Pac-Mania

From Sega Retro

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PacMania Title.png

Pac-Mania
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System
Publisher:
Sega Mega Drive
Tengen,
Sega Master System
TecMagik
Developer:
Original system(s): Namco System I
Developer(s) of original games: Namco
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US
301018-0150
Sega Mega Drive
EU
301018-0170
Sega Mega Drive
AU
Sega Master System
EU
25010-50
Sega Master System
UK
£29.9929.99[4][5]
Sega Master System
AU

Pac-Mania is a sequel to Pac-Man, first released in 1987 in the arcades by Namco for its Namco System 1 hardware and brought to the Sega Mega Drive and Sega Master System by Tengen in 1991. It has also been ported to numerous other consoles and computers, including the Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MSX, NES, Zeebo and ZX Spectrum. It is a pseudo-3D take on the Pac-Man gameplay formula, though offers many other additions.

Gameplay

The game is presented in an oblique perspective with more detailed backgrounds than in previous Pac-Man arcade games. The disadvantage of this is that only a section of the play area is visible and therefore there is more of a reliance on scrolling. To counter this, Pac-Man now has the ability to jump, which can be used to avoid ghosts (apart from ghosts that can also jump). There are more ghosts on-screen than in previous titles too, who are found in a variety of different colors and are left unnamed. Unlike the original game there are now four maps, one of which is unlockable and each having their own music track.

History

Legacy

Though Pac-Mania was seen as a return to form for the Pac-Man franchise (previous entries such as Super Pac-Man, Pac & Pal and Pac Land had radically changed the original formula and were therefore not as successful), the game failed to receive the popularity obtained by the original Pac-Man or Ms. Pac-Man, mostly because despite appearing in 1987, it failed to offer much improvement over the original 1980 game.

Production credits

Mega Drive version

  • Programmed by: Arti Haroutunian
  • Artwork by: Lorin Nelson
  • Sounds by: Paul Webb
Source:
In-game credits


Magazine articles

Main article: Pac-Mania/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Pac-Mania/Promotional material.

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
85 №52, p91[1]
65 №14, p124[6]
80 №4, p60/61[7]
50 №38
90 №13, p134/135[8]
82 №23, p120[9]
64 №5, p93
70 №1, p38/39[10]
86 №15, p62/63[11]
83 №18, p67[12]
76 №27, p48
82 №2, p46[13]
82 №18, p66
93 №4, p52-54[14]
71 №1, p88[15]
84 №1, p11[16]
Sega Mega Drive
78
Based on
16 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
50
[17]
ACE (UK)
85
[18]
Consoles + (FR)
65
[6]
Console XS (UK) PAL
82
[19]
Game Power (IT)
80
[7]
Games-X (UK)
50
[20]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
90
[21]
Joystick (FR) NTSC-U
82
[9]
Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL
64
[22]
Mega Play (US) NTSC-U
50
[23]
MegaTech (UK)
70
[10]
Mean Machines (UK)
86
[24]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
86
[25]
Player One (FR)
83
[12]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
76
[26]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
82
[13]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
82
[27]
Supersonic (FR)
84
[16]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
70
[28]
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment (US)
70
[29]
Sega Mega Drive
74
Based on
20 reviews

Pac-Mania

Mega Drive, US
PacMania MD US Box.jpg
Cover
PacMania md us cart.jpg
Cart
Mega Drive, EU
PacMania MD EU Box.jpg
Cover
PacMania MD EU Cart.jpg
Cart
Pac-Mania MD EU Manual.pdf
Manual
Mega Drive, AU

Master System version

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
80 №44, p71[4]
90 №0, p54-56
86 №113, p40/41[30]
86 №5, p60/61[31]
88 №2, p40/41[32]
80 №16
88 №1, p72[33]
93 №17, p138[34]
90 №6, p86-88[35]
75 №2/42
92 №11, p38/39[36]
86 №10, p27[37]
94 №16, p10/11
80 №23, p58
90 №5, p20[38]
92 №4, p52-54[14]
90 №20, p70
Sega Master System
87
Based on
17 reviews
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
ACE (UK)
80
[4]
Aktueller Software Markt (DE)
65
[39]
The Complete Guide to Sega (UK) PAL
84
[40]
Console XS (UK) PAL
88
[41]
Computer & Video Games (UK)
86
[42]
Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK)
80
[43]
Game Mania (UK)
90
[44]
Game Power (IT)
88
[32]
Games-X (UK)
80
[45]
Hobby Consolas (ES)
88
[46]
Joypad (FR) NTSC-U
79
[47]
Joystick (FR)
93
[34]
Micromanía (segunda época) (ES)
75
[48]
Mean Machines (UK)
90
[49]
Mean Machines Sega (UK)
90
[50]
Player One (FR)
92
[36]
Power Play (DE)
66
[51]
Raze (UK) PAL
86
[37]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
94
[52]
Sega Power (UK) PAL
75
[53]
Sega Pro (UK)
90
[38]
Sega Pro (UK) PAL
88
[54]
Sega Force (UK)
92
[14]
Video Games (DE)
67
[55]
Video Games (DE)
69
[56]
Zero (UK)
90
[57]
Zzap! (IT)
92
[58]
Sega Master System
84
Based on
27 reviews

Pac-Mania

Master System, EU
PacMania SMS EU Box.jpg
Cover
PacMania SMS EU Cart.jpg
Cart
PacmaniaSMSEUManual7L.pdf
Manual
Master System, AU

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Mega Drive
 ?
CRC32 74bba09b
MD5 2256f31ff48f93a5e2f1d03f13c0f024
SHA-1 e21546f653607d95f2747305703ddd6bf118f90a
256kB 1991-06 Cartridge (US/EU)
Sega Master System
 ?
CRC32 be57a9a5
MD5 946f3e6c2f0f546a8ebe55c8170ecc78
SHA-1 c0a11248bbb556b643accd3c76737be35cbada54
128kB Cartridge (EU)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 File:ACE UK 52.pdf, page 91
  2. File:GamePro US 023.pdf, page 40
  3. File:CVG UK 112.pdf, page 104
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 File:ACE UK 44.pdf, page 71 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ACE UK 44.pdf_p71" defined multiple times with different content
  5. Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 11
  6. 6.0 6.1 File:ConsolesPlus FR 014.pdf, page 124 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:ConsolesPlus FR 014.pdf_p124" defined multiple times with different content
  7. 7.0 7.1 File:GamePower IT 04.pdf, page 62 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:GamePower IT 04.pdf_p62" defined multiple times with different content
  8. File:HobbyConsolas ES 013.pdf, page 126
  9. 9.0 9.1 File:Joystick FR 023.pdf, page 120 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joystick FR 023.pdf_p120" defined multiple times with different content
  10. 10.0 10.1 File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf, page 38 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:MegaTech UK 01.pdf_p38" defined multiple times with different content
  11. File:MeanMachines UK 15.pdf, page 64
  12. 12.0 12.1 File:PlayerOne FR 018.pdf, page 67 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:PlayerOne FR 018.pdf_p67" defined multiple times with different content
  13. 13.0 13.1 File:SegaPro UK 02.pdf, page 48 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 02.pdf_p48" defined multiple times with different content
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 File:SegaForce UK 04.pdf, page 52 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaForce UK 04.pdf_p52" defined multiple times with different content
  15. File:SegaForceMega UK 01.pdf, page 88
  16. 16.0 16.1 File:Supersonic FR 01.pdf, page 11 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Supersonic FR 01.pdf_p11" defined multiple times with different content
  17. 1700 igr dlya Sega, "" (RU; 2001-xx-xx), page 172
  18. ACE, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-11-08), page 91
  19. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 132
  20. Games-X, "16th-22nd January 1992" (UK; 1992-01-16), page 23
  21. Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1992" (ES; 1992-xx-xx), page 134
  22. Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming, "January 1993" (UK; 199x-xx-xx), page 93
  23. Mega Play, "July/August 1991" (US; 1991-0x-xx), page 64
  24. Mean Machines, "December 1991" (UK; 1991-11-28), page 62
  25. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 140
  26. Sega Power, "February 1992" (UK; 1992-01-02), page 48
  27. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 66
  28. Tricks 16 bit, "Tricks Sega Gold 800 igr" (RU; 1998-03-20), page 133
  29. VideoGames & Computer Entertainment, "November 1991" (US; 1991-1x-xx), page 42
  30. File:CVG UK 113.pdf, page 40
  31. File:CVG IT 05.pdf, page 60
  32. 32.0 32.1 File:GamePower IT 02.pdf, page 42 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:GamePower IT 02.pdf_p42" defined multiple times with different content
  33. File:HobbyConsolas ES 001.pdf, page 64
  34. 34.0 34.1 File:Joystick FR 017.pdf, page 138 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Joystick FR 017.pdf_p138" defined multiple times with different content
  35. File:MeanMachines UK 06.pdf, page 86
  36. 36.0 36.1 File:PlayerOne FR 011.pdf, page 38 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:PlayerOne FR 011.pdf_p38" defined multiple times with different content
  37. 37.0 37.1 File:Raze UK 10.pdf, page 27 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:Raze UK 10.pdf_p27" defined multiple times with different content
  38. 38.0 38.1 File:SegaPro UK 05.pdf, page 20 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name ":File:SegaPro UK 05.pdf_p20" defined multiple times with different content
  39. Aktueller Software Markt, "August/September 1991" (DE; 1991-07-26), page 159
  40. The Complete Guide to Sega, "" (UK; 1991-05-xx), page 116
  41. Console XS, "June/July 1992" (UK; 1992-04-23), page 143
  42. Computer & Video Games, "April 1991" (UK; 1991-03-16), page 60
  43. Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide, "" (UK; 1993-11-18), page 148
  44. Game Mania, "May 1993" (UK; 1993-xx-xx), page 81
  45. Games-X, "8th-14th August 1991" (UK; 1991-08-08), page 40
  46. Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1991" (ES; 1991-xx-xx), page 72
  47. Joypad, "Janvier 1992" (FR; 1991-12-1x), page 88
  48. Micromanía (segunda época), "Noviembre 1991" (ES; 1991-1x-xx), page 44
  49. Mean Machines, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-03-01), page 54
  50. Mean Machines Sega, "October 1992" (UK; 1992-09-xx), page 135
  51. Power Play, "5/91" (DE; 1991-04-12), page 130
  52. Sega Power, "March 1991" (UK; 1991-02-07), page 10
  53. Sega Power, "October 1991" (UK; 1991-09-05), page 58
  54. Sega Pro, "April 1993" (UK; 1993-03-11), page 71
  55. Video Games, "1/91" (DE; 1991-03-27), page 77
  56. Video Games, "2/92" (DE; 1992-04-06), page 33
  57. Zero, "June 1991" (UK; 1991-0x-xx), page 70
  58. Zzap!, "Giugno 1991" (IT; 1991-xx-xx), page 55


Pac-Mania

PacMania Title.png

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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)
Sega Mega Drive
Ms. Pac-Man (1991) | Pac-Mania (1991) | Pac-Attack (1993) | Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures (1994) | Pac-In-Time (unreleased)
Sega Dreamcast
Ms. Pac-Man Maze Madness (2000)