Which Pac-Man(s) would you like to see on CV?

[arcade124]

There's lots of talk about arcade ports to the CV, and a poll about it here. Since one of the options is a Pac-Man game yet to be released, I'd thought I'd get a little more specific: for those of you voting that, which would you like to see? By the way, for those of you who don't know, Pac-Man Plus is hidden on Pac-Man Collection, so I didn't include it here. (Crazy Otto is also planned to be included for the SGM rerelease.)

 

About Baby Pac-Man...

 

There is currently no home port of the game, due to its pinball portion, of course. However, my idea to make it possible is to make the pinball part virtual, so you would switch between the maze and pinball. Post if you like this idea, it's an interesting game that many people haven't gotten the chance to play.

Edited July 7, 2016 by arcade124

[cimerians]

Super Pac-Man is a favorite of mine (in the arcade), its one of those games that's really hard to port without proper controls and maybe some speed adjustments. In the arcade I can zip through an entire maze on one Super Pill for about a dozen or more boards. I haven't found a home version that perfectly emulates the arcade yet.

[arcade124]

If the controls are your biggest problem, there are some great arcade controllers out there, especially for the CV.

 

(Mostly off-topic) As for the speed issues, this is what I don't like about doing MSX arcade ports on CV: the latter is capable of so much more, and better versions could definitely be developed, so why settle for an MSX version? Plus, few people mind flicker.

[ColecoFan1981]

Was Pac-Man Plus already homebrewed?

 

~Ben

[TPR]

About Baby Pac-Man...

 

There is currently no home port of the game, due to its pinball portion, of course. However, my idea to make it possible is to make the pinball part virtual, so you would switch between the maze and pinball. Post if you like this idea, it's an interesting game that many people haven't gotten the chance to play.

 

The issue with Baby Pac-Man that I see, and this is speaking from someone who used to own the arcade machine, is that it wasn't a very good video game nor was it a good pinball machine. And that was sort of the overall problem with it. Instead of making a great video game or a great pinball machine, I feel like you got about 50% effort on each one, and the overall game was just kind of a mess.

 

It wasn't a "bad" game, it just really wasn't that amazing, IMO.

[mumbai]

 

The issue with Baby Pac-Man that I see, and this is speaking from someone who used to own the arcade machine, is that [..] instead of making a great video game or a great pinball machine, I feel like you got about 50% effort on each one, and the overall game was just kind of a mess.

 

It wasn't a "bad" game, it just really wasn't that amazing, IMO.

 

 

Based on my recollection of playing the game quite a bit "back in the day", this seems a pretty fair assessment to me.

[arcade124]

Was Pac-Man Plus already homebrewed?

 

~Ben

Yes, as a hidden game in Pac-Man Collection. By pressing 7-5-8-7 on your second CV controller, Pac-Man will become Pac-Man Plus.

 

 

 

The issue with Baby Pac-Man that I see, and this is speaking from someone who used to own the arcade machine, is that it wasn't a very good video game nor was it a good pinball machine. And that was sort of the overall problem with it. Instead of making a great video game or a great pinball machine, I feel like you got about 50% effort on each one, and the overall game was just kind of a mess.

 

It wasn't a "bad" game, it just really wasn't that amazing, IMO.

I like it fairly well. The only thing I'd have done differently would be instead of earning any power pellets from the pinball, you could earn extra. Due to the original design choice, this takes away from some of the fun of Pac-Man (and increases the difficulty, of course), but I like the integration of pinball in a game and feel the pinball portion was very well done.

 

But that's the other thing about a CV port: if there were some aspects, especially like the one I mentioned, that weren't good, then offer options to change them, or remove them altogether. I know the latter would be pushing the definition of "port", but as long as it's not anything major, it should work and create a better game than the original.

Edited July 8, 2016 by arcade124

[VectorGamer]

About Baby Pac-Man...

 

There is currently no home port of the game, due to its pinball portion, of course. However, my idea to make it possible is to make the pinball part virtual, so you would switch between the maze and pinball. Post if you like this idea, it's an interesting game that many people haven't gotten the chance to play.

 

I don't see any reason why this couldn't be translated to a home console.

 

I think the game would be better if it weren't so hard at the onset. Make the game increase in difficulty as you go. Perhaps slow the ghosts down on the first maze and gradually increase their speed and intelligence. If you've played the arcade game, you know that if you screw up the pinball portion you're screwed when you go back in the maze.

[arcade124]

 

I don't see any reason why this couldn't be translated to a home console.

 

I think the game would be better if it weren't so hard at the onset. Make the game increase in difficulty as you go. Perhaps slow the ghosts down on the first maze and gradually increase their speed and intelligence. If you've played the arcade game, you know that if you screw up the pinball portion you're screwed when you go back in the maze.

Those are some good ideas. Something else they could have an option for is, as previously mentioned, to instead of earn any energizers earn extra.

 

Hopefully, there's demand for it.

[Bill Loguidice]

I have a particular fondness for Pac-Mania (although my favorite Pac-Man game is probably Pac-Man Arrangement), but I don't think the ColecoVision hardware would necessarily do such a game justice, particularly since the MSX version is pretty dreadful.

[arcade124]

I have a particular fondness for Pac-Mania (although my favorite Pac-Man game is probably Pac-Man Arrangement), but I don't think the ColecoVision hardware would necessarily do such a game justice, particularly since the MSX version is pretty dreadful.

From my understanding, the CV can do better than the MSX just about everywhere except for sounds. With some of the games we're seeing for it (e.g. Penguin Adventure), I think it could be done well.

[CV Gus]

Since there is Atarisoft's good version of Pac Man, and Opcode's absolutely unbelievable "Pac Man Collection," which has Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, and Pac Man Plus, it seems as though Super Pac Man would be the choice for the "original four." The MSX version isn't that great (if I recall no intermissions, everything single-colored- sound was good, though). I absolutely would buy this game.

[arcade124]

I voted Baby, Pal, and Super. There's definitely demand for Super, but my favorite Pac-Man is probably Baby and with this porting idea in mind, I'd love to see it ported. My second favorite is probably Pal or Plus (which is, of course, ported), and it's a shame that not many people seem to like the former. I know it's easier than most others, but there could be options to make it harder, and it's still a great game.