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Pac-Mania
Pac-Mania
from Wikipedia

Pac-Mania
Japanese arcade flyer
DeveloperNamco[a]
Publishers
Namco
DirectorTōru Iwatani
ProgrammerTaro Shimizu
ArtistAkira Usukura
Composers
Junko Ozawa
    • Amiga, CPC, Archimedes, Atari ST, C64, MSX2, ZX Spectrum
    • Ben Daglish
    • Mega Drive/Genesis
    • Paul Webb
    • NES
    • Paul S. Mudra
SeriesPac-Man
Platform
Release
November 1987
  • Arcade
    Amiga, Atari ST
    • EU: October 1988
    C64
    • EU: Late 1988
    CPC, MSX, Spectrum
    • EU: December 1988
    X68000
    • JP: Early 1989
    MSX2
    • JP: June 1989
    NES
    • NA: Late 1990
    Master System
    Mega Drive/Genesis
    Archimedes
GenresMaze
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer
Arcade systemNamco System 1

Pac-Mania[b] is a 1987 maze video game developed and published by Namco for Japanese arcades; it was licensed to Atari Games for release in North America. In the game, the player controls Pac-Man as he must eat all of the dots while avoiding the colored ghosts that chase him in the maze. Eating large flashing "Power Pellets" will allow Pac-Man to eat the ghosts for bonus points, which lasts for a short period of time. A new feature to this game allows Pac-Man to jump over the ghosts to evade capture. It is the ninth title in the Pac-Man video game series and was the last one developed for arcades up until the release of Pac-Man Arrangement in 1996. Development was directed by Pac-Man creator Tōru Iwatani.

Pac-Mania gained a highly positive critical reception for its uniqueness and gameplay. It was nominated for "Best Coin-Op Conversion of the Year" at the Golden Joystick Awards in 1987, although it lost to Taito's Operation Wolf. Pac-Mania was ported to several home consoles and computers, including the Atari ST, MSX2, Sega Genesis and Nintendo Entertainment System, the last of which being published by Tengen. Several Pac-Man and Namco video game collections also included the game. Ports for the Wii Virtual Console, iOS and mobile phones were also produced.

Gameplay

[edit]
Screenshot of the arcade version, showing the Pac-Man's Park level

Pac-Mania is a maze game viewed from an oblique[7] perspective, with gameplay similar to the franchise's original installment.[8] The player controls Pac-Man, who must eat all of the pellets in each stage while avoiding five colored ghosts: Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (cyan), Clyde (orange) and Sue (purple). Eating large Power Pellets will cause the ghosts to turn blue and flee, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points and send them to the house in the middle of the stage. Clearing the stage of dots and pellets will allow Pac-Man to move to the next. Mazes scroll both horizontally and vertically, and the left and right edges of some layouts wrap around to each other. Touching a non-vulnerable ghost costs the player one life.

New to this game is the ability to jump over the ghosts, allowing Pac-Man to evade capture. Later rounds of the game introduce two new ghosts, Funky (green) and Spunky (grey), who also have the ability to jump. While Pac-Man can still barely jump over Funky, it is impossible to jump over Spunky.[8] Eating a certain number of pellets will cause a bonus item to appear in the middle of the stage, which can be eaten for points. Some of these bonus items are called Special Items, which are items from later levels, or are Red and Green Power Pellets. Red Power Pellets double the point values of blue ghosts (this bonus is lost if Pac-Man loses a life), and Green Power Pellets temporarily increase Pac-Man's speed. If the player takes too long to clear a stage, Pac-Man's jumping power begins to decrease steadily until it is entirely lost.

Four different mazes are available: Block Town, Pac-Man's Park, Sandbox Land, and Jungly Steps. Upon completing a set number of rounds in each maze, the player progresses to the next; after playing through all four, the cycle restarts. At the beginning of the game, the player can choose to start in any of the first three mazes and will earn a score bonus for choosing either Pac-Man's Park or Sandbox Land and completing the first round in it.

The game ends when the player has either lost all lives or (depending on the machine setting) cycled through all four mazes a set number of times.

Ports

[edit]

Pac-Mania arrived on all of the major 8- and 16-bit systems in Europe in 1988, which were Amiga and Atari ST in October, Commodore 64 later that year, and Amstrad CPC, MSX and ZX Spectrum in December. The conversions were designed and ported by Teque Software, then composed of the duo Peter Harrap and Shaun Hollingworth, and the games were published by Grandslam Entertainment.[9][10] Grandslam also developed an Acorn Archimedes port,[11] which was published by Domark in 1991. Sharp Corporation developed and published a port of the game for its X68000 computer in early 1989.[12] Namco also released an MSX2 port of the game in mid-June that year.[13]

Pac-Mania was later ported to the Nintendo Entertainment System in late 1990 and the Master System and Sega Genesis in 1991 by Tengen. The Genesis version was released in North America and Europe, while the NES version was exclusive to North America and the Master System port (developed and published by TecMagik) was exclusive to Europe.[14][15] The Genesis port was outsourced to Sculptured Software, while the NES port was outsourced to Westwood Studios.

Reception

[edit]

In Japan, Game Machine listed Pac-Mania as the fifth most successful table arcade unit of December 1987.[30] In North America, Atari sold 1,412 arcade cabinets in 1987, earning about $2.82 million ($7.8 million adjusted for inflation) in cabinet sales.[1]

Entertainment Weekly gave the Genesis version a B− in 1991.[26]

Polish magazine Top Secret gave the NES version 5 out of 5 checks, commending the music, graphics, the comical cut scenes and the ability to jump.[31]

The game was runner-up in the category of Best Coin-Op Conversion of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards, behind Operation Wolf.[32]

Legacy

[edit]

The arcade version of Pac-Mania appeared in Namco Museum Volume 5, the 2001 Namco Museum release, Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary and Namco Museum Virtual Arcade. In 2001, it was one of the games included in Pac-Man Collection for the Game Boy Advance. Later in 2002, the arcade version was included as an unlockable bonus in Pac-Man World 2. In 2007, Pac-Mania was also released in Namco Museum Remix with Pac & Pal, Pac 'n Roll, Super Pac-Man and other non-Pac-Man games. It was re-released in 2010 as part of the follow-up compilation Namco Museum Megamix, along with 17 other Namco arcade games and six remix games, five of which appeared in Namco Museum Remix.

In 2010, the design of Pac-Man and the ghosts from Pac-Mania appear in Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, and the game itself was released for iOS devices. Pac-Mania was also re-released as part of the Pac-Man's Arcade Party arcade machine in 2010 for Pac-Man's 30th anniversary. In February 2014, it was included in the Pac-Man Museum for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC via Steam. In 2018, it was included in the Pac-Man's Pixel Bash arcade cabinet, along with other Pac-Man, and different Namco games. The game is included in the 2022 compilation title Pac-Man Museum+, released for PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. On December 8, 2022, Pac-Mania was also included as part of the Arcade Archives by Hamster Corporation.

The music from Pac-Man's Park was later used in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures as the "power up" theme for "Pac" (the show's version of Pac-Man). The same theme, along with Block Town's music, was remixed and used in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and later Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Notes

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Pac-Mania is a maze video game developed and published by Namco for arcades in 1987, serving as a sequel to the original Pac-Man with an innovative isometric 3D perspective that allows players to control Pac-Man as he navigates colorful, scrolling mazes to eat dots while evading pursuing ghosts. The game introduces jumping mechanics, enabling Pac-Man to leap over ghosts, and features four distinct themed worlds—Block Town, Pac-Man's Park, Sandbox Land, and Jungly Steps—each with unique visuals, music, and up to 11 ghosts, including new characters like the purple Sue and green Funky. Power pellets temporarily make ghosts vulnerable, and special items like candy provide bonuses, while bonus rounds between levels depict cartoonish chases. Released on hardware, Pac-Mania was distributed in by and marked the last major arcade title of the , building on the series' legacy with enhanced graphics and gameplay depth that thrilled players worldwide. It supports one or two players in alternating turns, using a 4-way and a dedicated bounce button for controls, housed in a standard upright weighing 258 pounds. The game's vibrant, pseudo-3D style and upbeat soundtrack contributed to its popularity, earning positive reception for refreshing the formula while retaining core maze-chase elements. Pac-Mania was ported to numerous home platforms throughout the late 1980s and 1990s, including the , , Atari ST, , Commodore 64, , and , with later re-releases on modern systems like , , , and mobile devices via services such as Antstream. These adaptations generally preserved the arcade's isometric view and mechanics, though some versions adjusted graphics or controls for hardware limitations, and compilations like the series helped sustain its availability. As part of the enduring franchise, Pac-Mania exemplifies Namco's evolution of arcade gaming in the 1980s, influencing subsequent titles with its blend of and innovation.

Development

Conception

Pac-Mania was directed by Tōru Iwatani, the creator of the original , and Namco's final arcade release until Pac-Man Arrangement in 1996. Building on the foundational maze-chase of classic , the conception emphasized retaining essential elements like dot collection, ghost pursuit, and power pellets that temporarily empower Pac-Man to consume his enemies. To inject fresh appeal into the late 1980s arcade landscape, the design incorporated an isometric perspective for a pseudo-3D effect, introducing vertical depth to the traditional flat mazes and enabling Pac-Man to jump over ghosts for evasion.

Production

Pac-Mania was developed by for its Namco System 1 arcade hardware, which featured three processors running at varying clock speeds, a HD63701 microcontroller for input and sound control, and custom Namco integrated circuits for graphics and audio processing. For audio, it utilized a Namco custom 8-channel chip for sound effects, a FM synthesizer, and a Yamaha YM3012 DAC for voice samples, supporting the soundtrack. The project was directed by Tōru Iwatani, the creator of the original , alongside Tomoyuki Shimizu, who also contributed to , programming, and visual elements. The music was composed by Junko Ozawa, Yuriko Keino, and Yoshito Tomuro, featuring arrangements that remixed classic themes to fit the sequel's energetic pace. Programming was handled by a team including Tomoyuki Shimizu, Hideto Yamazaki, and others, focusing on optimizing the System 1's capabilities for the game's maze navigation and enemy AI. Development took place in , with the game completed and prepared for arcade release in 1987.

Gameplay

Mechanics

Pac-Mania builds upon the foundational maze-chase gameplay of the original by shifting to an isometric 3D perspective, introducing vertical navigation elements while retaining the core pursuit-avoidance dynamic. The primary objective is to navigate through each maze to consume all the dots, represented as small yellow pellets scattered throughout the environment, while evading contact with roaming s; direct contact with a ghost results in the loss of one life, with the game ending upon depletion of all lives unless an extra life is earned at milestones such as 100,000 points, configurable via game settings. Player controls utilize a four-directional or control pad for horizontal and vertical movement along pathways, allowing to traverse intersections fluidly; a dedicated jump enables brief leaps into the air, permitting evasion of ghosts, though jumping over uneaten dots skips them and requires revisiting paths to collect. Jumps cannot clear structural barriers like walls. The mazes employ an oblique, pseudo-3D viewpoint that simulates depth, featuring multi-tiered platforms connected by ladders for climbing and ramps for descending, which facilitate vertical exploration without traditional enclosing walls that restrict movement between levels; the playfield exceeds the screen boundaries and scrolls smoothly to center on 's position, revealing new sections as needed. Scoring emphasizes efficient traversal and opportunistic maneuvers, with each dot yielding 60 points upon consumption. Fruits materialize periodically in the maze's central area, offering escalating values from 1000 points for basic items like cherries up to 8000 points for advanced ones such as ships. Jumping directly over s awards bonus points varying by ghost type, with potential for combo bonuses when chaining multiple jumps in sequence.

Enemies and Power-ups

Pac-Mania introduces seven antagonistic ghosts that pursue Pac-Man through the 3D mazes, each with distinct behaviors adapted from the original Pac-Man while incorporating jumping capabilities in later rounds. The core quartet consists of Blinky (red), who aggressively chases Pac-Man and accelerates as rounds progress; Pinky (pink), who ambushes by positioning ahead of Pac-Man's path; Inky (light blue), who exhibits unpredictable movement and often retreats when directly approached; and Clyde (orange), the slowest of the group, who tends to block routes in a clumsy manner. Additional ghosts include Sue (purple), a relentless chaser similar to Blinky but without entering scatter mode, making her a persistent threat; Funky (green), an erratic follower who jumps slightly lower than Pac-Man when evading; and Spunky (gray), who leaps as high as Pac-Man, complicating overhead escapes. The ghosts' cycles through chase and scatter phases periodically, with chase mode directing them toward and scatter mode sending them to predefined corners of the for brief respite. Upon consuming a power pellet, the ghosts enter a frightened state, turning and vulnerable to being eaten, during which they reverse direction and flee; this effect lasts approximately 20 seconds initially but shortens in later rounds. In this state, ghosts become harmless except for their eyes, which return to the ghost house to regenerate. Power pellets, four of which are fixed in each maze, serve as the primary defensive power-up, granting Pac-Man the ability to eat ghosts for escalating bonus points: 200 for the first, 400 for the second, 800 for the third, 1600 for the fourth, 3200 for the fifth, and 7650 for each subsequent ghost eaten in succession without interruption. Each power pellet itself awards 300 points. Red power pellets, appearing as special items, double the points awarded for eating frightened ghosts until a life is lost. Green power pellets temporarily increase Pac-Man's speed. Bonus fruits materialize in the maze center after Pac-Man clears 70, 170, or 270 dots (depending on the round), offering static point values that increase with round progression; examples include cherries (1000 points) in early rounds and keys (8000 points) in advanced ones, with special variants like wrapped candy appearing occasionally. Interactions with enemies emphasize evasion tactics, as direct contact with a non-frightened ghost costs one life. Pac-Man can jump over ghosts to avoid damage, covering up to three ghost lengths in height and allowing safe passage even when surrounded, though some ghosts like Funky and Spunky counter by jumping in response. Eating blue ghosts not only scores points but temporarily removes them from the maze, providing breathing room, with the sequence resetting only after all power pellets in the round are consumed.

Stages and Modes

Pac-Mania's arcade version consists of four primary stages, each featuring distinct thematic elements and layouts that influence navigation and strategy. Block Town serves as the introductory stage with simple, basic brick walls reminiscent of blocks, providing a straightforward isometric for players to clear pellets. Pac-Man's Park follows, characterized by green fields and trees that create a vibrant, park-like setting with more varied pathways. Sandbox Land introduces sand dunes and ramps, allowing for elevated movement and jumps over certain obstacles. Jungly Steps, the final stage in the cycle, incorporates jungle platforms and vines, emphasizing verticality and complex platforming elements within the structure. Game progression begins in Block Town for the first round, advancing to two levels each of Pac-Man's Park, Sandbox Land, and Jungly Steps before cycling back to Block Town in subsequent rounds. This sequence repeats indefinitely, with the game concluding only upon depletion of all lives or player fatigue in endless play. The arcade edition supports one or two players in alternating turns, where players control to consume all pellets while evading ghosts. Intermission animations depicting cartoonish chases activate after every two stages. Difficulty escalates across rounds through heightened ghost aggression, faster movement speeds for both Pac-Man and enemies, activation of additional ghosts (up to seven in later rounds), and fewer pellets per maze to accelerate pacing. Jumping mechanics aid in traversing stage-specific features like ramps and platforms during this scaling.

Release

Arcade Release

Pac-Mania was first released in Japanese arcades in November 1987 by .) The game launched in North American arcades the following month, in December 1987, distributed by under license from .) It was deployed in upright arcade cabinets featuring a standard 19-inch CRT monitor in vertical orientation, a 4-way for movement, and a dedicated jump button to enable Pac-Man's bouncing ability over ghosts. The hardware ran on 's board, supporting pseudo-3D isometric visuals that positioned the game as an evolutionary update to the original . Atari produced a limited run of approximately 1,412 units for the U.S. market, reflecting constrained manufacturing amid the late-1980s arcade landscape. Initial operator pricing was set at $1,995 per cabinet, with the game's novel jumping mechanic and multi-ghost chases drawing attention for refreshing the maze-chase formula.

Initial Ports

The first home conversions of Pac-Mania appeared in 1988 for European home computers, adapting the arcade's isometric mazes and mechanics to 16-bit and 8-bit hardware. Teque Software developed the ports for the and ST, published by Grandslam Entertainments, which closely replicated the arcade's scrolling playfields but with adjusted frame rates to suit the platforms' processing capabilities. Similarly, Grandslam Entertainments handled the Commodore 64 version, also developed by Teque Software, featuring simplified visuals with a reduced color palette limited to the system's 16-color mode, resulting in less vibrant mazes compared to the original coin-op. In , released a faithful MSX2 port the same year, utilizing the system's enhanced graphics capabilities for smoother sprite scaling and pseudo-3D effects while maintaining the core loop. Subsequent console ports followed in 1991, targeting popular 8-bit and 16-bit systems. Tengen published the (NES) version in in 1991, ported by Westwood Associates to preserve the arcade's multi-level jumping over ground-based ghosts, though input was adapted to the standard and button layout without dedicated analog controls. For the Sega Master System, Tengen licensed the title and outsourced development to TecMagik for a 1991 European and Australian release, incorporating minor optimizations for the console's scrolling hardware but retaining the alternating two-player mode from the arcade. The Sega Genesis port, released in 1991 by Tengen with development by Sculptured Software, marked the most advanced initial adaptation, leveraging the 16-bit system's superior sprite handling and for enhanced graphics—such as larger, more detailed sprites and improved —and richer audio effects closer to the arcade's FM synthesis. Across these early ports, technical constraints led to simplifications like reduced complexity on 8-bit machines and occasional omission of advanced jump animations on controllers lacking sufficient buttons, while some versions introduced optional simultaneous two-player modes not present in the original arcade to enhance home play.

Reception

Critical Response

Upon its 1987 arcade release, Pac-Mania received positive reception for its innovative pseudo-3D isometric perspective and the addition of a mechanic, which added a fresh layer of strategy to the classic maze-chase formula. Critics commended the vibrant colors and dynamic ghost pursuits, though some noted repetitive maze layouts in later stages and occasional difficulty spikes due to increased ghost numbers, which could frustrate casual players. Despite these, the title's novelty earned it runner-up position for Best Coin-op of the Year at the 1987 , behind . Home port reviews in the late 1980s and early 1990s generally lauded the faithful adaptations of the arcade experience, with variations in technical execution. The port, launched in 1991, drew positive comments for its faster pace and enhanced speed options, but faced criticism for imprecise controls and muted colors compared to the arcade. Mean Machines Sega rated it 86% overall, noting its "highly addictive" challenge and smooth playability despite minor input lag. Common themes across reviews included the innovative 3D perspective as a refreshing evolution, balanced against critiques of repetitive elements and abrupt difficulty increases.

Commercial Performance

Pac-Mania achieved notable commercial success in arcades upon its 1987 release. In , the game ranked fifth among the most successful table-type arcade units for December 1987, as reported by the trade magazine Game Machine, amid an arcade industry that generated approximately ¥20 billion in that year. In the United States, distributed 1,412 cabinets, yielding $2.82 million in hardware sales revenue. Arcade earnings were propelled by the game's novel isometric perspective and jumping mechanics, while home versions faced competition from emerging titles like Super Mario Bros. 2 and The Legend of Zelda.

Legacy

Re-releases

Pac-Mania first appeared in compilations during the late 1990s as part of Namco's efforts to bring arcade classics to home consoles. It was included in Namco Museum Vol. 5, released for the PlayStation in 1997, which emulated the original arcade version alongside other Namco titles like Dragon Spirit and Metro-Cross. This port preserved the game's pseudo-3D isometric gameplay while adapting controls for the controller, with minor emulation tweaks for smoother performance on the hardware. In the early 2000s, the game saw further re-releases on handheld systems. Pac-Man Collection for the Game Boy Advance, launched in 2001, featured as one of four included titles, offering a faithful port optimized for portable play with adjusted graphics to fit the screen. The compilation emphasized quick sessions, retaining core mechanics like jumping over ghosts and power pellet usage. The late 2000s brought to consoles, including the Wii Virtual Console release in 2009. The 2010s brought further and enhanced features through larger collections and mobile ports. Mobile ports also emerged during this period, with releasing versions for and Java-enabled phones via their apps, adapting the game for touch controls and shorter play sessions while maintaining the original maze layouts. These versions often included emulation-based tweaks for battery efficiency and added achievements. More recent re-releases focus on modern platforms with archival fidelity. Pac-Man Museum+, released in 2022 for , , , and Windows PC, incorporated Pac-Mania with high-definition upscaling and online leaderboards for score competition, allowing players to unlock cabinet customizations in a virtual arcade hub. In 2022, published Pac-Mania through the series for and , providing high-definition visuals, adjustable difficulty options, and global online rankings to recreate the arcade experience. No major updates or new compilations have appeared between 2023 and 2025, though the game remains available digitally on these platforms, with features like HD upscaling and leaderboards continuing from earlier 2010s efforts to enhance accessibility.

Cultural Impact

Pac-Mania introduced an isometric perspective to the Pac-Man series, providing a pseudo-3D view of mazes that added depth and allowed for new mechanics like over ghosts, influencing subsequent maze-based games in the arcade era. This innovation marked a shift from traditional top-down layouts, inspiring later titles that adopted similar oblique viewpoints to enhance spatial navigation and visual appeal in action games. While direct lineage is varied, the game's approach contributed to the evolution of isometric designs seen in 1980s and 1990s arcade and console titles, emphasizing dynamic enemy avoidance in confined environments. In pop culture, Pac-Mania emerged during the height of arcade enthusiasm, aligning with broader franchise parodies that captured the era's gaming mania, such as episodes of featuring arcade spoofs like a Pac-Man-style game in settings evoking 1980s arcades. The title benefited from extensive merchandise tie-ins typical of the franchise's commercial peak, including toys, apparel, and promotional items that extended Pac-Man's into everyday consumer products throughout the decade. Within the Pac-Man franchise, Pac-Mania served as a pivotal bridge from classic 2D maze chases to experimental 3D elements, representing Namco's final major arcade entry of the 1980s and revitalizing the series after varied spin-offs. It was highlighted in retrospectives for the franchise's 30th anniversary in 2010, underscoring its role in maintaining Pac-Man's relevance amid evolving trends. Pac-Mania's modern legacy includes preservation efforts, with original arcade cabinets documented and playable in institutions like the International Arcade Museum, ensuring accessibility for historical study and play. It appears in cameo forms within contemporary titles, such as musical references in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's fighter, evoking the game's upbeat soundtrack. Additionally, the title maintains a niche presence in retro gaming communities through high-score competitions and tournaments focused on classic arcade challenges.

References

  1. https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Pac-Mania/Gameplay
  2. https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Pac-Mania
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