Pac-Man

From Sega Retro

n/a

PacMan GG title.png

Pac-Man
System(s): Sega Game Gear
Publisher: Namco
Developer:
Peripherals supported: Gear-to-Gear Cable
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2 (alternating)
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Game Gear
JP
¥3,5003,500 T-14017
Sega Game Gear
US
$29.9529.95 T-14018
Sega Game Gear
US
(Majesco)
T-14018

Pac-Man (パックマン) is a 1980 arcade game developed by Namco. It became incredibly successful to the point that it saw ports to consoles of the time and continues to see ports — made in-house, officially licensed, and homebrew — to today's systems. The only port of the game to a Sega system, however, was an in-house port to the Sega Game Gear in late 1990 (consequently, it was released early 1991).

The Game Gear version of the game is relatively faithful, though due to the smaller resolution, graphics are smaller in size and the full maze cannot be shown without scrolling. This problem can be addressed by selecting 1/2 screen size where the graphics are drawn smaller but the full maze is displayed at once.

On an interesting note, Sega's 1982 arcade game Ali Baba and 40 Thieves runs on modified Pac-Man hardware.

Gameplay

The basic goal of Pac-Man is to eat all the dots (or pellets) in a maze, avoiding ghosts. By eating a power pellet, Pac-Man is able to eat the ghosts as well for a short period, and the ghosts will then respawn from the center of the screen. Levels are completed once all the dots are eaten, and extra points can be achieved by eating fruit.

Magazine articles

Main article: Pac-Man/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in Sega Visions (US) #6: "Fall 1991" (1991-xx-xx)
also published in:
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Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
92 №53, p94/96[2]
82 №121 (Go!), p7[3]
60 №29, p124[4]
92 №25, p42
79 №1, p64[5]
Sega Game Gear
81
Based on
5 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
ACE (UK) NTSC-U
75
[2]
Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J
70
[6]
Console XS (UK) NTSC-U
76
[7]
Computer & Video Games (UK) NTSC-U
82
[3]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
60
[4]
Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J
50
[8]
Joystick (FR)
65
[9]
MegaTech (UK) NTSC-U
70
[10]
Mean Machines Sega (UK) NTSC-U
49
[11]
Play Time (DE)
34
[12]
Power Unlimited (NL)
90
[13]
Sega Power (UK) NTSC-U
92
[14]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
79
[5]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
79
[15]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
66
[16]
Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J
80
[17]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US)
60
[18]
Sega Game Gear
69
Based on
17 reviews

Pac-Man

Game Gear, US (Namco cart)
PacMan GG US Box Back Namco.jpgNospine.pngPacMan GG US Box Front Namco.jpg
Cover
PacMan GG US Cart Namco.jpg
Cart
Pacman gg us manual.pdf
Manual
Game Gear, US (Sega cart)

PacMan GG US Cart.jpg
Cart
Game Gear, US (Majesco)
PacMan GG US Box Back Majesco.jpgNospine.pngPacMan GG US Box Front Majesco.jpg
Cover
PacMan GG US alt cart.jpg
Cart
Game Gear, JP (Namcot cart)

Game Gear, JP (Sega cart)
PacMan GG JP Box Back.jpgNospine-small.pngPacMan GG JP Box Front.jpg
Cover
PacMan GG JP Cart.jpg
Cart



Pac-Man games for Sega systems
Sega Game Gear
Pac-Man (1991) | Ms. Pac-Man (1993) | Pac-Attack (1994) | Pac-In-Time (unreleased)
Sega Master System
Ms. Pac-Man (1991) | Pac-Mania (1991) | Pac-Man (????)
Sega Mega Drive
Ms. Pac-Man (1991) | Pac-Mania (1991) | Pac-Attack (1993) | Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures (1994) | Pac-Man (2018) | Pac-Man Pocket Player (2018) | Pac-In-Time (unreleased)
Sega Dreamcast
Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness (2000)