Pac-Man
Latest
The Joystiq Weekend: January 29, 2007
The above picture came from a Worth 1000 Photoshop contest, although we can't find the entry on the site nor the original author. Still, it's worth a chuckle; thank Mobat for tipping us off to the image and check out the highlights for this weekend:JoystiqueryJoystiq hands-on: Crysis (PC)Today's hottest game video: Diddy Kong RacingToday's hottest game video: Wii modchipToday's hottest game video: Tea-light TetrisWeekly Webcomic Wrapup: tardy editionNewsWiis at Wal-Mart tomorrowUtah game bill halted for nowOhh Canada, fork over another $50 for PS3PAX '07 set for Aug. 24-26 in SeattleCapcom snubbed by AIAS awardsTyra Banks downs level 60 baby neglecterScarface bound for WiiUnearthed: Neversoft's lost Ghost Rider gameIndie Darling "N" bound for Xbox Live ArcadeXNA opens up NES emulation on Xbox 360Mario Kart 64 and Contra III join tardy Genesis games on VC MondaySlamdance left "half empty" over Super Columbine controversyNew games this weekFinal Fantasy XIII release date confusion (remains confusing)BlackSite: Midway investigates Area 51 againJapan invited to Halo 3 Beta, will anyone RSVP?NES collection fetching thousands on eBayQuake Wars by March 2008, as early as April '07Midway's 'Hour of Victory' soon upon usHomestar Runner games make Wii's HEAD A SPLODEIGN developing content for Sega? 1UP contributing too?NYC: Wanna play BioShock and get paid for it?Buy Halo 3 now, get 1600 MS points for $5God of War II nears completionEpic aims for Unreal Tournament user mods on PS3, 360Police investigate EB Games slayingRumors & SpeculationAnalyst predicts Euro PS3 price cut within the yearRumor: New Wii colors coming this yearBloomberg: Sony profit may drop 50% on poor PS3 salesGuitar Hero Tourney at Gamestop this weekend. Maybe.CultureWhere are the Wii-chargeable battery packs? The story behind the Madden '07 tournament street posterX-Play: The Musical ... yeah, you read that rightMega Man meets Pedobear in an ASCII duel to the deathRun WoW, Steam games on LinuxNES collection fetching thousands on eBayMario wall art invades UNCC campus
Today's most infringing video: Pac-Man Delhaize
Today's hottest gaming video on YouTube was none other than Kyle Orland's Blu-ray sadism (we hurt 'cos we love), so let's move on to the most interesting of the bunch. This is an advertisements for Belgian grocery store Delhaize. Wonders cease to amaze how the marketing department came up with this genuinely novel idea.Enjoy the clip, embedded after the break, and know that there is a week of sales at your local Belgian grocery chain. Mamma Mia!
Ms. Pac-Man has invited you to lunch
As often happens during lunchtime jaunts through Flickr, our stomach led us to pictures of food, where we happened upon Mr. Bento sets, which subsequently led to this delectable Ms. Pac-Man bento box. It may look like Ms. Pac-Man's about to gobble the ghost, but truth is both were munched by one "nadja.robot," the creator and the destroyer of this gastronomical artwork. Adorable and nutritious? See, games are good for you.
The price of nostalgia: wallet-busting arcade cabinets on Amazon
A Ms. Pac-Man port for $5? Or the real thing for $2,995? MTV Gamedrop has spotted Amazon selling some pricey wares. The arcade cabinets are being sold by Dazadi, which claims to use original programming and circuit boards.The particular Ms. Pac-Man cabinet being sold is actually a multi-game machine and includes Pac-Man, Pac Attack, Ms. Pac Attack, Pac-Man Plus, Ms. Pac-Man After Dark, Ultra Pac-Man, and Piranha Pac-Man. As such, it's doubtful that the image provided reflects the actual product; which has been dubbed 'Super Multi Pac Man Upright Arcade Game.'Dazadi's offering doesn't reek quite as bad as the 'Midway standup arcade,' but it also retails for thousands more. At three grand a pop, you'd best test these machine before purchasing.
Ms. Pac-Man waka wakas XBLA this week
Okay, we're prepared to accept all the cries of "hypocrite!" when we say this, but we're excited to announce that Ms. Pac-Man is this week's Xbox Live Arcade release. Normally we trash retro offerings, but as retro games go, it doesn't get much better than Ms. Pac-Man. The superior sequel to Pac-Man (duh), Ms. Pac-Man ups the ante with more speed, more levels, moving fuit, and, um, a bow. We kind of wish Namco had released Ms. Pac-Man to begin with, but then how would they ever have sold us Pac-Man? The game drops this Wednesday and will be available for 400 points. Check out the "read" link for more screen shots.You may now proceed with the shouting.
Today's hottest game video: Live-action Pac-Man
Today's most-watched YouTube game video is a live-action recreation of Pac-Man. A skit on a Japanese comedy show, some of the jokes are missed in translation; however, the international languages of physical comedy, crazy costumes, and that yellow puck character speak to any gamer. There's even Pac-Man violence, something we all understand, regardless of nationality.Watch the video after the break.
Old 'New Rally-X' on Xbox Live Arcade
Hopes for a brilliant finale have been dashed with Microsoft's last Xbox Live Arcade release of 2006. After a run of indie titles (Small Arms, RoboBlitz, Assault Heroes, and Novadrome), Microsoft is back to 80s rehashes with New Rally-X today; "New" as in the 1981 sequel to 1980's Rally-X. It's Pac-Man on wheels.Perhaps this dull offering is merely a setup for next week's New Year surprise, but to end '06 on this low note is certainly a disappointment. Imagine if Castle Crashers or Worms had shown up this morning -- or even that original shooter from the Ikaruga team. Or how about Goldeneye? Or Symphony of the Night? Instead, it's New Rally-X. Ugh.
Pac-Man moves from screens to highways
We're not sure what's more impressive ... the artwork left behind, or the daring artists who braved highway traffic to grace the asphalt with their work. Either way, Highway 55 in Minnesota has some hot retro gaming traffic tips on the road. The state painted large white dots on the roadway to instruct drivers about the dangers of tailgating, and someone came in and promptly dropped a painted Pac-Man on the road, chasing the dots. Kudos to you, highway bandit. Now if you could just fit the ghosts in there, you might be able to make a cross-country phenomenon.Note: Joystiq doesn't want anyone to get run over while painting their highways, so please be responsible while being irresponsible.
Get your gift on: Holiday gamer shirts
Check out all of the different Way of the Rodent t-shirt designs while you're searching for stocking stuffers. Sure, they aren't all holiday themed, but this Katamari t-shirt where the Prince is rolling up a snowman is the bomb. Although the Q*bert Christmas tree trumps them all in terms of nostalgia, and that Pac-Man Christmas Carol shirt, "Tonight you will be visited by three ghosts ..." is priceless. Well, priceless to the tune of $22 plus shipping and handling. But don't let that turn you into a Scrooge, share some holiday gaming love this season.[Thanks, Trina]
"Pac-Man" vs. Morales, Act III
In just a few minutes, Act III of Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao and Erik Morales storied rivalry will be underway in Las Vegas (on pay-per-view). Boxers tend to have nicknames that arouse fear -- "The Executioner," "Bonecrusher," "Razor," "The Beast" -- but Pac-Man? The name might elicit a chuckle, but don't underestimate Pacquiao, the Philippines' "National Fist" has been eating his pellets.Prediction: Pac-Man by TKO in six.
Enjoy Pac-Man, get a free wireless headset
Gamertag Radio is giving away two, count 'em, two Xbox 360 wireless headsets. If you'd like a shot at one of them, all you have to do is be very good at Pac-Man. The best thing is that this is web-based Pac-Man at the GTR arcade, so you can even play from work (which we totally don't condone)! The headsets will be given to the top 2 Pac-Man players on the GTR leaderboard. You'd better hurry though, the contest is over on November 14th. It's not every day that you get a chance to win something just for playing games, so you might as well give it a shot (of course, you could enter our contest, too). If you're interested in a free wireless headset, head over to GTR (make sure to register) and play some Pac-Man.
Off the Grid: The analog analogues
Every other week Scott Jon Siegel contributes Off the Grid, a column on gaming away from the television screen or monitor. Adaptation is an ugly word in the video game industry. Whether we're talking about film adaptations of our beloved franchises, or mediocre game adaptations of blockbuster movies, we as consumers grow reluctant whenever we see a familiar name in an unfamiliar format.But adaptation doesn't always end in tears. With their strict attention to detail, many board game designers have successfully moved the best elements from novels and video games to the analog format. What follows are three examples of this transition, in no particular order. Let's get right to it.DoomIn January of 2005, Fantasy Flight Games worked with designer Kevin Wilson to release a board game iteration of everyone's favorite first-person controversy magnet. Doom: The Board Game -- which apparently bears an uncanny resemblance to 1990's Space Hulk -- pits space marines against space demons, in any number of to-the-death scenarios ... in space.The game board consists of a number of interlocking corridors, rooms, walls and doors. The board can be assembled to create one of the game's pre-designed scenarios, or customized to fit the specific desires of the players. In every scenario, up to three space marines must work their way through the labyrinthian Mars base, completing specific objectives while fighting off hordes of evil invaders. One player will always play as the invaders, who must work against the marines and attempt to foil their objectives.
This year's most popular Halloween costume? Pac-Man
Club Namco wants you to know that the Pac-Man head is this year's most popular Halloween costume, leaving even Mario and Luigi in its wake. We're sure there isn't any bias here, since they make and sell the thing. They must have done extensive research with graphs, pie charts and focus groups to back this claim up. Rush out now or be the most unpopular kid on your block. No word yet on the Ms. Pac-Man head situation.[Thanks, Amy]
TGS: XBLA Pac-Man World Championship in '07
Microsoft and Toru Iwatani (he's the creator of Pac-Man) announced plans for a World Championship where the top 10 Xbox Live Arcade ranked Pac-Man players in the world will be flown to New York City to do battle. There'll be cherries and pretzels flying everywhere folks, it won't be pretty. There's not much info yet except that the contest will begin in "early 2007" and will presumably be won by someone with a lot of free time and abnormal reflexes.Initial response: Will players be allowed to use their own controllers? What if the one of the top 10 players was rocking something like this, and the others weren't? It's no secret that the otherwise stellar Xbox 360 gamepad has a serious weakness in the D-pad department. Weak D-pad or not, just make sure Billy Mitchell (pictured) doesn't get his robotic mitts on an Xbox 360 between now and then, or you can kiss your chances of winning goodbye. Perfect. Score.Microsoft's TGS press briefing:XBLA hits Tokyo with Contra and friendsXbox 360 to add 1080p support, PS3 to lose bullet pointHD-DVD add-on hits Japan Nov. 17th for ¥19,800Blue Dragon hits Japan this holiday
Every iPod game reviewed
If you're trying to decide between paying your electric bill and buying all nine of Apple's $5-each iPod games -- and who isn't? -- this GamePro article can help sort the good from bad. The eight-page rundown with interstitial ads after every click -- we're not the only ones with an electric bill -- provides a "Fun Factor" rating for each iPod title along with an overview of the action.GamePro most likes Vortex with a 4.25 Fun Factor, seemingly out of a maximum five of fun, while Mahjong was worth only 2.0 of fun. All nine launch games are rated.The article also mentions how the controls work on the titles without circular, wheel-ready gameplay; change directions in Pac-Man by tapping the corresponding side of the wheel, and use the buttons to rotate Tetris blocks. We're looking forward most to new games developed for the wheel, rather than old ones that try to graft their controls on the iPod. Bring on plate spinning, virtual hula-hooping, and competitive record scratching. Also, we want driving.
Snake + Pacman = new homebrew
I love watching Conan O'Brien and one of the memorable routines on the show is "What if they mated?" which crossbreeds celebrities into a horrifying mixture. The videogame crossbreed of Pac-Man and Snake doesn't seem as bad, thankfully. The speed at which these 2.80 TIFF homebrew games are coming out are absolutely mind-boggling: let's not forget the three new projects we reported on yesterday. Who knows what new games tomorrow will bring? [Via PSP3D]
Galaga & Pac-man update stops pops
Retro XBLA titles Galaga and Pac-man have been updated to fix an issue with annoying pop-ups (such "download complete" notifications) that pissed people off by disrupting gameplay. Now they show up in the right hand corner of the screen. Now, in the interest sparing a few hurled controllers, how about making the little yellow guy a wee bit more responsive.[Thanks Julian]
"Big Games" guru melds games, real world
Over at Gamasutra, Bonnie Ruberg has an interview with Frank Lantz about "Big Games," his term for games that break the bounds of a board or a computer and use the real world as the play space. The most well-known example of the form is probably Pac-Manhattan -- which uses the streets of New York in place of the classic maze grid -- but Lantz's company Area/Code has put together games ranging from a phonecam treasure hunt (ConQwest) to a massive, massively-multiplayer board game (Big Urban Game), and more.Traipsing around the streets of New York in a pink ghost costume may seem a little silly, but there's a somewhat philosophical bent to Lantz's work. In the interview, Lantz says he wants to use make games that use technology to emphasize the idea of "living with one foot in the real world and one foot in Wonderland at all times." It's a beautiful idea, and one that has the potential to change the way we look at the world. How many video games can say that?
Pac-Man wakka wakka wakkas XBLA
The good news: it's Wednesday and there's another Xbox Live Arcade game to blow some MS bucks on. This time it's Pac-Man, part two of Namco's arcade offerings following Galaga, and he's also fetching 400 MS Points ($5 in Earth money). The bad news: Pac-Man is the last game confirmed on Microsoft's initial Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays list. We know Microsoft wants to keep up the weekly cycle, but with no announcement of future games, it makes us feel uneasy. Official Xbox Magazine listed the following titles and dates ... Aug. 16: Texas Hold 'em Aug. 23: Time Pilot Aug. 30: Scramble Sept 6: Lumines Live! ... but Microsoft naturally shot 'em down. We're thinking OXM is right on the money (they are official), and Microsoft's just being cautious.See also:The growing list of Xbox Live Arcade titles
Pac-Man is out, boyeeee!
Pac-Man, Namco's seminal arcade hit, is now available on Marketplace. The full game can be purchased for the Midnight Madness price of 400 points. It's...um...well, it's Pac-Man. What more is there to say? Go get it.
