Ms. Pac-Man (Jakks Pacific)

Ms. Pac-Man by Jakks Pacific refers to a "plug & play" game compilation featuring Namco arcade titles. It was developed by HotGen and released by Jakks Pacific in 2004 under the "Plug it in & Play TV Games" brand. It is officially considered "Edition 2" of the Pac-Man plug & play series; it is the successor to the Pac-Man plug & play, and would be followed by the Super Pac-Man Collection. 
This console has been released under several alternate names, including Namco Featuring Ms. Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man and Friends!; with some releases branded as just Namco and Ms. Pac-Man. The compilation is commonly referred to as Ms. Pac-Man Collection, a title present on the copyright splash screen.
== Overview ==
The Ms. Pac-Man plug & play console is colored turquoise and black, and features a yellow joystick and two buttons; the console's appearance is similar to an arcade machine. A Ms. Pac-Man sticker is featured on a large plastic backing behind the joystick, with artwork of the other included games surrounding the joystick base. This console is based on Sunplus hardware, as is the case for the majority of Jakks Pacific plug & play systems.
The initial revision of the plug & play did not save high scores. A later revision would add the ability to save high score records, and uses a slightly modified menu layout featuring an "Erase High Scores" option. Later system models can be identified by them having text reading "Twist Control" on the plastic joystick rim (with earlier models having no text).
== Games ==
The Ms. Pac-Man plug & play features five games, including:
*Ms. Pac-Man (1982)
*Galaga (1982)
*Xevious (1982)
*Pole Position (1982)
*Mappy (1982)
The game ports were developed by HotGen Limited. Each game is ported from scratch, and is closely modeled after its arcade counterpart. All games feature close approximations of the original graphics and sound effects; though some of the games have their sound pitched an octave higher or lower (depending on the title), and Xevious has largely-redone sound design. Ms. Pac-Man and Mappy have their life indicators and scoring information moved to the righthand side of the screen; Galaga and Xevious feature unaltered orientation. The player can pause and/or exit out to the game selection screen mid-game by pressing the "Menu" button.
The included port of Pole Position is controlled by twisting the joystick clockwise and counter-clockwise, with the face buttons acting as acceleration and gear shifting. This control mechanism is often considered by critics to be one of the best methods to play Pole Position on a home game system (which is often boasted on the packaging/labels of later console revisions).
== Variants ==
Due to the large popularity of the system, several different variants of the Ms. Pac-Man plug & play were released, featuring different form factors and game lists.
=== QVC version ===
A variant of the Ms. Pac-Man plug & play was distributed through QVC in 2004. This release adds two additional games: New Rally-X (1981) and Bosconian (1981), both of which were newly-created ports. The menu interface features QVC logos surrounding the game selection screen.https://tcrf.net/Ms._Pac-Man_Collection This model is colored silver around the joystick, whereas the original version is solid blue. This system was never given retail packaging due to its QVC exclusivity.
=== Wireless version ===
Wireless Ms. Pac-Man is a variant of the Ms. Pac-Man plug & play released in 2004. This console features a wireless receiver base that plugs into the TV, making the controller itself fully wireless. It features a completely different design compared to the original model, which is seemingly based on a Bally Midway "cocktail table" machine. The game list is identical to the QVC model, including its additional games (New Rally-X and Bosconian), though the QVC branding in the menus is removed.
=== GameKey version ===
A variant of the Ms. Pac-Man plug & play featuring "GameKey" support was released in 2005. GameKeys were a cartridge format for Jakks Pacific's plug & play systems, allowing more games to be played on a singular plug & play console.
The GameKey version of Ms. Pac-Man is based on the original model's design, but features a larger backing behind the joystick. A "GameKey Ready" light indicator is added on the joystick base, with a cartridge slot added to the back of the unit; only cartridges with ID code "NM" are compatible with the Ms. Pac-Man console. If run without a cartridge inserted, the console plays identically to the later revision of the original Ms. Pac-Man system (featuring high-score saving).
Three Ms. Pac-Man GameKey cartridges were released (though two of them were exclusively tied to special bundle releases). These include:
*A cartridge featuring New Rally-X (1981) and Dig Dug (1982). Only released as part of the "Super GameKey Combo Pack" and "Super Value GameKey Mega Pack" bundles.
*A cartridge featuring Pac-Man (1980), Rally-X (1980), and Bosconian (1981). Only released as part of the "Super Value GameKey Mega Pack" bundle.
*A cartridge which only features Pac-Man and Bosconian. Sold individually at retail; noted as being considerably rarer than the other two cartridges.
The ports of Pac-Man, Dig Dug, and Rally-X are/were exclusive to the GameKey platform; though the former two would be succeeded by improved revisions on later plug & play systems.
== Trivia ==
*While exact sales numbers are unknown, the Ms. Pac-Man plug & play is noted as having been very successful on the North American market. Notably, the console was heavily promoted and highly regarded by retailers such as Walmart and Toys R Us, and publications such as Toy Wishes, during the 2004 holiday season.https://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/irol/10/106472/jakksar-04/events.htmlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20050720032659/http://www.jakkstvgames.com/press.html (note that the listed links no longer function)
*The general Ms. Pac-Man artwork on the plug & play is based on the screen border artwork from the common "Namco Museum" port of the game (which originates from Namco Museum Vol. 3). In particular, the console uses similar Ghost designs (albeit miscoloring one green), and features a blue-and-white cloud background.
*The Ms. Pac-Man character artwork used on the system and packaging is an early 1980s illustration by Tadashi Yamashita. Pixel sprites of Ms. Pac-Man, confusingly, are altered versions of Pac-Man's in-game sprite, modified into an inaccurately-drawn Ms. Pac-Man. Both of these peculiarities are likely connected to Ms. Pac-Man not appearing in the 1999 "Pac-Man Character Manual".
**Oddly, Ms. Pac-Man artwork drawn in the (then-current) Hideki Tanaami style appears to have been created for use by Jakks Pacific. However, its only known usage was in an Italian commercial for the original Pac-Man plug & play, being visible on the walls of the set.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIpW8N7wN78
*Two prerelease images of the Ms. Pac-Man plug & play are known to exist, both with different designs than the final release:
**An earlier image shows the console with a greatly different shape, featuring darker coloring and a smaller backing behind the joystick. Ms. Pac-Man's artwork is represented using Bally Midway and Greg Martin assets, while Pole Position uses the Atari 2600 box art. Additionally, one of the buttons is placed much closer to the joystick than on the final release. Some illustrations in the final console's instruction manual still use the shape of this prerelease design.
**A later image uses the same shape as the final model, though features different stickers and has a red joystick instead of yellow. Ms. Pac-Man's artwork on this prototype is traced over the top-left border artwork from the Namco Museum port.
*Most releases of the console use gameplay screenshots taken from various Namco Museum games on the packaging, rather than the actual Sunplus ports included on the system.
*In the plug & play port of Ms. Pac-Man, the cutscene "They Meet" has Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man kiss each other at the end; this is not present in the arcade version or any other home port.
*Ms. Pac-Man's extra life icons are displayed incorrectly, with her top-right and bottom-right halves swapped in placement. This results in a rather strange appearance, with Ms. Pac-Man appearing to have two beauty marks (which is actually a misplaced portion of her eye).
*The plug & play port of Ms. Pac-Man is connected in code to a port of the original Pac-Man; however, Pac-Man is not natively accessible on any Ms. Pac-Man-branded system (or vice-versa). The games can be switched between each other (on a technical level) via a one-byte code change.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzWtTwsDhL0 The Pac-Man port would not be commercialized until the release of the GameKey version in 2005.
**The unused Pac-Man code features a different copyright string than the eventual GameKey release, which uses the Namco logo from Puckman's title screen.
*As with many Jakks Pacific plug & plays, a Debug Mode can be accessed by entering a command on the copyright splash screen (hold Up, press and hold A, release Up, and press Down). This mode includes (in order) a hardware test mode, a save data test, a color test mode, a music test mode, and a "Pac-Man" color test (featuring rows of Ghosts). Similar debug screens are also present in the GameKey cartridges.
**The music test mode notably allows the user to play nearly the entire sound sets of the included games, featuring all music tracks and sound effects. The player can pitchbend the audio by twisting the joystick. The unused Pac-Man sounds can also be played on the main unit; each GameKey also features both Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man audio.
*The Pole Position port replaces the billboards with the logos to the Famicom/NES versions of Ms. Pac-Man (specifically the Tengen version), Galaga, Xevious, and Mappy. This was carried over into Retro Arcade featuring Pac-Man.
*Mappy has incorrect hitbox behavior for the "Stings" (balloons) in the bonus rounds; resulting in the arcade patterns not working correctly, and some later stages being flat-out impossible to complete with a perfect score. This behavior would carry over into Retro Arcade featuring Pac-Man.
*The port of Bosconian seen on later console variants/GameKeys erroneously uses the "Formation Attack" siren sound throughout the entire game. This was corrected in Arcade Gold featuring Pac-Man.
*The GameKey port of Rally-X features the correct in-game music; whereas the port included on the Pac-Man plug & play instead uses a sped-up version of the theme to New Rally-X.
*The console was sold under the "Tivi Pad" branding in France, and was distributed by toy company Lansay.
*A Namco Classics Combo Pack was released in 2004, featuring the Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man plug & play bundled in the same packaging. Several similar two-pack releases were released in 2005, some of which bundle the Pac-Man systems with Atari plug & plays.
*It is unknown if the Ms. Pac-Man plug & plays were ultimately affected by the legal issues surrounding the IP, which arose around 2006 in terms of arbitration. However, it would seem that the plug & play format was not deemed a "loophole" with the Ms. Pac-Man royalty contract for future products.
**It is rumored that a separate round of litigation occurred in 2008 that largely focused on the plug & play systems; though the exact outcome, or Jakks Pacific's involvement with the case, is unknown.
== Gallery ==
Jakks-loose-ms-pacman-rev1.jpg|An original, early production console, loose.
Jakks-loose-ms-pacman-gamekey-ver.jpg|A GameKey-compatible console, loose with cartridge.
Jakks-loose-ms-pacman-wireless.jpg|A Wireless variant console, loose.
Jakks-flyer-ms-pacman-0.jpg|Promotional flyer for the original model.
Jakks-ms-pacman-gamekey-super-combo-pack-2005-0.jpg|2005 Ms. Pac-Man Super GameKey Combo Pack bundle.
Jakks-ms-pacman-gamekey-super-value-mega-pack-2005-0.jpg|2005 Ms. Pac-Man Super Value GameKey Mega Pack bundle.
Jakks-ms-pacman-and-friends-2006-0.jpg|2006 packaging variant of the original model.
Jakks-namco-classics-combo-pack-2004-0.jpg|2004 Namco Classics Combo Pack bundle.
Jakks-2-pack-2005-ms-pacman-bonus-pacman.jpg|2005 two-pack featuring Ms. Pac-Man with "bonus" Pac-Man.
== References ==
Category:Games
Category:Compilations
Category:Consoles
Category:Merchandise