Pac-Land

File:PacLand.jpeg
**Pac-Land** is a side-scrolling arcade platform game developed by Namco, in 1984. To return a lost fairy to its home in Fairyland, the player must make it to the finish of each stage. Along with his opponents, the Ghost Gang, Pac-Man will have to avoid hazards such as falling logs and water-spouting fire hydrants. The Ghosts will become blue if you eat enormous flashing Power Pellets, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for Points.

## Gameplay

Pac-Man's mission in the game is to reach the end of each level while avoiding enemies and other obstacles. In-game, stages are referred to as "trips" and are divided into four sections. Pressing either of the directional buttons causes Pac-Man to walk in that direction, while repeatedly tapping either button causes him to run. By pressing the jump button, the player can also jump over pits and obstacles. Pac-Man runs through the first three stages to return a lost fairy to "Fairyland" and the final stage sees him return home to his family.

In each stage, Pac-Man will encounter the ghosts from the original game, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Eating large flashing Power Pellets will temporarily turn the Ghosts blue, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points. Ghosts are frequently seen driving vehicles such as planes, buses, cars, pogo sticks, and flying saucers. Water-spewing fire hydrants, springboards, falling logs, quicksand, and geysers are among the other types of obstacles.

The Pac-Man cartoon series' theme song, which plays in a loop throughout the game, is featured. Cities, forests, deserts, and abandoned castles are all part of the trips. Jumping at specific points at the end of each section earns you extra points.

## Features

### Items

 Helmet
 Lucky Pac
 Special Pac
 Galleons
 Flower
 Balloon

## Versions

* **Amstrad CPC** - Converted and published by Grandslam Entertainment for Europe in 1988. Very similar to the Commodore 64 version.

* **Atari Lynx** - Published by Atari Corp. in 1991. Despite the unavoidable reduction in screen resolution, a fairly accurate conversion of the arcade game.

* **Atari ST** - Converted by Mr. Micro and published in Europe by Grandslam in 1989. Very similar to the Commodore Amiga version.

* **Commodore 64** - Converted by Grandslam, but published by Quicksilva in Europe in 1988. Very similar to the Amstrad CPC version.

* + Press F1 to "insert coin". You can then use F3 or F5 to start a 1 or 2 player game.

* + The game is paused by F7.

* **Commodore Amiga** - Ported by Mr. Micro and published in Europe by Grandslam in 1989. Very similar to the Atari ST version shown above.

* **Famicom** - Developed and published by Namco for Japan in 1985. Possibly one of the most altered versions of the arcade game developed, the Famicom version of the game took on a new life of its own, with unique secrets and hidden power-ups.

* **MSX** - Converted and published by Grandslam Entertainment for Europe in 1988. Very similar to the ZX Spectrum version.

* **TurboGraFX** - Published by NEC Technologies in 1990. Easily one of the most pixel accurate and game-play accurate conversions of the arcade game ever developed for any home system. However, the following changes have been made:

* + There is no parallax scrolling in the game.

* + The game has an actual ending that occurs after the conclusion of Trip 8, and you will receive 100,000 extra points for each life you save.

* In the Forest, there are no trees to obstruct your view. Several colors are changed during the Pro game, and the Fairies appear differently.

## Development

The team wanted the game's backgrounds to be vibrant and colorful, and the characters to move smoothly in order to mimic the animation style of the show. The controls were heavily inspired by Konami's sports video game Track & Field, which allowed the player to become faster by repeatedly tapping the button. In Japan, the arcade game was released in 1984, but there are conflicting release dates. Bally Midway released the game in North America in December 1984, and Atari Games released it in Europe in early 1985. It is the only arcade game that was released simultaneously in both countries.

## Reception

Lynx and TurboGrafx-16 versions received mixed reviews of Pac-Man. Famitsu, a Japanese publication, praised the graphics and overall challenge of the PC-Engine version, awarding it the "Silver Hall of Fame" badge. AllGame was especially harsh on the TurboGraFX-16 version, praising it for its poor graphics, bland stage layouts, and lack of challenge.

## References

1. ↑ Pac-Land Characters & Items - StrategyWiki
2. ↑ 8-Bit Chronicles: Pac-Land
3. ↑ "NEW GAMES CROSS REVIEW: パックランド [PCエンジン"]
4. ↑ Kyle Knight's "AllGame review on Pac-Land" - *AllGame.com*