Packman

Platforms: IBM PC/Compatibles

Genres

Main Genre:
Action
Perspective:
3rd-Person
Gameplay Style:
Maze

Overview

Packman for the IBM PC
Packman for the IBM PC
Packman is one of many clones of Pac-Man and features the same maze and gameplay as the original arcade game. Like in Pac-Man, players guide the similarly named Packman through a maze with the goal of eating all of the dots while avoiding the four ghosts chasing him.

Gameplay

The game screen in Packman consists of a maze filled with dots along with four ghosts that constantly chase Packman. If Packman comes into contact with any of the ghosts, a life is lost; the game ends when players have no more lives remaining. The goal on each level in the game is to eat all of the dots in the maze in order to proceed to the next, more difficult level.

Packman if ordinarily defenseless against the ghosts and must simply avoid them. However, located near each of the four corners of the maze are power-pellets. When Packman eats one, the ghosts will temporarily become vulnerable and run from Packman instead of chase him. During this time Packman can eat the ghosts for bonus points. Additionally there is a tunnel at both the top and bottom of the screen; when ghosts travel through the tunnel their speed is slowed down however Packman's speed remains the same making them potentially useful for escaping ghosts.

Points are earned in Packman by eating dots, power pellets, and the ghosts. When eating ghosts, each ghost increases in point value until all four ghosts are eaten or another power pellet is eaten which will reset the point amount. Additionally, a fruit occasionally appears near the center of the maze; eating the fruit (which changes from level to level) awards bonus points (more points are awarded on higher levels).

The maze in Packman is the same as the one used by the original Pac-Man arcade game. However, since Pac-Man used a vertically oriented display the maze in Packman has been rotated 90° in order to fit better on the horizontally oriented IBM CGA display.

Credits

Platform: IBM PC/Compatibles
By: G. E. Leikam

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