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{{Header Nav|game=Pac-Man}} | {{Header Nav|game=Pac-Man}} | ||
[[File:PM flyer artwork.png|right]] | [[File:PM flyer artwork.png|right]] | ||
This page contains some general tips, and guidelines, to help you improve as a Pac-Man player. Most of these tips are geared for survival, not high scores. High scores can only be achieved when you know how to keep Pac-Man alive for a long time, so you should focus on becoming a better player before you go after that perfect game score of 3,333,360 points. | This page contains some general tips, and guidelines, to help you improve as a Pac-Man player. Most of these tips are geared for survival, not high scores. High scores can only be achieved when you know how to keep Pac-Man alive for a long time, so you should focus on becoming a better player before you go after that perfect game score of 3,333,360 points (which was first officially achieved by Billy Mitchell on Saturday 3rd July 1999). | ||
==Know the maze== | ==Know the maze== | ||
[[File:PM Maze Diagram.png|left|The maze contains 240 pellets and 4 power pellets.]] | [[File:PM Maze Diagram.png|left|The maze contains 240 pellets and 4 power pellets.]] | ||
** '''Power Pellets''': These are marked by the green dots in the diagram. They provide Pac-Man with the temporary ability to eat the ghosts and earn extra points | ** '''Power Pellets''': These are marked by the green dots in the diagram. They provide Pac-Man with the temporary ability to eat the ghosts and earn extra points. After eating a ghost, his eyes will return to the ghost regenerator in the center of the maze and instantly regenerate. You can still be killed by a regenerated ghost even though the other ghosts may still be blue. As the rounds increase, the time period that the ghosts stay blue (generally) gets progressively shorter. Eventually the ghosts do not turn blue at all (but will still reverse direction). | ||
** '''Tunnel''': Indicated by the light blue bar, the tunnel allows Pac-Man and the ghosts to instantly warp from one side of the maze to the other. While traveling through the tunnel, Pac-Man moves at his normal speed, but the ghosts are reduced to half speed. This provides Pac-Man with good opportunity to put some distance between him and his pursuers, but be careful not to get trapped by another ghost entering from the other side. | ** '''Tunnel''': Indicated by the light blue bar, the tunnel allows Pac-Man and the ghosts to instantly warp from one side of the maze to the other. While traveling through the tunnel, Pac-Man moves at his normal speed, but the ghosts are reduced to half speed. This provides Pac-Man with good opportunity to put some distance between him and his pursuers, but be careful not to get trapped by another ghost entering from the other side. | ||
** '''Bonuses''': Bonuses initially take the form of fruit, and later on become various items. They always appear where the white dash is beneath the ghost regenerator. Two bonuses will appear on each round, the first when 70 pellets have been eaten, and the second when 170 pellets have been eaten. While they can help the player achieve higher scores, their consumption should only be attempted when the coast is clear for you. | ** '''Bonuses''': Bonuses initially take the form of fruit, and later on become various items. They always appear where the white dash is beneath the ghost regenerator. Two bonuses will appear on each round, the first when 70 pellets have been eaten, and the second when 170 pellets have been eaten. While they can help the player achieve higher scores, their consumption should only be attempted when the coast is clear for you. | ||
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====AI bug==== | ====AI bug==== | ||
When Pac-Man is facing up, there is actually a bug in the code which makes Pinky's target space four up and four to the left of Pac-Man. Similarly, the cyan square that Inky wants to go the opposite of is actually two up and two to the left of Pac-Man. This makes Inky's actual target four spaces to the left of what is shown in the picture. This is due to overflow errors. | When Pac-Man is facing up, there is actually a bug in the code which makes Pinky's target space four up and four to the left of Pac-Man. Similarly, the cyan square that Inky wants to go the opposite of is actually two up and two to the left of Pac-Man. This makes Inky's actual target four spaces to the left of what is shown in the picture. This is due to overflow errors. | ||
===Home corners=== | ===Home corners=== | ||
In addition to their preprogrammed behaviors, the ghosts simultaneously enter periods where they must return to their "home corners" for a moment of time. When the ghosts are hot on your tail one moment and suddenly reverse direction the next, this means that they are returning to their home corners. For the next few seconds, not only will they not actively chase you, but you can safely follow them wherever they go. But you should remember that this home-corner behavior only lasts a few seconds before they turn around and start actively chasing you again, so you should use this time wisely and clear out parts of the maze that are otherwise too dangerous to clear, such as the lowest row with its long stretches and few escape routes. <br> | In addition to their preprogrammed behaviors, the ghosts simultaneously enter periods where they must return to their "home corners" for a moment of time. When the ghosts are hot on your tail one moment and suddenly reverse direction the next, this means that they are returning to their home corners. For the next few seconds, not only will they not actively chase you, but you can safely follow them wherever they go. But you should remember that this home-corner behavior only lasts a few seconds before they turn around and start actively chasing you again, so you should use this time wisely and clear out parts of the maze that are otherwise too dangerous to clear, such as the lowest row with its long stretches and few escape routes. <br> | ||
[[File:PM Namco artwork. | [[File:PM Namco artwork.gif|left]] | ||
===Worry about Blinky and Pinky=== | ===Worry about Blinky and Pinky=== | ||
When it comes down to it, Blinky and Pinky are the most dangerous of the four ghosts. Blinky tries to attack you by taking the shortest path that he can find to Pac-Man's current position. Pinky, on the other hand, tries to ambush you by moving to the location that you seem to be headed in. Compared to these two, Inky and Clyde just don't have that "killer instinct". Inky won't really pursue you too strongly unless Blinky is around, and Clyde just seems to be in a world of his own. | When it comes down to it, Blinky and Pinky are the most dangerous of the four ghosts. Blinky tries to attack you by taking the shortest path that he can find to Pac-Man's current position. Pinky, on the other hand, tries to ambush you by moving to the location that you seem to be headed in. Compared to these two, Inky and Clyde just don't have that "killer instinct". Inky won't really pursue you too strongly unless Blinky is around, and Clyde just seems to be in a world of his own. | ||
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The perfect game score is 3,333,360 points, meaning you must eat every bonus fruit, eat all four ghosts with every power pellet, and clear all 255 rounds. The only times you must eat the ghosts is when there is blue time for the ghosts (see above) in the round. This can be extremely hard because you need to memorize the patterns and eat all four ghosts, even if they are only blue for a split second! This will only work if you have chosen to start the game with five lives, and you will also need to eat all the hidden pellets on the split-screen round every time. Note that only the 333,360 shows up on the screen because the score display of early Namco 8-bit games rolls over at 1,000,000. | The perfect game score is 3,333,360 points, meaning you must eat every bonus fruit, eat all four ghosts with every power pellet, and clear all 255 rounds. The only times you must eat the ghosts is when there is blue time for the ghosts (see above) in the round. This can be extremely hard because you need to memorize the patterns and eat all four ghosts, even if they are only blue for a split second! This will only work if you have chosen to start the game with five lives, and you will also need to eat all the hidden pellets on the split-screen round every time. Note that only the 333,360 shows up on the screen because the score display of early Namco 8-bit games rolls over at 1,000,000. | ||
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