and b) the intended(!) incompatibility with A8 cartridges and peripherals (esp. joysticks). In this respect, i consider the XEGS to be a 5200 done right, but way too late.

[Andromeda Stardust]

 

Sorry, i just read this. But the 5200 was based on the 8-bit computer hardware, and these computers were continually produced until 1992 (ten years after the 5200 failed)...

VCS: 1977-1992 = 15 years

5200: 1982- vg crash

 

For comparison, the longest lived game console...

Famicom: 1983-2003 = 20 years

 

Seems classic case of parent outliving it's child. Every time a console generation tries to give birth prematurely, they fail to generate market share. When the old generation is mature, then is the right time to release new console. In retrospect, VCS was geriatric by the time NES came along.

 

Gen 2.5 - 5200, Coleco, Vectrex = FAIL

Gen 3.5 - TG16 = FAIL

Gen 4.5 - Neo Geo, 32X, Jag, CDi, 3DO = FAIL

Edited April 29, 2015 by stardust4ever

[+darryl1970]

 

Sorry, i just read this. But the 5200 was based on the 8-bit computer hardware, and these computers were continually produced until 1992 (ten years after the 5200 failed), although after 1989 the vast majority AFAIK were sold in former Warsaw pact countries such as Poland and Czechoslovakia. I think the 5200 mainly failed because of a) the non-centering, easily breaking joysticks and b) the intended(!) incompatibility with A8 cartridges and peripherals (esp. joysticks). In this respect, i consider the XEGS to be a 5200 done right, but way too late.

[Keatah]

I'm not sure what to think of this.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I'm not sure what to think of this.

Me neither. I think therefore I am.

[yell0w_lantern]

Me neither. I think therefore I am.

Now don't put Descartes before the horse!

[RevEng]

For comparison, the longest lived game console...

Famicom: 1983-2003 = 20 years

Far short of the longest lived game console...

Sega Master System: 1985-present = 30 years (hardware variations still produced and sold by the original Brazil distributor)

[Andromeda Stardust]

Far short of the longest lived game console...

Sega Master System: 1985-present = 30 years (hardware variations still produced and sold by the original Brazil distributor)

Those are clones, dude. Going by that logic, the NES is still in production because NOACs are apparently a thing.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Now don't put Descartes before the horse!

 

Des-CART-es...

[+darryl1970]

Yeah the whole ghost vs. monster thing doesn't even matter for this. You might as well argue in here whether pacman was really inspired by a pizza with slice out or not... for all it's worth.

Might be a far stretch for a comparison, since "Avoid the monsters with your pizza" was never posted on any arcade bezel.. lol

 

Seriously, I do understand your point, but I am coming from a different angle. My point is that this new version rights everything about Pac-Man that the VCS version wronged.

 

One of the things the VCS version screwed up was the whole "ghost" concept (to justify the flicker). I just feel this is a redemption from the original.

If they are called "ghosts", then Pac-Man should continue to eat "video wafers", "Multi-Vitamins", and "power pellets" instead of "dots" and "energizers".

Think about how Atari really misnamed EVERYTHING in the game. Ghost is the only thing that stuck. I don't think anybody says anything as stupid as "video wafer".

They clearly were though. That does sound tastier and more filling than a dot.

 

I am just rallying for a version that completely rights history (From game to manual), as Atari's version steered the mass public wrong.

 

I think it's more relevant than which system had the longest production life.

(Haven't done the math, but can't imagine the 2600 not being the winner of that one... 6-switch, 4 switch, Jr...)

[+darryl1970]

 

 

Sorry, i just read this. But the 5200 was based on the 8-bit computer hardware, and these computers were continually produced until 1992 (ten years after the 5200 failed), although after 1989 the vast majority AFAIK were sold in former Warsaw pact countries such as Poland and Czechoslovakia. I think the 5200 mainly failed because of a) the non-centering, easily breaking joysticks and b) the intended(!) incompatibility with A8 cartridges and peripherals (esp. joysticks). In this respect, i consider the XEGS to be a 5200 done right, but way too late.

 

I quoted this and never commented. (Usually at work. Probably got pulled away)

I agree there are some great things about the XE. For one, Atari would have had a superior version of Donkey Kong, thus crushing the ColecoVision's marketing strategy.

I really like the concept of the 5200 joysticks. I think the two buttons, multi-keypad, and analog CONCEPT were excellent.

Realsports 5200 baseball was awesome. It could not have been possible without the joystick.

The better remakes were also a plus! (Centipede, Dig Dug, Pac-Man with intermissions, Qix, etc.)

The A8 version of Dig Dug was horrible, aside from the way better music.

The A8 version of Centipede was horrible. The 5200 had spot-on sound, better graphics, per-pixel movement, etc.

 

I think more work on self-centering and reliability would have redeemed the sticks.

Even the XE would have failed if they had released it with Super Breakout as a pack-in game, against Coleco's Donkey Kong.

(The idea of a PC keyboard, going the XE route, would have beat out ADAM before conception!)

 

Why was the 5200 $299.99 with Breakout? Atari out priced themselves with a lame pack-in game. The unreliable joysticks were a nail in the coffin!

 

The 5200 still had a lot of potential. The 7800 had better sprites, but the 5200 seemed to have more raw power. I can't handle the crap sound and the sluggish movement on most 7800 games. I was really sad to see Atari cancel the 5200 system when it was finally starting to take the market.

On the other hand, I was really excited reading about the Maria graphics chip and how it was going to be like having the arcade at home. When I finally saw it years later, I was disappointed.

Edited May 4, 2015 by darryl1970

[RevEng]

Those are clones, dude. Going by that logic, the NES is still in production because NOACs are apparently a thing.

NOACs aren't licensed by Nintendo, and sold by a long time distributor of the original hardware. If they were, I'd consider it an evolutionary production step and apparently a thing, though I see how others might not.

[Arenafoot]

Man, get this out on a cart already! It just keeps getting better and better, but you're not taking my money!

Ditto!

[Thomas Jentzsch]

Do not listen to those. Finish your game until you are satisfied.

[+save2600]

Do not listen to those. Finish your game until you are satisfied.

Exactly! Do people not realize this is a work of progress? Just over excited I guess.

[KAZ]

They are just excited, as am I

 

Saying to 'put it on a cart already' should be taken as a huge compliment.

 

Dintar should of course take his time to make this already awesome pac-man version even better Even in its current state, tho, it would be 'cart-worthy'!

 

The only thing I can see 'needs' anything is a bit of polish on intermissions. But that's just icing on the cake tbh.

 

 

I love all homebrew projects on this site, it is so fun to watch the progress!

[iesposta]

Unless he has added the cornering speedup, it is going to improve when that is in.

He has mentioned this, and it is common knowledge that when you are chased, taking corners is faster for PAC than for the monsters. It can give you that bit more distance you need to get to a power dot.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Unless he has added the cornering speedup, it is going to improve when that is in.

He has mentioned this, and it is common knowledge that when you are chased, taking corners is faster for PAC than for the monsters. It can give you that bit more distance you need to get to a power dot.

I've never observed this phenom but of course I don't have a Pacman Arcade in my garage either. PC emulation doesn't feel right to me so I have to rely on consolized ports or the occasional Namco Museum.

Edited May 5, 2015 by stardust4ever

[+darryl1970]

I've never observed this phenom but of course I don't have a Pacman Arcade in my garage either. PC emulation doesn't feel right to me so I have to rely on consolized ports or the occasional Namco Museum.

PC Emulation is a very good tool for discovering subtle nuances of the original games. Some games are a little off, but the old classics are usually pretty good.

 

The cornering speedup is a key tactic in the Pac games. Other than reaching the escape route or and energizer, it's the main way to get away when the monsters are in pursuit mode. On the counter side, eating dots will slow Pac-Man down, so cornering is only really helpful when the dots are already cleared from an area.

 

The 5200/A8 port of Ms. Pac-Man included this cornering speed up. It also included the slowdown for eating dots. The dot slowdown was a little too much, and it made the game feel a little sluggish, especially on early levels. I expect these things in "perfect" ports, like PS1, GBA, and up. (I also look for the trick to face a different direction at a stopped wall) . Not all of them feel right.

 

As far as this port, I think anything that could be included would be impressive, but I would not think any less of this port if nothing else was added. I used to wish that my 5200 Pac-Man had the cornering trick, but I still loved it at the time. I thought it was the best I would ever be able to get at home. Whatever this is in the end, I'll consider it the best I'll probably ever get on the 2600!

Edited May 5, 2015 by darryl1970