Pac-Man 4K does what the original 2600 release couldn't

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Thursday, October 25, 2012

Pac-Man 4K

Homebrew programmer Dennis Debro wanted to make a version of Pac-Man on the Atari 2600 that was more faithful to the arcade original, and that's exactly what he did with Pac-Man 4K.

Using the same memory constraints as the underwhelming 2600 port, Debro managed to not only make a much more arcade-true maze layout and color scheme, but also drastically improve how the ghost AI works. He even added in extra fruit!

I wonder what it would have taken for programmers in 1982 to make a game anywhere near this accurate, or if this is a product of better tools. Either way, Pac-Man 4K looks pretty great and is available on Atari Age for $25. If you pick a copy, you also get a free magnet.

 
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JASMINE MALEFICENT REA'S SPONSOR
Comments (1)
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October 27, 2012

I believe that it may be due to better knowledge and tools. You had to be a bit smarter back then to get a computer to do anything. Not only that but many programming concepts and knowledge that we have today were still being discovered, pioneered and refined during their time. I really like the idea of what he has done here, he's help to show again the importance of efficient programming and planning in an ambitious project.

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