Squad Challenge - Pac-Man (Atari 2600)

[Justin]

 

Pac-Man
Atari 2600
Controller: PLAYER'S CHOICE
Difficulty Level: Game 1, Difficulty B

Achieve high score to win challenge
Play on: Real Hardware / Dedicated Console / Emulation OK! ✔

Squad Challenge ends 11:59 pm PST August 31st, 2017

 

 

 

Objective: Play for the highest possible score using the difficulty settings defined in the challenge. Post a photo or video of your score in this thread. Scores must be achieved between August 2nd through August 31st, 2017. Screen captures are not allowed as they are easily manipulated for falsified scores. Multiple submissions are permitted. The player with the highest score at the end of the 1-month competition is the victor!

Eligibility: Anyone can join in. All players are welcome!

Play Rules: Games may be played on real hardware or emulation, using any controller or keyboard, following rules and game settings as delineated in the Squad Challenge. Enhancements and hacked versions of this game are not allowed.

Difficulty Level: Game 1, Difficulty Switch set to B. (This is the default game)

 

Fair Play: Players should play fairly, be honest, and have fun! Falsified scores will result in your immediate removal from the site. It goes without saying that no use of cheats, hacks, cartridge frying, enhancements, Photoshop, subterfuge, or any other unfair advantage is allowed. Everybody hates a cheater.

 

More: To review detailed rules on how to play, please visit the High Score Squad page here: http://forums.atari.io/index.php/topic/1219-high-score-squad-how-to-play/ 
 

 

Pac-Man.binPac-Man.pdf

 

 

[Justin]

 

IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ATARI 2600 VCS OR

EMULATOR, YOU CAN PLAY 2600 PAC-MAN HERE:

 

http://www.virtualatari.org/soft.php?soft=Pac_Man

[btbfilms76]

It’s a really important game, as flawed as it is. Let’s remember that was the ONLY way to play pac man at home, at that time. That’s what made atari in the 80s, Pac-Man set Atari apart from every other system out there. Only ATARI had Pac-Man.

 

Plus remember, Pac-Man is...

 

• Totally accessible to everyone
• Totally iconic, as bad as it is

[btbfilms76]

Little rusty, had to remember all the little nuances and that doesn't play like the arcade. The arcade drives like a fine tuned sports car, this drives like tractor trailer.

[btbfilms76]

Then Mason grabbed the controller, (Original 2600 controller with a Slick Stick base and ball top)

And did this on his first play through...

[btbfilms76]

Last round for tonight, I'm beat. Good luck friends, cant wait to see the unbelievable scores you all will post.

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Here is mine so far. Playing another round after posting this. Played on real hardware an not sure where the interference is coming from.

 

[Atari 5200 Guy]

Opps...there goes another ghost or two. This Pac-Man does allow the player some control over where the ghosts travel. And if you watch long enough you can predict where they are going to go even after eating a power pill. Seriously, spend the first level taking time to move a little and watch how the ghosts react to where Pac-Man is...do the same for eating a power pill. You may find a pattern.

 

 

New score: 6553

 

Going again! Fun game.

[Atari 5200 Guy]

It’s a really important game, as flawed as it is. Let’s remember that was the ONLY way to play pac man at home, at that time. That’s what made atari in the 80s, Pac-Man set Atari apart from every other system out there. Only ATARI had Pac-Man.

 

Plus remember, Pac-Man is...

 

 

• Totally accessible to everyone
• Totally iconic, as bad as it is

No matter which system from the early 1980s you had Atari made it. The 2600 came first of course. Even the NA version of the NES PAC-MAN was done by Atari.

[btbfilms76]

Here is mine so far. Playing another round after posting this. Played on real hardware an not sure where the interference is coming from.

IMG_20170803_010652.jpg

I love to see that people are playing on real hardware, but if you cant that's cool too - play have ever you can. I pride myself that every bit of game footage on the show is on real hardware, no emulation. The sounds are iconic, brings back memories.

[Atari Creep]

I played a bit today and realized real quick that:

 

1. I need to micro switch one of my very tired OEM joysticks.

2. WICO Command Stick has too wide a swing to use on this kind of maze game.

3. D Pads suck for maze games.

 

All 3 I knew to start with. I have had no issues in the past reaching a 5 digit score playing the 2600 port of Pac-Man however today could not reach more than 1500. HAHA

 

On a mission now!!!!!! 

[TrekMD]

Just played a round using Stella...

 

[greenween]

It's easy to forget that this is actually a really fun game. I was only 10 when I first had it and played it all the time. Once the better versions became available this was quickly tossed aside though. I think we can all agree that compared to the arcade it was terrible, but it's still fun for what it is.  3,106 so far. Played on the 7800 w/ 2600 joystick.

Edited August 4, 2017 by greenween

[Starbuck66]

Pic below was my third try. Guys, we can talk all day long about nostalgia, sounds, being happy with it when we were kids and didn't know/have the other versions, etc, but this game is still a turd. I played on my 7800 with a TAC-2 joystick, a joystick BUILT for twitch games like Pac Man, and I STILL couldn't get Pac Man to round corners, duck pursuing ghosts, or even turn where I wanted half of the time. And lets not forget the abysmal hit detection... a ghost gets within a few pixels of you (not touching, just close) and you're toast, making it that much harder to stay away from them on the higher levels. And my biggest beef with this version is the power pellets. There are times you should have ate it before hitting the ghost, but nope, doesn't count, ghost hits you first for some reason. The boxed sides that are basically death traps... I could go on and on, but those are the highlights. 

 

I might try this a few more times to see if I can improve my score, but this has to be my least favorite version of Pac Man, and its not very enjoyable now sadly. It actually gave me a firm reminder on why I never played this version after I got a copy of Ms Pac Man for my 2600. 

 

[RickR]

Someone had to say it.  And I thank you.  THIS is the game that caused me to look upwards for a better gaming system.  THIS is the game that eroded trust in Atari. 

 

[Starbuck66]

Someone had to say it.  And I thank you.  THIS is the game that caused me to look upwards for a better gaming system.  THIS is the game that eroded trust in Atari. 

 

 

 

I didn't want to say it. I saw this post this morning, and I actually got a little bit of a smile on my face, thought back to those hours playing it as a kid, thought of the sounds, and was like you know, I might have fun playing this with my daughter. It'll be like old times. It'll be great!

 

Then I fired it up, things went steadily downhill, and my daughter wanted nothing to do with it (let me play it on my NES Mini instead Dad). Cheap death after cheap death I realized that nostalgia was wrong, and nostalgia, powerful as it is, was not going to win the fight between head and heart this time...

[greenween]

I agree that it is maybe the worst home version. Hell, I played the yellow Tomy version and my wristwatch version plenty as well. I talked crap about this version for 20 years. I don't think it's that bad for just a quick play.

[greenween]

I also agree that the sound is horrible and the detection is bad too. I spent a good hour playing and then I started having fun once I realized how predictable the ghosts are when they're purple and that I could also use the bad detection to my advantage. The worst version of pac- man?? Absolutely! I still think it's playable.  I'm sure I'm the minority on this though!

[Starbuck66]

I also agree that the sound is horrible and the detection is bad too. I spent a good hour playing and then I started having fun once I realized how predictable the ghosts are when they're purple and that I could also use the bad detection to my advantage. The worst version of pac- man?? Absolutely! I still think it's playable. I'm sure I'm the minority on this though!

The music and sounds are actually high points for me. That's something I can get nostalgic for and is uniquely Atari. It just doesn't carry the game for me though.

[greenween]

I ended up muting it and blasting Slayer.

[Starbuck66]

I ended up muting it and blasting Slayer.

Better choice!

[TrekMD]

Well, I see this version of Pac-Man as more of a clone than real Pac-Man.  I much prefer to play one of the newer versions of the game for the 2600 like the one made by Dintar.

[RickR]

3933. 

[RickR]

You all have made some great points about this game:

• The sounds are terrible.  Nothing here sounds like real Pac Man.  The "Boo Bee Boo Bee" start noise is off key and just wrong.  Turning the sound down and putting on Slayer works better.
• The collision detection is off.  LOTS of cheap deaths.  It removes the "seat of the pants" close calls from the arcade version.
• Controls aren't very good.  The higher level you go, the worse the controls seem to get. 
• Brilliant comment on calling this a "Pac Man Clone".  That's exactly what it is.  Like Munch Man or Cosmic Cruncher....close, but not too close to real Pac Man.

The frustrating part for me is that they could have made it so much better with just a little effort:

• Use a black background and blue maze.
• Use a cherry instead of the vitamin.  Even if the fruit doesn't change...a cherry would have been better.
• At least TRY to get the sounds close.

[TrekMD]

You mean, something like this?  The version created by Nukey Shay?  Much better and far more acceptable as Pac-Man despite it not having the same maze.  It does have enough of the arcade elements to make it far more acceptable. This one even has the intermissions as it is 8K. 

 

 

I've attached the binary here for anyone who may want to try it.

Pac Man Atari 8K.bin

Edited August 6, 2017 by TrekMD