What are the community's feelings about the -fast splits for various Pac-Man games? The more I think about these, the more it seems to me that this is really a potential setting/dip switch change and not really an entirely different game. I raised the question last week about splitting on a few games in particular. It seems to me that, in all fairness, these splits should probably be removed as well.

Feedback? Q.T.Quazar

-- Q.T.Quazar (qan@home.com), September 06, 2001

Answers

Well, they were split in the first place because it was determined that indeed these were legitimate, stand-alone versions of the originals. You look at it as a mere dip switch/setting issue. However, the arcade operators of the day when these fast Pac-Man viewed the new versions as a completely new ball game for them. Yes, basically the same game, but it was presented as a "new" version and the speed-up Pac games then proliferated across the country. I know this as I was both a travelling musician and arcade rat in the early 80s, thus I have personally witnessed the phenomenon of the "new" onslaught of Pac-Games as they were given a second life. Once the speed-up versions hit the streets, it was nearly impossible to find a regular speed Pac game. Do I have motivation for making a case for keeping the speed ups? Yes. I put in the time towards these games under the assumption that we had settled this issue and would hate to see it go by the wayside because of this point of view you bring up. In actuality, the speed up games present a whole different version of the Pac games genre as old patterns simply don't work, as well as many other more subtle differences. If the games are that much easier to play, as some might think, then why hasn't there been a mass of "kill screen" games? Partly, it is due to the "purists" who have perfected the skills needed to play a 3+ hour session to achieve their magnificent scores. They tend not to bother with the speed up versions and will actually look down upon those who pursue them. A shame to be sure.

If the issue becomes the mere fact that these games are "modifications", then we have opened up a can of worms (creating quite a mess, for those who don't understand "can of worms") concerning a whole array of other games that, with a certain point of view, could be construed as "modifications" also. The many versions of Mahjong, for instance (for which there are at least 86 variations on the same theme). Or perhaps, the many revisions of Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter games or any game that has seperate entries for small, inconsequential modifications. At least with the Pac game modification, it DID present a much different version and set of strategies. Easier strategies? I seem to remember one of the hallowed Pac players from Canada stating that playing these speed ups was like "shooting fish in a barrel" (thus inspiring my commentary at the time when I submitted my Jr. Pac Man score). Once again, I ask you where are all the "kill screen" games if it was that much easier? Especially with Ms. PacMan in which the "kill screen" comes around in about half the time of PacMan. Curious indeed...

Thanks for listening as I hope this presents a valid view for you to consider.

JoustGod

-- JoustGod (pinballwiz1@lvcm.com), September 07, 2001.

Not sure if I agree with your last comments, but certainly the first ones make sense.

My main concern with these is where to draw the line--how many of these machines were sped-up? There's currently 12 Pac-Man romsets alone, and that probably doesn't account for all of them. Should they all be split, or should one or two be chosen?

-- Q.T.Quazar (qan@home.com), September 07, 2001.

All of them. In my experience, I have seen all (well, not MsPacAttack although I suspect it could have fallen under the speed-up frenzy of the day) of the Pac games presented in speed-up form. Yes, even Jr. Pacman...rare, but still saw it on two occasions. While Ms. Pacman was certainly the most prevalent of the speed-ups, they were all changed over at one point or another with very few example of the "original" machines existing afterwards. I can't make a case for the hacks such as Piranha, but I can make a case for the mainstream Pac games. For the reasons I have stated, this presents the argument that the speed-ups were seperate entities from their original counterparts.

JoustGod

-- JoustGod (pinballwiz1@lvcm.com), September 07, 2001.

It seems that nowadays most of the Ms pac games in USA are sped up. It really doesn't matter to player if it's done using dips or if it's a whole different rom/game, gameplay is different anyway. I personally find fast versions a LOT more fun, original seems just damn too slow for my taste. QT, you are once again looking too strictly "rules" of marp, not seeing the purpose behind them. Why make a fuss of something that's already been decided here before anyway. Yes, propably they all should be split to normal and fast, but are they not already?

I recently had a vacation in California and Las Vegas!(Joustgod where were you?), and stumbled into many pac-games during my trip. I noticed that even two fast Ms Pac games can have somewhat different gameplay, then again that might be the case of difficulty settings. At Santa Monica pier was an interesting machine, that had eight!!! Pac games, and all had normal and fast mode-selectable after inserting coin. One of them was Ultra Pac-Man, which is not mamed yet, also splitted to fast+ normal. I played one game of it, and got a free game when eating a fruit :) Had to play another then... Gameworks Ms-Pac was harder version, I think.

-- Tommi (tiihoto@hotmail.com), September 07, 2001.