THis is only the prototype (and crappy), but nostalgia makes it great! See, when you're like 5 years old, and get an Atari and this game not knowing what the hell a Pac-Man is, you start to like it, since the gameplay is not THAT horrific. But many players were expecting a faithful arcade conversion, and that's not at all what this game represents. I've seen a graphics/sound/gameplay mod for Ms Pacman which shows how this game could have been if it wasn't rushed.
I've been looking into Pac-man for the Atari 2600. Apparently there have been some hombrew games that make a more accurate representation of the arcade. Would you like me to send a picture of one of these homebrews?
@Truthfulpietro go to AtariAge(dot)com and check out the mod under the "Hacks" section. It looks well, and plays like Ms. Pacman (because it is a graphics/sound mod of Ms. pacman) and gives an overall faithful arcade representation (for 2600 standards of course). And hey! They even implemented a cool rendition of the PacMan theme tune.
@winesti You'd have to compare it to the arcade version, and Atari home computer (XL/XE) version. The 2600 version was done half-assed. More proof that it was half-assed is Ms.Pacman on the 2600 still was nowhere near as awful.
Anyhow, I still like Asteroids and the "pong" tanks in Combat better.
flicking ghosts, annoying sound effects and its just not a good port. This game and ET the game triggered the video game crash of 83 where game companies lost customer loyalty.
Hey, did you ever try going up and down between the two portals on the screen... really, really fast? If you do it enough times, you trigger glitch that makes you fall through the screen (top to bottom) and come out again on top. That is to say, you go through the bottom and come out the top like you're supposed to... but only after dropping through the middle of the screen once... and you're not invincible when this happens, if I recall.
Mmm ... that sounds pretty bogus to me. No one would risk losing their job over their hatred of a game.
The story I've heard is that the game was actually a prototype, and rather than have the guy finish the game, Atari released the prototype itself so they could get it out quicker and make more money. This theory makes a LOT more sense to me.
Just want to say, that you are indeed most wonderfully attractive and the highlight of many a late night fantasy. (No offense of course, but mostly after watching hellraiser?) But I digress, Pac-Man was a gaming heaven, along with the mighty pong, it easily falls within the top 5 ye olde foundation laying, mega pixel, coin swallowing monsters that were predominant at that particular time. But probably the game that receives the most attention since it's day. I'm gonna go watch some Hellraiser.
Love the new video! I used to play the 2600 version all the time when I was little and since I'd never seen the real game in the arcade it was years before I realized it looked terrible.
Same here, almost. I had seen it in arcades, but I figured the difference had to do with system limitations. It's only now that I look back and compare it to other Atari games that I realize that it did indeed suck =P
I share the same emotions with you. When I was 4 I got an Atari for my birthday and Pac-Man introduced me to the video game world which helped in turning me into the dork I am today. So it has that nostalgia factor that no other game can, because it was my first. But the first time isn't exactly always the best haha. When I started doing Atari reviews, I chose Pac-man to be the first game I covered, for the same reason. I'll look forward to your next feline-pixelled game.
I think a lot of people had that kind of experience with Pac-Man. Bought it because it was Pac-Man and either liked it at the time because they didn't know any better, or wondered what the hell went wrong =P
Which is pretty much what Atari was banking on--they knew that just the name would sell it so they got it out as quickly as possible.
Its all well and good banking on it to sell on brand name alone, but to make 12 million copies when there where only 10 million 2600 units in circulation, thats where the major muck up was. That and more or less just releasing the prototype of the game and not the letting them finish the full version. Abit more time and they could of fixed the ghosts.
You know sometimes I'm sad I grew up on the C64 and that I missed the 80's consoles, and then I see stuff like this and am kinda glad I did.
You got a good point about if a bad game gives you good memories, can it be that bad? I think I had my share of that myself. In fact, I'm going to have to talk about that sometime, but I'll be sure to give some props to you for the idea. :)
I remember when all the other kids were getting NES for Christmas, I got a 2600 and Pac-Man. And the version of Donkey Kong published by Coleco that came in the white cartridge. Sure, they're crap ports, even by standards back then, but I didn't care. I always had fun playing them. When you're a little kid, and you're having fun, that's all you need.
I don't remember, just did a google search for "Stray Cat Strut" and "midi". I ended up with a couple of versions, and just went with the one that sounded the most 8-bit =P
I think the only reason why people originally hated on this game is because it was no were near as good as the arcade version. A bad port of like the most awesome game ever = worst game ever. Or at least in their minds. I personally like this game because I own face at it. And I most certainly get further than the first level like you in this video lol. But over all a good video.
Nah. Well, it not living up to the original is part of it, but it still has ugly colors, bad sound, and the ghosts flicker like crazy. Ms. Pac-Man was more along the lines of how Pac-Man should have looked.
Heh, my mom plays video games to. But mostly PC. Never winter nights and Might & magic are here favs. She liked Space Invaders on the Atari 2600.
Anyway, good video. Almost reminds me of GameJews "Blowing the dust out of the cartridge that is my mind" series(phew). Man, Pac-Man 2600 was crappy...
That's pretty cool. I could never get my mom to play anything after Pac-Man and Space Invaders.
To this day, I can show her something cool in a video game, like a neat FMV or something, and she'll appreciate the novelty of it, but I can't get her to play anything anymore.
THis is only the prototype (and crappy), but nostalgia makes it great! See, when you're like 5 years old, and get an Atari and this game not knowing what the hell a Pac-Man is, you start to like it, since the gameplay is not THAT horrific. But many players were expecting a faithful arcade conversion, and that's not at all what this game represents. I've seen a graphics/sound/gameplay mod for Ms Pacman which shows how this game could have been if it wasn't rushed.
hoques1432 1 year ago
I've been looking into Pac-man for the Atari 2600. Apparently there have been some hombrew games that make a more accurate representation of the arcade. Would you like me to send a picture of one of these homebrews?
Truthfulpietro 2 years ago
@Truthfulpietro go to AtariAge(dot)com and check out the mod under the "Hacks" section. It looks well, and plays like Ms. Pacman (because it is a graphics/sound mod of Ms. pacman) and gives an overall faithful arcade representation (for 2600 standards of course). And hey! They even implemented a cool rendition of the PacMan theme tune.
hoques1432 1 year ago
what was bad about it?
winesti 2 years ago
Graphics, sound, hit detection ... just about everything.
Cyborcat 2 years ago
@winesti You'd have to compare it to the arcade version, and Atari home computer (XL/XE) version. The 2600 version was done half-assed. More proof that it was half-assed is Ms.Pacman on the 2600 still was nowhere near as awful.
Anyhow, I still like Asteroids and the "pong" tanks in Combat better.
pauljs75 8 months ago
YES! Pacman is the best!
dergottthrower 2 years ago
how is the game bad?
sukingeggs1 2 years ago
flicking ghosts, annoying sound effects and its just not a good port. This game and ET the game triggered the video game crash of 83 where game companies lost customer loyalty.
foamyfan231 2 years ago
bad controls, crappy graphics considering that MS. Pacman had much better graphics on the same console, it was completely rushed and thus it SUCKED!
VoidKeeper 2 years ago
Invisible ghosts. xD
powerup151 2 years ago
What is it about mothers being good(by that I meaned obssesed) at Pac-Man? My mom is the same way.
HunterPudgeCat 2 years ago
same
figgy190 2 years ago
I played this game pretty often on my first Atari 2600 way back in the day.
ha I didn't really know any better back then that it was such a crappy port. ET on the other hand, I didn't like even back then ;)
notyoursavior78 3 years ago
Only Atari could deliver a true arcade experience like this! XD
Eh, I still think these games had a funky kind of charm to them...kind of like Kevin Bacon in a way really :P
TheShadow52 3 years ago 2
fun fact: pac-man and donkey kong for the atari 2600 are the two games most commonly borrowed from for "game" sound effects
TheCheezWizz 3 years ago
Oh yah. I've heard Pac-Man sounds in so many other mediums, I got tired of it.
Defender is another one I've heard a lot.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
Hey, did you ever try going up and down between the two portals on the screen... really, really fast? If you do it enough times, you trigger glitch that makes you fall through the screen (top to bottom) and come out again on top. That is to say, you go through the bottom and come out the top like you're supposed to... but only after dropping through the middle of the screen once... and you're not invincible when this happens, if I recall.
OuroborosChoked 3 years ago
Never tried that, but I think I recall hearing about that glitch before.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
This game is EVIL.
The reason why it stinks as it was, is that the programmer hired for that version HATED Pac Man so he did a poor job on purpose.
Little did he know the effect that is would cause.
Thankfully Nintendo saved the industry and it's back stronger than ever.
snake2006 3 years ago
Mmm ... that sounds pretty bogus to me. No one would risk losing their job over their hatred of a game.
The story I've heard is that the game was actually a prototype, and rather than have the guy finish the game, Atari released the prototype itself so they could get it out quicker and make more money. This theory makes a LOT more sense to me.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
Funny.
wheresgeorge1025 3 years ago
Cute ! ^_^
Lacktardo 3 years ago
This proves my Theory That Mums are better at playing pac-man than anyone else.
Nearly everyone owned Pac-man and Space Invaders for the Atari 2600, they were the biggest things back in the early 80's.
ThirdBlaze 3 years ago
Just want to say, that you are indeed most wonderfully attractive and the highlight of many a late night fantasy. (No offense of course, but mostly after watching hellraiser?) But I digress, Pac-Man was a gaming heaven, along with the mighty pong, it easily falls within the top 5 ye olde foundation laying, mega pixel, coin swallowing monsters that were predominant at that particular time. But probably the game that receives the most attention since it's day. I'm gonna go watch some Hellraiser.
Areku555 3 years ago 4
Love the new video! I used to play the 2600 version all the time when I was little and since I'd never seen the real game in the arcade it was years before I realized it looked terrible.
kainkusanagi 3 years ago
Same here, almost. I had seen it in arcades, but I figured the difference had to do with system limitations. It's only now that I look back and compare it to other Atari games that I realize that it did indeed suck =P
Cyborcat 3 years ago
It's amazing that they were able to screw up Pacman back then
pcnerdjack14 3 years ago
i never really hated on this game. its a basic atari game and its fun so watever i guess.
BYFstudios 3 years ago
I want your microphone, for Zeus' sake!
Mine blows. =/
DestinyHeroMovieDude 3 years ago
Hehe. We do have a nice microphone--took forever to find one that Lee deemed worthy, tho.
It's a Samson Q1U, if you wanted to know.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
N-n-n-neato! =D
Gotta hunt that one down, then.
DestinyHeroMovieDude 3 years ago
I share the same emotions with you. When I was 4 I got an Atari for my birthday and Pac-Man introduced me to the video game world which helped in turning me into the dork I am today. So it has that nostalgia factor that no other game can, because it was my first. But the first time isn't exactly always the best haha. When I started doing Atari reviews, I chose Pac-man to be the first game I covered, for the same reason. I'll look forward to your next feline-pixelled game.
AqualungGameReviews 3 years ago
I think a lot of people had that kind of experience with Pac-Man. Bought it because it was Pac-Man and either liked it at the time because they didn't know any better, or wondered what the hell went wrong =P
Which is pretty much what Atari was banking on--they knew that just the name would sell it so they got it out as quickly as possible.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
Its all well and good banking on it to sell on brand name alone, but to make 12 million copies when there where only 10 million 2600 units in circulation, thats where the major muck up was. That and more or less just releasing the prototype of the game and not the letting them finish the full version. Abit more time and they could of fixed the ghosts.
You know sometimes I'm sad I grew up on the C64 and that I missed the 80's consoles, and then I see stuff like this and am kinda glad I did.
flamecondor 3 years ago
Hang on a minute! You died at the 1.00 mark. What was that about?
ZionProwler 3 years ago
Exactly at the 1-minute mark? That's trippy XD I mean, obviously I did a lot of editing, but I didn't plan that at all.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
7.500.000 people couldnt be wrong!! (oh well, I think Bush had more supporters, but Pacman isnt so bad, c`mon)
danytoon 3 years ago
You got a good point about if a bad game gives you good memories, can it be that bad? I think I had my share of that myself. In fact, I'm going to have to talk about that sometime, but I'll be sure to give some props to you for the idea. :)
GrilledMonkeyFat 3 years ago
That'd be cool. Come to think of it, it was your Pac-Man review that got me thinking about it in the first place, so thanks for the idea ^.~
Cyborcat 3 years ago
Wow, that video was awesome, but it ended right before it took off.
OldSchoolAwesome 3 years ago
It ended after the punchline, what else did it need?
Cyborcat 3 years ago
My mom used to beat me all the time at Ms. Pac-man for the 2600. What is it with moms and Pac-Man?
J4J0KER 3 years ago
I remember when all the other kids were getting NES for Christmas, I got a 2600 and Pac-Man. And the version of Donkey Kong published by Coleco that came in the white cartridge. Sure, they're crap ports, even by standards back then, but I didn't care. I always had fun playing them. When you're a little kid, and you're having fun, that's all you need.
PhydeWice 3 years ago
I have so great memory of that game. It's the only game I ever "turned over" aka put the counter to 0 again. Good times.
GrimSanto75 3 years ago
Heh. I did that with Centipede.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
funny how this game used to be so addictive, now I cant hold onto it for more then 5 minutes
Markmeblablabla 3 years ago
Where did you find a muzak version of stray cat strut?
Unlike 2600 pac man, that song is excellent.
EarlThird 3 years ago
I don't remember, just did a google search for "Stray Cat Strut" and "midi". I ended up with a couple of versions, and just went with the one that sounded the most 8-bit =P
Cyborcat 3 years ago
I think the only reason why people originally hated on this game is because it was no were near as good as the arcade version. A bad port of like the most awesome game ever = worst game ever. Or at least in their minds. I personally like this game because I own face at it. And I most certainly get further than the first level like you in this video lol. But over all a good video.
sinistermoon 3 years ago
Correction. Second level?
sinistermoon 3 years ago
I think I got a little into the second level =P I'm actually better at Pac-Man: Champion Edition than at this game.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
Oh yeah I like that version too.
sinistermoon 3 years ago
Nah. Well, it not living up to the original is part of it, but it still has ugly colors, bad sound, and the ghosts flicker like crazy. Ms. Pac-Man was more along the lines of how Pac-Man should have looked.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
But that FX was the more used in almost every 80s film with a videogame in the scene (Superman III, for example)
danytoon 3 years ago
Awesome!
chefprotoss 3 years ago
Heh, my mom plays video games to. But mostly PC. Never winter nights and Might & magic are here favs. She liked Space Invaders on the Atari 2600.
Anyway, good video. Almost reminds me of GameJews "Blowing the dust out of the cartridge that is my mind" series(phew). Man, Pac-Man 2600 was crappy...
SPac316 3 years ago
That's pretty cool. I could never get my mom to play anything after Pac-Man and Space Invaders.
To this day, I can show her something cool in a video game, like a neat FMV or something, and she'll appreciate the novelty of it, but I can't get her to play anything anymore.
Cyborcat 3 years ago
Great job I must say I like this new series. Your mom played video games AWESOME.
ChibiFighter 3 years ago
I thought everybody's mom played Atari XD. It was only a joystick and a button, so parents could normally play Atari games.
Onirayushizobura 3 years ago
I love the ending as well. I thought this was going to be a positive throughout but then that bit was frikkin funny!
AkumaTh 3 years ago
I'm glad it wasn't as predictable as I figured it would be =P
Cyborcat 3 years ago
Great ending.
stocksy2097 3 years ago