PACMAN
Transcript: PACMAN REVIEW By Mythily Nair 8S Features of a Great Game - Colourful -Challenging as you level up - Easy to pick up -Sound Effects -High Scores -Instructions -Needs to be hooking -Fun -Good Name -Back story/ Objectives -Eye catching logo Pac-man was a phenomenon. It holds the esteemed title of highest grossing video-game of all time. $2.5 billion dollars worth of quarters have passed through it's arcade machines alone. Pac-man's arcade success launched many lucrative spin-off ventures... home console conversions, cartoon shows, breakfast cereals and pop songs to name but a few. Pac-man has resonated with all types of people from different walks of life from all over the world. You don't have to be a gamer to recognise this chirpy bright-yellow superstar. ANY GLITCHES? When it comes to campaign mode, Pac-man stands out head and shoulders above the rest. Why is that so, I hear you ask ever so politely? Simply due to the fact that Pac-man wasn't satisfied with having an ending. The consensus at Namco at the time seemed to be "Why would anyone want perfection to have an end?" You can almost see their point. If something is making your company millions upon millions of dollars in revenue per year, tying up the storyline seems like a rather stupid option. Well, considering that this videogame is around 34 years old (release date 1979), we should be able to say that it has a glitch. But however, it is a glitch not many people see. It is called the SPLIT SCREEN. Upon reaching level 256 (and spending the equivalent of Ghana's annual GDP in silverware), instead of resetting the levels to reloop the screen explodes into an incoherent pixelated mess, and poor Pac-man has no option but to commit suicide by way of ghost. People dream of seeing this screen, but alas, only a few have lived to. The game everyone knows and loves, Pacman. Raked in billions for their company Namco, and still loved and worshipped by gamers across the globe. The over addictive and fun game, the chirpy yellow guy remains in our heart till today. Mr Bisby's comments: HOW DO YOU PLAY? The requirements of Pac-man were quite simple, even for it's time. Simply run around a maze eating pellets whilst being chased by ghosts. Controls did pretty much what was expected of them at the time. Up generally moved Pac-man in an upwards direction, whilst down usually had the opposite effect. Left and right movements of the joy-stick were specifically mapped to ensure your Pac-man avatar moved left and right when you told him to. The ghosts were a constant hazard. One touch from them spelled instant doom for the pill-popping P-man. There are exceptions to the rule, however. Should Pac-man stumble across a power-pellet, he'd be temporarily invincible and able to chase down the ghosts, devouring them with his gaping jaws hinged horrifically wide open. Instead of causing nightmares for all involved in playing Pac-man, the game had somewhat of an addictive quality, encouraging repeated attempts and numerous shortages of coin... much like a real-life drug dependency that Pac-man seemed to emulate eerily well FINAL WORD. WHAT IS PACMAN?