''Pac-Man Plus'' is an
arcade game
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
that was released by
Bally Midway
Midway Games Inc., known previously as Midway Manufacturing and Bally Midway, and commonly known as simply Midway, was an American video game developer and publisher. Midway's franchises included ''Mortal Kombat'', ''Rampage (series), Rampage'' ...
on March 13, 1982, and it is the third title in the ''
Pac-Man
originally called ''Puck Man'' in Japan, is a 1980 maze action video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. Th ...
'' series of games.
Gameplay
The gameplay in ''Pac-Man Plus'' is nearly identical to that of the original ''Pac-Man''. The player controls Pac-Man and attempts to score as many points as possible by eating all the Pac-Dots in the maze while avoiding the four ghosts that chase him around the maze and will kill him if they catch him. Eating a Power Pellet will cause the ghosts to turn blue and become vulnerable for a short period of time, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for extra points. Once the maze has been cleared, it will be refilled as the gameplay continues.
The most noticeable differences between the original game and ''Plus'' are various tweaks to the graphics: the maze is green instead of blue, vulnerable ghosts are shorter and have a stem and leaf sticking out of their heads, the fruits have been replaced by new items (including a can of
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...
) and the ghosts' eyes are now a pixel closer to each other. In addition to these cosmetic changes, ''Plus'' also changes the gameplay slightly: eating a bonus item will cause the ghosts to turn both vulnerable and invisible, and doubles their point value while they are vulnerable. Eating a Power Pellet also sometimes has unpredictable results, such as turning the maze invisible or turning only three of the four ghosts blue (the latter of which makes it impossible to clear a round by using a pattern). The ghosts are also faster and more aggressive than they were in the original ''Pac-Man'', which makes the game seem overall faster-paced and more difficult by comparison.
Development
Midway advertised the game as "the only legal PAC-MAN conversion package" and called it "Exciting!" and "New!". ''Pac-Man Plus'' was an upgrade kit for Namco Pac-Man boards. It consisted of a module which connected via a ribbon cable to the socket originally occupied by the Z-80 microprocessor. The module contained its own Z-80 microprocessor as well as additional components. It was potted with epoxy to prevent easy reverse-engineering. Additionally, the kit also replaced the 4 Pac-Man program roms on the main game board with a new code. Two other roms containing updated data for drawing character and maze were also exchanged. Finally, two relatively tiny supplementary roms containing new color data completed the modification.
Reception
''Arcade Express'' rated the game 8 out of 10, stating that it "features all the graphics, challenge and excitement of the original while eliminating patterned play" with random movement and a few surprises making it "an interesting new twist for Pac-fans."
Legacy
There were no contemporary home versions. Recent versions include a mobile phone version, and ports included in several
TV Games
A handheld TV game or plug and play game is an integrated home video game console and game controller, usually battery powered, which connects directly to a television. The game software is built directly into the unit, which is typically designe ...
from
Jakks Pacific
Jakks Pacific, Inc. is an American company that designs and markets toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses. The company is named after its founder, Jack Friedman, who had previously fou ...
and from Bandai.
In addition, there have been efforts by some
homebrew game developers to port ''Pac-Man Plus'' to classic game consoles, such as the
ColecoVision
ColecoVision is a second-generation home video-game console developed by Coleco and launched in North America in August 1982. It was released a year later in Europe by CBS Electronics as the CBS ColecoVision.
The console offered a closer expe ...
Pac-Man Collection by Opcode Games (press 7587 on the #2 controller at the main menu screen when seeing PLUS press the fire button),
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...
, and more recently the
Atari 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem or simply Atari 5200 is a home video game console introduced in 1982 by Atari, Inc. as a higher-end complement for the popular Atari Video Computer System. The VCS was renamed to the Atari 2600 at the time of the 5200' ...
and
7800 7800 may refer to:
* 7800, the 800th year of the 8th millennium
* Atari 7800, a third-generation video game console
* GeForce 7800 Series, a member of Nvidia's GeForce 7 Series
The GeForce 7 series is the seventh generation of Nvidia's GeForce ...
.
In 2018, an arcade cabinet called ''
Pac-Man's Pixel Bash'' was released by ''
Bandai Namco Amusements'' with 31 or 32 classic Namco games included, 1 of which is ''Pac-Man Plus''.
The arcade cabinet is available in both Coin-Op, and Home versions.
In 2018,
Arcade1Up
Arcade1Up is a computer hardware production company that specializes in the production of working 3/4 scale arcade video games using modern components and emulation.
History
Arcade1Up was established as a subsidiary of Tastemakers, Inc. in 2018 by ...
released a new home arcade cabinet that plays both regular ''Pac-Man'' and ''Pac-Man Plus'' In 2020 Arcade 1Up released a Pac-Man 40th anniversary home arcade cabinet (Generation 3) which included 7 games of which 1 was Pac-Man Plus.
In 2022, Arcade1Up, in conjunction with Sam's Club, released a Pac-Man Plus themed cabaret legacy edition with the same game list as 2021's Bandai Namco legacy edition and similar releases. Although the cabinet was mistakenly labeled as Super Pac-Man, it is currently being corrected.
References
External links
*
''Pac-Man Plus''at the Arcade History database
{{Pac-Man series
1982 video games
Arcade video games
Maze games
Midway video games
Mobile games
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Multiplayer hotseat games
Pac-Man arcade games
Video games developed in the United States