Super Pac-Man
Encyclopedia
, released in 1982 is the third installment of the Pac-Man
series of arcade games and the second starring Pac-Man himself. It is also the second game to be created by series originator Namco
, as Ms. Pac-Man
(the second in the series) was created without Namco's involvement.
flagships), which are now the basic items that must be cleared. Once all the food is eaten, the player advances to the next level, in which the food is worth more points. In earlier levels, keys unlock nearby doors, while as the player progresses through the levels, it is more common for keys to open faraway doors. Pac-Man can enter the ghost house at any time without a key.
In addition to the original power pellets which allows Pac-Man to eat the ghosts, two "Super" pellets are available and will turn Pac-Man into Super Pac-Man for a short time. In this form, he becomes much larger, can move with increased speed when the "Super Speed" button is held down, and has the ability to eat through doors without unlocking them. He is also invulnerable to the ghosts, who appear thin and flat in order to give the illusion of Super Pac-Man "flying" over them. He still cannot eat them without the help of the original power-up.
A point bonus can be scored if Pac-Man eats a star that appears between the two center boxes while assorted symbols flash inside them. The bonus increases if the two symbols match when the star is eaten.
Bonus levels appear at intervals. Here, the player is presented with a maze full of food items and must eat them all in order to collect the points on a countdown timer. Pac-Man appears in Super Mode throughout the stage, and there are no ghosts.
hardware, this is the first of the Pac-Man games to use the Motorola 6809
processor, unlike the earlier Pac-Man games which used the older Z80, and fell into the conversion class of the Namco Galaxian
. The new gameplay mechanics were considered by many to be confusing, and too much of a change from the original two games. In particular, when Pac-Man transforms into Super Pac-Man, he was thought by some to be much more difficult to control. Whatever the reason, Super Pac-Man proved to be the least successful game in the original series, being outsold that year by Pac-Man Plus
, a slightly updated version of the original game, which, like the aforementioned Ms. Pac-Man, was produced by the American
licensee Midway
without authorization from developer Namco
. Midway also went on to create Jr. Pac-Man
, also based on the older Z80 processor, and having the basic sound and feel of the older games with which fans were more familiar. In spite of this, the game's A.I.
was celebrated as being one of the best of that era.
. Still, the game has been revived several times.
As a promotion, Sprint
and Namco
ran a sweepstakes which offered the grand prize winner a Volkswagen New Beetle
customized with Super Pac-Man art. The car was on display at major videogame tradeshow E3 in Los Angeles in May 2006. The Sweepstakes began June 1, 2006 and ended on July 31, 2006.
Super PAC-MAN Sweepstakes details
Pac-Man
is an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
series of arcade games and the second starring Pac-Man himself. It is also the second game to be created by series originator Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, as Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man is an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became one of the most popular video games of all time, leading to its adoption by Pac-Man licensor Namco as an official title...
(the second in the series) was created without Namco's involvement.
Characteristics and gameplay
Sound and gameplay mechanics were altered radically from the first two entries into the Pac-Man series - instead of eating dots, the player is required to eat keys in order to open doors, which open up sections of the maze that contain what in earlier games were known as "fruits" (foods such as apples and bananas, or other prizes such as GalaxianGalaxian
is an arcade game developed by Namco in 1979. It was published by Namco in Japan and was imported to North America by Midway in 1980. A fixed shooter-style game in which the player controls a spaceship at the bottom of the screen and shoots enemies descending in various directions, it was designed...
flagships), which are now the basic items that must be cleared. Once all the food is eaten, the player advances to the next level, in which the food is worth more points. In earlier levels, keys unlock nearby doors, while as the player progresses through the levels, it is more common for keys to open faraway doors. Pac-Man can enter the ghost house at any time without a key.
In addition to the original power pellets which allows Pac-Man to eat the ghosts, two "Super" pellets are available and will turn Pac-Man into Super Pac-Man for a short time. In this form, he becomes much larger, can move with increased speed when the "Super Speed" button is held down, and has the ability to eat through doors without unlocking them. He is also invulnerable to the ghosts, who appear thin and flat in order to give the illusion of Super Pac-Man "flying" over them. He still cannot eat them without the help of the original power-up.
A point bonus can be scored if Pac-Man eats a star that appears between the two center boxes while assorted symbols flash inside them. The bonus increases if the two symbols match when the star is eaten.
Bonus levels appear at intervals. Here, the player is presented with a maze full of food items and must eat them all in order to collect the points on a countdown timer. Pac-Man appears in Super Mode throughout the stage, and there are no ghosts.
History
Based on the Namco GalagaNamco Galaga
The Namco 8-bit Galaga is an arcade game system board. It was first used by Namco in 1981.-Namco Galaga specifications:*Main, graphics and sound CPU : three Z80 processors...
hardware, this is the first of the Pac-Man games to use the Motorola 6809
Motorola 6809
The Motorola 6809 is an 8-bit microprocessor CPU from Motorola, designed by Terry Ritter and Joel Boney and introduced 1978...
processor, unlike the earlier Pac-Man games which used the older Z80, and fell into the conversion class of the Namco Galaxian
Namco Galaxian
The Namco 8-bit Galaxian arcade system board was first used by Namco in 1979.-Namco Galaxian specifications:*Main CPU: Zilog Z80*Sound chips: Discrete*Video resolution: 256x224...
. The new gameplay mechanics were considered by many to be confusing, and too much of a change from the original two games. In particular, when Pac-Man transforms into Super Pac-Man, he was thought by some to be much more difficult to control. Whatever the reason, Super Pac-Man proved to be the least successful game in the original series, being outsold that year by Pac-Man Plus
Pac-Man Plus
Pac-Man Plus is an arcade game released by Bally Midway in 1982, and is the 4th title in the Pac-Man series of games.- Gameplay :The gameplay in Pac-Man Plus is nearly identical to that of the original Pac-Man...
, a slightly updated version of the original game, which, like the aforementioned Ms. Pac-Man, was produced by the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
licensee Midway
Midway Games
Midway Games, Inc. is an American company that was formerly a major video game publisher. Following a bankruptcy filing in 2009, it is no longer active and is in the process of liquidating all of its assets. Midway's titles included Mortal Kombat, Ms.Pac-Man, Spy Hunter, Tron, Rampage, the...
without authorization from developer Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
. Midway also went on to create Jr. Pac-Man
Jr. Pac-Man
Jr. Pac-Man is an arcade game released in 1983 by Bally Midway. It is based on Pac-Man and its derivatives, but is not officially part of the Pac-Man series—along with Baby Pac-Man, this game was created without the authorization of Namco...
, also based on the older Z80 processor, and having the basic sound and feel of the older games with which fans were more familiar. In spite of this, the game's A.I.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
was celebrated as being one of the best of that era.
Game platforms
Super Pac-Man was only a moderate success in the 1980s as an arcade machine, and thus has not been as widely ported to home video game consoles as the original Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-ManMs. Pac-Man
Ms. Pac-Man is an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became one of the most popular video games of all time, leading to its adoption by Pac-Man licensor Namco as an official title...
. Still, the game has been revived several times.
- In 1984, a port of Super Pac-Man was made for the Atari 5200Atari 5200The Atari 5200 SuperSystem, commonly known as the Atari 5200, is a video game console that was introduced in 1982 by Atari Inc. as a higher end complementary console for the popular Atari 2600...
but was never released due to the video game crash of 1983.
- In 1988, DOSDOSDOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
and Commodore 64Commodore 64The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer introduced by Commodore International in January 1982.Volume production started in the spring of 1982, with machines being released on to the market in August at a price of US$595...
versions were released by Thunder Mountain.
- In 1996, it also appeared on the second Namco MuseumNamco MuseumNamco Museum refers to the series of video game compilations released by Namco for various 32-bit and above consoles, containing releases of their games from the 1980s and early 1990s...
arcade compilation for SonySony, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
's PlayStationPlayStationThe is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
.
- In 1998, Namco released Super Pac-Man as part of Namco HistoryNamco HistoryNamco History is a series of four Japan-only compilations of 1980s Namco arcade games released for Windows in the late 1990s.-Volume 2:*Tank Battalion*Grobda*Rally-X*New Rally-X*Phozon*The Tower of Druaga-Volume 3:*Pac-Man*Ms...
Volume 3 (a collection of classic Namco games similar to the Namco Museum series) for the PC in Japan only.
- In 1999, Super Pac-Man was included alongside Ms. Pac-ManMs. Pac-ManMs. Pac-Man is an arcade video game produced by Midway as an unauthorized sequel to Pac-Man. It was released in North America in 1981 and became one of the most popular video games of all time, leading to its adoption by Pac-Man licensor Namco as an official title...
in Ms. Pac-Man: Special Color Edition for NintendoNintendois a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
's Game Boy ColorGame Boy ColorThe is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
system.
- In 2006, Jakks PacificJakks PacificJAKKS Pacific, Inc. is a designer and marketer of toys and consumer products, with a range of products that feature numerous children's toy licenses...
released the Plug and Play Super Pac-Man joystick that contained Super Pac-Man along with Pac-ManPac-Manis an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
, Pac-Man PlusPac-Man PlusPac-Man Plus is an arcade game released by Bally Midway in 1982, and is the 4th title in the Pac-Man series of games.- Gameplay :The gameplay in Pac-Man Plus is nearly identical to that of the original Pac-Man...
, and Pac & PalPac & Palis an arcade game that was released only in Japan by Namco in 1983. The game ran on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware, and the object of the game was for Pac-Man to eat all the items before he was caught by the ghosts. Most of the items are fruits from the original Pac-Man game with a few new additions....
.
- NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
has released a portable version on select cell phone models exclusively on SprintSprint NextelSprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
. http://www.cellphoneobserver.com/modules/news/print.php?storyid=245.
As a promotion, Sprint
Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel Corporation is an American telecommunications company based in Overland Park, Kansas. The company owns and operates Sprint, the third largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, with 53.4 million customers, behind Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility...
and Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
ran a sweepstakes which offered the grand prize winner a Volkswagen New Beetle
Volkswagen New Beetle
-Specifications:*Dimension:**Length: **Width: **Height: **Wheelbase: **Curb weight: *Max speed: 177–210 km/h *Acceleration : 6.5-13.2 sec-Body styles:-Engine choices:-Safety:...
customized with Super Pac-Man art. The car was on display at major videogame tradeshow E3 in Los Angeles in May 2006. The Sweepstakes began June 1, 2006 and ended on July 31, 2006.
Super PAC-MAN Sweepstakes details
- In 2007, it was released for Palm PDA devices. Super Pac-Man at Handango a PDA software retailer.
- NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
has released Super Pac-Man along with Pac & PalPac & Palis an arcade game that was released only in Japan by Namco in 1983. The game ran on Namco Super Pac-Man hardware, and the object of the game was for Pac-Man to eat all the items before he was caught by the ghosts. Most of the items are fruits from the original Pac-Man game with a few new additions....
, Pac and Roll, Pac-ManiaPac-Maniais an arcade video game in the Pac-Man series, released by Namco in 1987 and distributed by Atari Games in the United States and Europe. It is a pseudo-3D interpretation of the classic maze game genre using an isometric view and features most elements of the original Pac-Man, as well as several new...
and other non-Pac-ManPac-Manis an arcade game developed by Namco and licensed for distribution in the United States by Midway, first released in Japan on May 22, 1980. Immensely popular from its original release to the present day, Pac-Man is considered one of the classics of the medium, virtually synonymous with video games,...
games in Namco Museum RemixNamco Museum RemixNamco Museum Remix is a video game compilation for the Wii, featuring a wide array of classic and updated Namco arcade games. Featured in the compilation are the original arcade versions of Cutie Q, Dig Dug, Galaxian, Gaplus, Mappy, Pac & Pal, Pac-Mania, Super Pac-Man and Xevious...
, which was released in late 2007.
- Namco has re-released Super Pac-Man on mobile phones only this time with a deluxe version with updated 3D graphics and better sound effects.
- On November 4, 2008, Super Pac-Man was released in Namco Museum Virtual Arcade for the Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
External links
- Super PAC-MAN on mobile platform
- Twin Galaxies' High-Score Rankings for Super Pac-Man
- Super PAC-MAN development notes (Atari 400/800 cart)