FREE PAC-MAN??? CHAMPIONSHIP EDITION 2

[Ant]

https://store.steampowered.com/app/441380/PACMAN_CHAMPIONSHIP_EDITION_2/
--
..!.. heat wave & illness like COVID-19/2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2! :(
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org /
/ /\ /\ \ http://antfarm.ma.cx. Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
| |o o| |
\ _ /
( )

[Spalls Hurgenson]

On Fri, 24 Apr 2020 17:29:44 -0500, a...@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>https://store.steampowered.com/app/441380/PACMAN_CHAMPIONSHIP_EDITION_2/

I was never a fan of Pac-Man.

For me, Pac-Man was nearly the epitome of the types of games I
dislike: a game where the goal is solely to accrue more and more
points. I get it; it's about the challenge of the thing, but I was
always more interested in the story, the setting, the /adventure/ than
pitting myself against a computer. I went for the Zorks, the Dungeons,
the Akalabeths. Those still had conflict against digital foes (and
more often than I liked that combat was the focus of the game) but on
their margins were the glimmers of the story and character I yearned
for.

Still, no *proper* game's library is complete without a Pac-Man in it.
Love it or hate it, Pac-Man is part of our digital heritage, and we
can still see its influence in modern games. It's unlikely I'll ever
play this updated version of the game (except, perhaps briefly to
marvel at how far the graphics have come) but I'm glad to have it in
my collection.

[Mike S.]

On Fri, 24 Apr 2020 17:29:44 -0500, a...@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>https://store.steampowered.com/app/441380/PACMAN_CHAMPIONSHIP_EDITION_2/

Now here is a freebie I know I will never play. I don't like Pac Man.
But it is free. So I will take it.

Thanks. :)

[Rin Stowleigh]

On Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:08:12 -0400, Spalls Hurgenson
<spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Fri, 24 Apr 2020 17:29:44 -0500, a...@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>
>>https://store.steampowered.com/app/441380/PACMAN_CHAMPIONSHIP_EDITION_2/
>
>I was never a fan of Pac-Man.
>
>For me, Pac-Man was nearly the epitome of the types of games I
>dislike: a game where the goal is solely to accrue more and more
>points.

Actually, high score is not the objective. For a detailed explanation
of the objective, see this episode of Taxi :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVppS1rsbxo

Being serious for a moment -- the REAL goal of PacMan (beyond the
beginner level) is to try to consistently execute patterns perfectly
(because even nanosecond variations can throw off timing, and can
cause things to go sideways quickly at higher levels). Ultimately,
it's a survival game that tests hand-eye coordination (even if you
know exactly what to do for a given level, pulling it off consistently
can be trickier than it sounds).

It was always the pattern execution that made the game so addictive,
and the mere act of pattern usage to extend playtime way beyond what
the original designers intended to provide for a quarter ("beating"
the machine as much as possible so to speak). The highscore was
generally an important metric in classic arcade gaming, but was really
a secondary (or even lesser) consideration in PacMan.

> I get it; it's about the challenge of the thing, but I was
>always more interested in the story, the setting, the /adventure/ than
>pitting myself against a computer.

Some would say a marathon PacMan session can be QUITE an adventure...
Agreed, however, that it is not well-known for it's story-telling...We
could probably get deep into analysis of symbolism with the cutscenes
if we tried, but I think it would be missing the point of the game. :)

[rms]

>Actually, high score is not the objective. For a detailed explanation
>of the objective, see this episode of Taxi :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVppS1rsbxo

haha! Fun clip!

rms

[Ant]

Rin Stowleigh <rstow...@xnospamx.com> wrote:
...

> >I was never a fan of Pac-Man.
> >
> >For me, Pac-Man was nearly the epitome of the types of games I
> >dislike: a game where the goal is solely to accrue more and more
> >points.

> Actually, high score is not the objective. For a detailed explanation
> of the objective, see this episode of Taxi :)

> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVppS1rsbxo

That was hilarious. I had Pac-Man fever as a callow back in the rad 80s.
:D
...

[Rin Stowleigh]

On Sat, 25 Apr 2020 17:16:42 -0500, a...@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

>Rin Stowleigh <rstow...@xnospamx.com> wrote:
>...
>> >I was never a fan of Pac-Man.
>> >
>> >For me, Pac-Man was nearly the epitome of the types of games I
>> >dislike: a game where the goal is solely to accrue more and more
>> >points.
>
>> Actually, high score is not the objective. For a detailed explanation
>> of the objective, see this episode of Taxi :)
>
>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVppS1rsbxo
>
>That was hilarious. I had Pac-Man fever as a callow back in the rad 80s.
>:D
>...

They don't make them like Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito anymore.

[Rin Stowleigh]

Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction -- I could never tell if
Billy Mitchell was really being who he is, or playing an "Iggy From
Taxi" like character and capitalizing on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoVvgSwPDYk

I forgot about the game borking out (with the half screen turning to
garbage chars) when it runs low on memory.

I always thought it was funny to hear people completing single player
campaigns describe their actions as "beating the game". Its a bit
like saying I beat a movie because I made it all the way to the end
despite how unentertaining it was :)

But back then, some games really could be "beaten" in the sense that
the players ability could push the limitations of the software too
far.

Truly the golden age of gaming.

[Ant]

I miss those old days!

[Ant]

They're still alive, just old. I never got into that TV series. I wonder
if there more of these funnies.

[Werner P.]

Am 25.04.20 um 15:08 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:

> On Fri, 24 Apr 2020 17:29:44 -0500, a...@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>
>> https://store.steampowered.com/app/441380/PACMAN_CHAMPIONSHIP_EDITION_2/
>
> I was never a fan of Pac-Man.
>
> For me, Pac-Man was nearly the epitome of the types of games I
> dislike: a game where the goal is solely to accrue more and more
> points. I get it; it's about the challenge of the thing, but I was
> always more interested in the story, the setting, the /adventure/ than
> pitting myself against a computer. I went for the Zorks, the Dungeons,
> the Akalabeths. Those still had conflict against digital foes (and
> more often than I liked that combat was the focus of the game) but on
> their margins were the glimmers of the story and character I yearned
> for.
>

I also loved story based games, but pacman has a special place in my
heart, and I still play the arcade and the atari 8 bit computer version
regularily.
It was basically the second computer game I owned in my life and I
played it endlessly and it is a fine 5 minutes distraction fun romp even
nowadays, easy to get into easy to get out.
One genre you basically can beat me before I would touch it, is first
person shooters in any form. There is nothing I hate more.

[Rin Stowleigh]

The early 80's brought quite a few maze games, that were original
enough in their own right to not be considered PacMan knockoffs (maybe
PacMan inspired in some ways).

Some I still play to this day:

MouseTrap
Eyes
LadyBug
Wizard of War

[Werner P.]

Am 29.04.20 um 00:29 schrieb Rin Stowleigh:

Yes maze games were the first person shooters of the early 80s and yes
there were lots of them.
I think the period between 1980 and 1983 were the one were you saw most
of them. I would even add burger time to that list and quix.

[Spalls Hurgenson]

On Tue, 28 Apr 2020 22:27:22 +0200, "Werner P." <we...@gmx.at> wrote:

>Am 25.04.20 um 15:08 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:
>> On Fri, 24 Apr 2020 17:29:44 -0500, a...@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>>
>>> https://store.steampowered.com/app/441380/PACMAN_CHAMPIONSHIP_EDITION_2/
>>
>> I was never a fan of Pac-Man.
>>
>> For me, Pac-Man was nearly the epitome of the types of games I
>> dislike: a game where the goal is solely to accrue more and more
>> points. I get it; it's about the challenge of the thing, but I was
>> always more interested in the story, the setting, the /adventure/ than
>> pitting myself against a computer. I went for the Zorks, the Dungeons,
>> the Akalabeths. Those still had conflict against digital foes (and
>> more often than I liked that combat was the focus of the game) but on
>> their margins were the glimmers of the story and character I yearned
>> for.

>I also loved story based games, but pacman has a special place in my
>heart, and I still play the arcade and the atari 8 bit computer version
>regularily.
>It was basically the second computer game I owned in my life and I
>played it endlessly and it is a fine 5 minutes distraction fun romp even
>nowadays, easy to get into easy to get out.

Don't get me wrong; I think Pac-Man is an excellent game, and I don't
mean to in any way disparage its fans, or indeed, fans of people who
prioritize challenge over story. It's all a matter of taste, not a
statement of quality.

I always preferred Ms. Pac-Man myself; it had (ever so slightly) more
of a story, and its mazes were more interesting.

But if I had to point to an arcade-game that I loved despite the fact
that it was just about chasing points, it's Moon Patrol. Its bouncy
physics and nifty graphics - not to mention its variety in enemies and
challenges - kept me entertained far longer than any other arcade
game. It is a great example of the sort of game I say I don't like,
but - like your continued fascination with Pac-Man - it was one of the
earliest video games I played and it still has great nostalgic hold
over me.

[Ant]

Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 28 Apr 2020 22:27:22 +0200, "Werner P." <we...@gmx.at> wrote:

...

> Don't get me wrong; I think Pac-Man is an excellent game, and I don't
> mean to in any way disparage its fans, or indeed, fans of people who
> prioritize challenge over story. It's all a matter of taste, not a
> statement of quality.

> I always preferred Ms. Pac-Man myself; it had (ever so slightly) more
> of a story, and its mazes were more interesting.

> But if I had to point to an arcade-game that I loved despite the fact
> that it was just about chasing points, it's Moon Patrol. Its bouncy
> physics and nifty graphics - not to mention its variety in enemies and
> challenges - kept me entertained far longer than any other arcade
> game. It is a great example of the sort of game I say I don't like,
> but - like your continued fascination with Pac-Man - it was one of the
> earliest video games I played and it still has great nostalgic hold
> over me.

I also like Ms., Super, Jr., Baby (pinball!), clones, etc. :D Speaking
of Ms. Pac-Man, check out "The Disappearance of Ms. Pac-Man":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LTmUaxXA0c video which was interesting.
--
..!.. illness like COVID-19/2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2! :(

[Spalls Hurgenson]

On Thu, 30 Apr 2020 17:23:32 -0500, a...@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:
>Spalls Hurgenson <spallsh...@gmail.com> wrote:

>> I always preferred Ms. Pac-Man myself; it had (ever so slightly) more
>> of a story, and its mazes were more interesting.

>I also like Ms., Super, Jr., Baby (pinball!), clones, etc. :D Speaking
>of Ms. Pac-Man, check out "The Disappearance of Ms. Pac-Man":
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LTmUaxXA0c video which was interesting.

I saw that one. Interesting story. IP and licensing are such a pain
sometimes; so many interesting games (and in this case, characters)
have been hidden from the public because of it.

[Werner P.]

Am 30.04.20 um 04:10 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:

> challenges - kept me entertained far longer than any other arcade
> game. It is a great example of the sort of game I say I don't like,
> but - like your continued fascination with Pac-Man - it was one of the
> earliest video games I played and it still has great nostalgic hold
> over me.
>

Yes moon patrol is an absolutely awesome game, and I think the first
arcade game which I would consider fair in a way that it did not throw
you back when you died. Also it was the first parallax scrolling game.

But alas also id had its fair share of problems which I nowadays can see
first, extremely laggy controls by design, secondly sometimes commands
are swallowed. There is this extremly buggy part where you have to land
and then instantly press jump to avoid a fixed hole, however if you
press instantly after land the command is swallowed.
And non this is not a bug in mame. MiSTer exposes the same bug, so it
must be in the game code itself.

[Spalls Hurgenson]

The various ports I've played always felt laggy, but I don't remember
the problem rearing its head on the arcade version (in fact, quite to
the contrary; I remember playing the game on an arcade cabinet AFTER
playing a port and thinking how much more responsive the controls
were.

Which isn't to necessarily imply the original game didn't suffer from
laggy controls: just that the ports were so much worse ;-)

But - orginal or port - it's been years since I've last played the
game so I'm hardly in a position to argue the case either way. I just
remember how much I enjoyed it.

[Ant]

Moon Patrol was rad. I first played it on my Apple //c. Slow and choppy,
but fun. And then, I tried its arcade game. I always loved its music! :D
--
:) National Nurse Wk. ..!.. heat wave & illness like COVID-19/2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2! :(

[Werner P.]

Am 06.05.20 um 21:16 schrieb Spalls Hurgenson:

The MiSTer and Mame versions nowadays are pretty much spot on.
As for laggy controls. The shooting and jumping did not expose lag what
was laggy and that was by design was the acceleration and deceleration
controls.