| Pac-Man Plus | |
|---|---|
 North American arcade flyer | |
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Bally Midway |
| Series | Pac-Man |
| Platform(s) | Arcade |
| Release | March 1982[1] |
| Genre(s) | Maze |
| Mode(s) | Single-player,multiplayer (alternating turns) |
| Arcade system | Namco Pac-Man |
Pac-Man Plus is anarcade game that was developed byNamco and released byBally Midway in 1982.[1] It is part of thePac-Man series of games.
The gameplay inPac-Man Plus is nearly identical to that of the originalPac-Man. The player controlsPac-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 andPlus 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instead of blue, vulnerable ghosts are shorter and have a stem and leaf sticking out of their heads, the fruits have been replaced by new items (including a can ofCoca-Cola) and the ghosts' eyes are now a pixel closer to each other.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 originalPac-Man, which makes the game seem overall faster-paced and more difficult by comparison.
![[icon]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aWiki_letter_w_cropped.svg) | This sectionneeds expansion. You can help byadding to it.(February 2011) |
Midway advertised the game as "the only legalPAC-MAN conversion package"[2] and called it "Exciting!" and "New!".[3]Pac-Man Plus was an upgrade kit for NamcoPac-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 fourPac-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.
Arcade Express rated the game eight out of ten, 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."[4]
There were no contemporary home versions. Recent versions include a J2ME mobile version,[5] and ports included in severalTV Games fromJakks Pacific and from Bandai.[6]
In addition, there have been efforts by somehomebrew game developers to portPac-Man Plus to classic game consoles, such as theColecoVision 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,[7] and more recently theAtari 5200[8] and7800.[9]
In 2018, an arcade cabinet calledPac-Man's Pixel Bash was released byBandai Namco Amusements with 31 or 32 classic Namco games included, 1 of which isPac-Man Plus.The arcade cabinet is available in both Coin-Op, and Home versions.[10]
In 2018,Arcade1Up released a new home arcade cabinet that plays both regularPac-Man andPac-Man Plus. In 2020, Arcade 1Up released aPac-Man 40th anniversary home arcade cabinet (Generation 3), which included seven games, of which one wasPac-Man Plus.[11]
In 2022, Arcade1Up, in conjunction with Sam's Club, released aPac-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 asSuper Pac-Man, it is currently being corrected.[12]
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