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Limited MAME ported to iPhone
If you told us twenty years ago that, by 2007, there would be a pocket-sized device that could make wireless phone calls, take pictures, play music and show movies, we'd probably get a little dewy eyed at the techno-futuristic possibilities. If you told us that device would also be able to replicate the games of hundreds of upright arcade cabinets, we might very well have exploded with anticipation.So far, the efforts to port the ubiquitous Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator to the iPhone have had pretty limited results -- anything more complex than Pac-Man or Q*Bert reportedly runs into some hefty performance problems. Still, we can't help but imagine the possibilities that will come with some more development time. After all, just look at how far we've come in the past twenty years.[Via Engadget]
News concerning Namco Museum
Word came down the tubes today that Namco Bandai's upcoming compilation title Namco Museum DS has just struck gold. Or, wait ... is that gone gold? Either way, there's some kind of gold involved.Those who've been waiting for the game, ever since the first list of its included titles was revealed, can rest assured that they'll have their fix of nostalgia on the go come September 10th.%Gallery-4650%[Via press release]
Plush Pac-Man headgear munches on ghosts
We've seen some pretty off-kilter headwear in our day, but this plush Pac-Man helmet apparatus is begging for a top slot. This uber-retro head hides no secret in-ear headphones, Bluetooth chip, or whispering voice that alerts you of colored ghosts approaching from the rear, but you're sure to be the life of the party if you roll up with this on your noggin. Reportedly, this spectacular blast from the not-too-distant past is available in both child and adult sizes, but considering that quantities "are limited," we'd suggest coughing up that $29.99 real quick like if this just skyrocketed to the top of your must-have list.[Via Core77]
The real games in Namco Museum Remix
Sure, there are some new screens of the new versions of Pac 'n Roll and Pac-Motos, and maybe they do look fun, in a budget party game sort of way, but we glossed right over them for screens of 20+year-old arcade games, because that's how we (Pac'n) roll.We're strange people, we suppose. But when we saw those screenshots of Gaplus, Pac and Pal, and especially our beloved Pac-Mania and its brilliant background image (CRAZYMAN!!), we knew. We got a terrible feeling that we will buy Namco Museum Remix. There. We said it. We only hope we can get the message out to Bandai Namco that we want more real classics and fewer wacky remakes. And please, some games that haven't been released in previous Namco Museums.
E307: Namco Museum Remix is still weird
CONFIRMED: Namco Museum Remix continues to be insane. Not that we expected them to, but Namco did not go back and change Galaga back to regular Galaga. We are still living in a world where a description of Galaga can include the phrase "Pac-Man rolls on a tube in outer space." This is the "new" Galaga in which, instead of shooting from a ship at the bottom of the screen, you shoot the alien ships by pointing and shooting at them with the Wiimote, shooting-gallery style, and you can also use the analog stick to make Pac-Man jump.Rally-X was still Rally-X, but with speed boosting, which seems like an okay addition. These were still the only two playable games, so we'll have to wait to see how Namco is ruining updating the rest of their classics.
Namco Museum screens are as new as Namco Museum screens can be
We've seen countless releases of the Namco Museum collections over the years. We remember feeling quite special about the Playstation versions-- they were the real versions of real arcade games! At home! But now the Namco Museum series is, itself, old. How old?Valkyrie no Densetsu (1989) was eight years old when it was released on Namco Museum Vol. 5. The original Namco Museum Playstation game is eleven years old. In other words, Namco Museum is now older, in relative terms, than a game that was old enough for Namco Museum.Speaking of the Playstation editions, the new Namco Museum DS has something not seen since those days: an actual museum mode, in the form of a trophy collection and music player, as well as scanned instructions and flyers. Relatively newer features include bottom-screen maps and hints for Galaga (?), Xevious, and The Tower of Druaga. Of course, the most exciting relatively-new thing is Pac-Man Vs., which, now that it won't require so much of a financial outlay, we may actually try with another person.%Gallery-4650%
Readers pick best webcomic: Pac-Man secrets
Sure, Extra Life's Scott Johnson often uses Pac-Man and Mario for a topic, but the sheer combination, cleverness, and timing with the new Championship Edition give him the edge for game-related webcomic of the week.Coming in second place is Dueling Analogs and third place goes to Penny Arcade. A special kudos to Digital Unrest because we love (a) science jokes and (b) the sheer probability of the situation.Thanks to everyone who voted, and be sure to let us know of any gaming comics you stumble upon this week! (And for those who tipped us off in Saturday's post, no worries we've got you noted.)
DS Daily: Happy Father's Day!
In honor of Father's Day, we thought we'd ask a themed question: Who's your favorite father and son/daughter team? Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr., or, uh, hmm. Oh, how about Bowser and the Koopa Kids? Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man? Pitfall Harry and Harry Jr. from Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure? Man, we already had to go to Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure? Maybe you guys can think of more. We can't be retrogaming encyclopedias every day, okay? It would be pretty hard to limit this to the DS, but if you can think of DS characters, you win at commenting.
Microsoft defends Pac-Man CE pricing
During the Gamerscore Blog's Lunchtime Conversation, Xbox group product manager Aaron Greenberg defended the pricing for Pac-Man Championship Edition. Greenberg went on to say that Pac-Man CE is not a simple port of the old game, but is almost a sequel in it's own right with new gameplay, artwork, music and HD implementation added. So, he feels that the 800 Microsoft points that the game costs is more than reasonable for what you're getting.And if you're a regular Fancast listener, you'll know that we were all impressed by the new Championship Edition and most of us were happy to plop down our Microsoft points. We also agree that it's more of a sequel than anything else, but it's ultimately up to you if you think 800 points is worth a new (and extremely fun) Pac-Man experience. So, is the pricing overkill or is it in line with other Arcade offerings?
X3F Achievements 101: Bots, Bosses and Babalities
X3F Achievements 101 is back, and on its regularly scheduled time slot of Sundays. Initial response to our first edition was rather positive, so we're glad you like the concept and hope you enjoy reading, and even participating in the column. Emails with Achievement tips also came in at a good pace, and I look forward to playing and trading with you. One particular email stood out, which came from Casey over at brains-N-brawn.com, and the steps he took to get Achievements in one of the most time consuming Arcade games, Bejeweled 2.
Pac-Man World Championship Roundup
Think you're good at Pac-Man? The man pictured above is better than you. Meet Carlos Romero of Pachuca, México, the newly crowned Pac-Man World Champion. Our usually abrasive kin at Joystiq have written up an excellent and surprisingly heartfelt article about the final round of the Championship which transpired in New York on Tuesday. Rather than spoil it for you, we suggest you hit the "read" link and check it out. Of course, if all you're interested in is how well Billy Mitchell (no relation) fared, you can find out after the break.
Chasing pellets: Pac-Man tries to make history again
Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Champion Carlos Romero (Pachuca, México) var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/xbox_360/Chasing_pellets_A_profile_of_seven_Pac_Man_champions'; On Monday, Microsoft was struggling to generate interest in the Xbox 360 Pac-Man World Championship partly because those in-the-know had kept their mouths shut about the Iwatani-made Pac-Man sequel to be unveiled during the event, and partly because, well, this was just Pac-Man. Fearing that the championship would be ignored -- and the game announcement unnoticed -- Xbox 360 group product manager Aaron Greenberg let it be known that "video game history" would be made through a surprise revelation during the competition. Though Greenberg would later back out of his overstatement, word had spread, rumors ignited, and, for a moment, all eyes were watching for a megaton out of SupperClub in Manhattan's Times Square. The news came and went with a few groans and a shrug.But someone was listening with eager anticipation last September when Microsoft announced plans to co-host a Pac-Man World Championship with the game's creator Toru Iwatani. Most of us were too busy tracking Sony and Nintendo's last-minute moves to notice -- just about everything Microsoft dragged overseas to Tokyo Game Show seemed irrelevant at the time. But when Microsoft again talked "World Championship" in mid-April, this time with a date and details, a few more ears perked up and a few more Xbox 360s were sold (yeah, just for Pac-Man -- and just a few). And then, on Wednesday, April 25th, some of us started competing.
Win Pac-Man, Live subscriptions and Vision cams
To celebrate the continued success of the Xbox Live Arcade (and because they received free goodies from Microsoft), Eurogamer is having a fun little giveaway. European residents can enter the giveaway by answering a rather easy Pac-Man related question over on their site to win prizes galore. What prizes you ask. Well, good question. They're giving away five 12-Month XBL Vision Gold Packs, five XBLA retro tshirts, and fifteen codes to download the new Pac-Man Championship Edition game off the Arcade. So, head on over to their site and enter the giveaway before June 13th. Remember, you must be a European resident, North Americans need not apply.[Thanks, eLiNeS]
X3F hands-on: Pac-Man Championship Edition
If we told you that Pac-Man Championship Edition is the most significant thing to happen to Pac-Man in years, you'd probably call us crazy. Well, call us crazy, because Pac-Man CE rocks. Quite simply, Pac-Man CE has made Pac-Man relevant again. Yeah, maybe it's not the huge announcement we were all hoping for, but once you put some time into it, you'll find out that Pac-Man Championship Edition has some legs.%Gallery-3685%
Pac-Man CE Wokka's onto XBLA
As announced yesterday, today's Xbox Live Arcade release is Pac-Man: Championship Edition. For 800 Microsoft Points, you can get a revisited look at the Pac-Man experience, with reworked gameplay and mazes, complimented by psychedelic graphics scheme. But in the end, some would say that it's still just Pac-Man, and you can get the original, and his female counterpart for the same price as CE. So will you be giving this a shot, or are you going to shoo him away? Oh, and we need to decide on a consistent spelling of his sound effect, as "Wokka", "Wakka" , and "Waka" can all be cited within the bowels of Fanboy Towers.
Pac-Man Championship Edition hands-on
Don't hate it 'till you play it, Jon. And Anam. And Ben. And RUSKULL. And felixlighter. And TouchmyWiimote. And chenry. And the countless rest of you that were disappointed by Microsoft's not-so-big announcement of Pac-Man Championship Edition for Xbox 360.At the Pac-Man tournament in New York City, we were able to dedicate ample time (hours, maybe) to the final Xbox 360 version of Pac-Man. Championship Edition is, in fact, a true sequel to the original Pac-Man released 26 years ago. Certainly, that seems unimaginable to some -- but there are significant additions to the classic arcade gameplay that make this far more than a pretty HD remake.The new widescreen perspective is taken advantage fully in this Xbox 360 exclusive. While the game is still about avoiding ghosts and eating pellets, the wider field of play has created a new dynamic to the title. The maze is now separated into two distinct halves: left and right. Instead of simple mazes that end at the collection of all the pellets, players will find that the mazes feature an endless supply of dots, and a constantly shape-shifting map. When successfully consuming a sufficient amount of pellets on one side of the field, one of Pac-Man's iconic fruits will appear for collection. Eating the fruit will send a rippling shockwave toward the other half of the field, replenishing the dots, and oftentimes, changing the design of the maze entirely.%Gallery-3684%
Wokka wokka: First Pac-Man CE images, video
While Pac-Man Championship Edition may not be the big announcement we were hoping for, but it's still pretty spiffy in its own right. We've uncovered the first images of the game, and even a video of the game in motion. Put simply, this isn't your daddy's Pac-Man. It's damned close, but certainly different. The most obvious change is the new psychedelic graphics. The most important change, however, is that the game comes with several new modes and mazes. In our favorite mode, you have to eat fruit in order to make more dots appear on screen. Check out the Pac-Man CE gallery below. Hit the "read" link to see the official game page, where you can check out more screens and a video. So, will you purchase Pac-Man CE when it hits Xbox Live Arcade tomorrow?%Gallery-3685%
Pac-Man gets an upgrade, hits XBLA tomorrow
Yesterday's rumored big announcement has come to a fruition in the form of an update to an iconic franchise. NAMCO and Microsoft just announced that the Pac-Man Championship Edition will be headed to the XBLA and will feature the first new mazes in over 26 years. The new Championship Edition is exclusive to the XBLA and will stick with the standard 80's 2D presentation, but will include added features and gameplay. The game will feature six new timed game modes, a new soundtrack, a new HD presentation, and brand new dynamically changing mazes. NAMCO's Pac-Man Championship Edition will be available this Wednesday on the Arcade for 800 Microsoft points. Full press release after the break.We know this news is extremely exciting for Pac-Man fans around the world as this is the first time the original Pac-Man game has been updated with new content. But for the rest of us who were expecting a BIG Xbox announcement, we can't help but feel a little saddened as our imaginations and expectations may have gotten the best of us.
Peter Moore hates Pac-Man
With all the Pac-Man World Championship fun going on right now, the Gamerscore Blog crew unearthed a never before seen video (embedded above) of an encounter between Pac-Man and the legendary Peter Moore. And after giving the video a watch, is it just us or do you feel just a little bit sorry for Pac-Man? Mr. Moore has quite the dirty British mouth and his vulgarities are maybe just a little unwarranted. Unless Pac-Man did something unspeakably wrong to make Peter angry, something like eating the last cherry from the company fridge.
Pac-Man community event in NYC
To celebrate the Pac-Man World Championship the Gamerscore Blog crew is hosting an exclusive 80's party in NYC this Tuesday, June 5th. The event will run from 2-5:00PM with some of the Gamerscore Blog crew, Trixie, Major Nelson, and other community members attending to play Pac-Man, mingle, and have a drink or two. And did we mention there will be prizes too? If you live near NYC and want to attend, head on over to the Gamerscore Blog to RSVP for the event. It's free, but tickets are limited.Have fun everyone who attends and be sure to wear your favorite 80's clothing. Hypercolor tshirts anyone?
