Pac-Man started playing by itself.

[+atari2600land]

So I was playing Pac-Man (Atarisoft) and I left it on the title screen. I don't know how long it was on, perhaps like 20, maybe 30 minutes or so. Suddenly, for no good reason, I heard the Pac-Man music start up. It had begun without me pressing any key on the keypad or anything. I'm thinking some timer got past 255 or something. Thoughts?

[+DZ-Jay]

35 minutes ago, atari2600land said:

So I was playing Pac-Man (Atarisoft) and I left it on the title screen. I don't know how long it was on, perhaps like 20, maybe 30 minutes or so. Suddenly, for no good reason, I heard the Pac-Man music start up. It had begun without me pressing any key on the keypad or anything. I'm thinking some timer got past 255 or something. Thoughts?

Was it in the actual game, waiting for you to move around?  Or was it playing an "attract screen" moving itself around, like the arcade?  I don't recall if the Intellivision version has an "attract mode" in it.

 

   -dZ.

[+atari2600land]

It was on the title screen, displaying the Atari logo in different colors like it does.

[+DZ-Jay]

11 minutes ago, atari2600land said:

It was on the title screen, displaying the Atari logo in different colors like it does.

I'm sorry for not being clear, but I was asking what you meant when you said, "it had begun without me pressing any key."  What "had begun" -- the game proper, an attract mode, or the just the music?

Edited October 15, 2021 by DZ-Jay

[+atari2600land]

The game proper began. Like I pressed the 1 key to begin. But I didn't.

[+DZ-Jay]

4 minutes ago, atari2600land said:

The game proper began. Like I pressed the 1 key to begin. But I didn't.

I see.  I'll have to check it out.  Maybe there's a timer to do that.

[Denicio]

1 hour ago, atari2600land said:

So I was playing Pac-Man (Atarisoft) and I left it on the title screen. I don't know how long it was on, perhaps like 20, maybe 30 minutes or so. Suddenly, for no good reason, I heard the Pac-Man music start up. It had begun without me pressing any key on the keypad or anything. I'm thinking some timer got past 255 or something. Thoughts?

 

Thoughts?

 

Yeah, Eddie Murphy explains your problem quite clearly here. Might want to consider his advice!!!!

 

 

[Zendocon]

I tried it myself just now by launching it in jzIntv with the "-r0" switch to disable speed throttling.  After a few seconds (what would have been roughly a half hour) it did indeed start running by itself.  So yes, it must be overflowing some kind of timer counter.