• Tag Archives Namco
  • Pac-Attack (Super Nintendo)

    Source: GameFan – Volume 2, Issue 2 – January 1994

    While Pac-Man was originally famous for maze games starting in 1980 (eat the dots, flee the ghosts), there have been numerous Pac-Man games over the years in a variety of other genres. Pac-Attack, released in 1993 is one such game and fits into the puzzle game genre. Pac-Attack has the distinction of being the first Pac-Man game released exclusively for home systems.

    Pac-Attack was initially released for the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis late in 1993. In 1994 versions were released for the Game Boy and Game Gear. In 1995, a version for the Philips CD-i in 1995. both the Sega Genesis and Super NES versions have been re-released as unlockable content in other games and/or as part of various compilations over the years. The Genesis version seems to get slightly better reviews but the Genesis and Super NES versions are very similar. While this was technically the first Pac-Man game released exclusively on home systems, it was based on another game called Cosmo Gang the Puzzle which was released in arcades.

    This game is similar to games like Tetris and Columns in that you must clear blocks that fall from the top of the screen. The unique twist with Pac-Attack is that sometimes ghosts will fall instead of blocks. To clear ghosts you must guide special Pac-Man pieces to fall on them. Pac-Man will eat any ghosts in his path with the direction he is facing determining the path he will take. There is also a two-player mode in which clearing blocks will cause extra blocks to fall on your opponent.

    If you like puzzle games, then you will probably enjoy this one. However, it was criticized as having less depth and less replayability than some other similar puzzle games at the time. It was frequently compared to Tetris, Dr. Mario and Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine among others and Pac-Attack did not come out on top. Still, reviews were more positive than negative and it’s worth giving a try.

    If you do want to give this one a try, you can of course track down an original or use emulation. There are also several re-releases that you could consider. In 1998 there was a Japan only release of the Genesis version along with a remake as part of Namco Anthology 2. The Genesis version was also available as an unlockable bonus in Namco Museum for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube in 2001. The remake that was released in Namco Anthology 2 also showed up as an unlockable bonus in Pac =-Man World 2 for the GameCube, PS2, Xbox, GBA, and Windows in 2002. The Genesis version was once again re-released as Pac-Man Museum collection released in 2014 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. Most recently, the Super NES version was re-released as part of Pac-Man Museum + for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC which was released in 2022.

    The screen shots and ad above are all for the Super NES version of the game.


  • Time Crisis (PlayStation)


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    Source: Next Generation – Issue Number 27 – March 1997

    Time Crisis is a light gun based arcade game that was released in 1995. It was similar to other popular light gun games of the time, including games like Virtua Cop and The House of The Dead. However, Time Crisis did have a couple of unique features that made it stand out.

    The most unique part of Time Crisis was its emphasis on taking cover. The arcade version of this game had a foot pedal that was used to duck behind various objects. Being hit with a bullet while not taking cover cost you a life so this was an important part of the game. However, your time was limited so you couldn’t exactly spend as long as you want hiding. Another unique feature of the arcade version of the game was that the gun simulated recoil adding a bit of realism. The plot is somewhat convoluted but the important part is that you have to run around and shoot stuff.

    The PlayStation version of the game was released in 1997 and included the Guncon light gun controller. While not quite as graphically impressive as its arcade counterpart, it was still a good port. The PlayStation port retained the importance of taking cover but the foot pedal was replaced by a button on the controller. Unfortunately, the recoil feature was left out but it isn’t really that big of a deal.

    Original hardware is still the best way to play this game, and that includes a CRT based TV if you are going to play the PlayStation version as the original Guncon controller won’t work with LCD based TVs. This is one limitation that makes playing older light gun based games via emulation less than perfect.

    The image up top is from the March 1997 issue of Next Generation and features a preview of the unfinished game on the PlayStation. Screenshots above are from the PlayStation version of the game.




  • Mappy

    Advertisement for the arcade game Mappy by Namco and Bally/Midway from the Fall 1983 issue Creative Computing’s Video and Arcade Games.

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    Source: Video & Arcade Games – Volume 1, Number 2 – Fall 1983

    Mappy is a 1983 arcade game released by Namco in Japan and distributed by Bally/Midway in the U.S. It is a static screen platform style came common to the era (Popeye and the original Mario Bros. are other examples of the genre). You play the role of a police mouse trying to recover stolen goods from a mansion. You must use trampolines to get to the various floors of the mansion and must avoid cats and other obstacles.

    While there was a Japanese home release for the Famicom in 1984, there were no contemporary home releases in North America. The first U.S. home release came for the Sega Game Gear in 1991. Those in the U.S. would probably be more familiar with the console only sequel Mappy-Land that was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

    Despite not having any contemporary releases in the U.S., the original Mappy has been featured on a number of compilations and standalone units. The first experience with Mappy that I can recall was with the Ms. Pac-Man collection by Jaks Pacific. This was a Joystik that plugged directly into the TV and included a number of emulated arcade classics. It was also included in Microsoft Revenge of Arcade for the PC in 1998, Namco Gallery Vol. 1 for the Game Boy, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Collection released in 2005 for the Xbox, GameCube, PC and PlayStation 2 and Namco Museum DS among other collections. It’s not one of my favorite examples of the genre but it’s worth checking out. Try it via one of the later collections (e.g. Namco Museum 50th Anniversary Collection) or via MAME for the best results.

    The ad above is from the Fall 1983 issue of Video & Arcade Games.