CX2646
COMPLETE GAME PLAY INSTRUCTIONS
SPECIAL FEATURE
HELPFUL HINTS Section 7
FOR ONE OR TWO PLAYERS
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. HERE'S PAC-MAN
2. LIFE IN MAZELAND
3. USING YOUR CONTROLLERS.
4. CONSOLE CONTROLS.
5. GAME VARIATIONS.
6. SCORING.
7. HELPFUL HINTS FOR PAC-MAN'S SURVIVAL.
8. GAME SELECT MATRIX.
 

1. HERE'S PAC-MAN

We know that millions of people all over the world just love the PAC-MAN arcade game.  PAC-MAN has won the hearts of men, women, and children everywhere.  We also know that PAC-MAN has traditionally been an arcade game.  Well, we at ATARI know all about arcade games.  After all, we make some of the greatest arcade games in the world, and we know how to bring the same dynamite game play into your home.

Our PAC-MAN has all of the excitement and challenge of the standard arcade game, and you get to play in the comfort and convenience of your own home.  This is especially advantageous if you still plan to make an occasional appearance at the arcade to show off your great playing skills. (Little do they know that you've been practicing at home all along.)

Just in case you're new to PAC-MAN, don't worry.  It's easy to learn.  You'll be a pro in no time at all.

So, relax, get comfortable and enjoy it in the privacy of your own home.  We suggest that you read this instruction booklet thoroughly before beginning game play.  We know that you won't want to miss any important details about game play.  You might even find it entertaining.
 

2. LIFE IN MAZELAND

The object of the game is to keep PAC-MAN happy and healthy in his home of Mazeland.  PAC-MAN starts the game with four lives(turns).  The longer he survives, the more points you score.  You score a point for every video wafer that PAC-MAN eats.  You also score points when PAC-MAN eats power pills, vitamins, and ghosts.  Everytime PAC-MAN eats all of the video wafers on the maze, he earns an extra life and a new maze full of video wafers.

The following information lists all of PAC-MAN's nutritional needs, which also happen to be your point-scoring objects.

VIDEO WAFERS
These are the dotted lines on the screen.  You maneuver PAC-MAN around the playfield over the video wafers.  He automatically eats the video wafers, and they disappear from the maze.  You score one point for each video wafer he eats. (To score a point, PAC-MAN must pass directly over the video wafer.)

POWER PILLS
Power pills are located in the four corners of the playfield.  Each power pill is worth five points.  When PAC-MAN eats a power pill, the ghosts become a transparent blue color.

During this time, PAC-MAN has the super-strength to overcome the ghosts.  This is his big chance to chase and gobble down each ghost.  Unfortunately, this great power only lasts a few seconds.  When the power starts wearing off, the ghosts turn pink and then back to yellow.  (Musical notes stop several seconds before ghosts turn back.)

VITAMINS
Vitamins are the two intersecting rectangles in the center of the playfield.  They only appear for a few moments and then disappear and reappear.  The vitamins are worth 100 points each time PAC-MAN eats them.

GHOSTS
The ghosts are the quartet of bad guys chasing PAC-MAN around the maze.  If a ghost eats PAC-MAN, you lose a turn(one life).  On the other hand, if PAC-MAN eats a ghost, you score points.  PAC-MAN can only eat ghosts after eating a power pill.  Then he can run around the maze eating ghosts.  The first ghost is worth 20 points, the second ghost is worth 40 points, the third is worth 80 points, and the fourth is worth 160 points.  If the power pill wears off before PAC-MAN eats all the ghosts, he must eat another power pill and start chasing the ghosts again(starting at 20 points again).  After PAC-MAN eats a ghost, you only see eyes left on the ghost.  But, the ghosts are reincarnated by returning to the big, square chamber in the center of the playfield.
 

3. USING YOUR CONTROLLERS

Use your Joystick Controllers with this ATARI Game Program cartridge.  Be sure the controller cables are firmly plugged into the CONTROLLER jacks at the back of your Video Computer System game.  For one-player games, use the Joystick plugged into the LEFT CONTROLLER jack.  Hold the controller with the red fire button to your upper left toward the television screen.  See Section 3 of your owner's manual for further details.

Use the Joystick Controller to guide PAC-MAN around the maze.  Move the Joystick in the direction you want PAC-MAN to move.  PAC-MAN moves around the area of the maze, but he can use the opening at the top and bottom of the maze as an escape route(See Figure 1 for escape routes.)  Remember that the ghosts can use the same escape routes, and that they may be waiting for PAC-MAN when he reenters the maze.  When PAC-MAN escapes through the bottom opening, he reenters through the top.  When he escapes through the top, he reenters at the bottom.

The red fire button is not used during game play, although it may be used to start a game.
 

4. CONSOLE CONTROLS

GAME SELECT SWITCH
o select the PAC-MAN game variation you would like to play, press down the GAME SELECT switch. (See GAME VARIATIONS, Section 5 for further information about game variations.)  The game number appears at the bottom of the screen.  One number appears for one-player games and two numbers appear for two-player games(See Figure 2 and 3 for game numbers.)

GAME RESET SWITCH
Once you have selected the game number you wish to play, press down the GAME RESET switch to start the game. (You can also press the red controller button to start game play.)  After GAME RESET is pressed, the score appears where the game number was, and the lives remaining appears at the bottom of the screen as shown in Figure 4 for one player and Figure 5 for two players.  The player using the Joystick plugged into the LEFT CONTROLLER jack is the player to start the game in the two-player game variations.

DIFFICULTY SWITCHES
PAC-MAN has two difficulty levels.  When the DIFFICULTY switch is in the B position, the power pills last longer and the vitamins stay on the screen longer.  The A position is for the advanced PAC-MAN player.  The player using the Joystick plugged into the LEFT CONTROLLER jack uses the LEFT DIFFICULTY switch, the player using the Joystick plugged into the RIGHT CONTROLLER jack uses the RIGHT DIFFICULTY switch.  In a one-player game, use the LEFT DIFFICULTY switch.

TV TYPE SWITCH
Set this switch to COLOR if your television is color.  Set it to B/W to play the game in black and white.
 

5. GAME VARIATIONS

PAC-MAN includes 8 game variations.  Each variation has a one-player game and a two-player game.  In the two-player games, the left player starts the game.  Each player takes a turn until PAC-MAN gets eaten by a ghost.

Games 1, 2, 7, and 8 feature a slow moving PAC-MAN.  The ghosts in each of these games move at different speeds as follows:

GAME 1 Ghosts move at jogging speed.

GAME 2 Ghosts move at running speed.

GAME 7 Ghosts crawl especially slow for young children.

GAME 8 Ghosts move at walking speed.

Games 3, 4, 5, and 6 feature a fast PAC-MAN with the ghosts moving at varying speeds as follows:

GAME 3 Ghosts crawl around the maze.

GAME 4 Ghosts move at walking speed.

GAME 5 Ghosts move at jogging speed.

GAME 6 Ghosts move at running speed.

Games 3 and 7 are recommended for young children.  Game 6 is the most difficult game variation.  For a real challenge try Game 6 with difficulty level A.

NOTE: Sometimes the ghosts try to hide behind each other, so they  appear to be one single ghost chasing PAC-MAN.

6. SCORING

VIDEO WAFER    =  1 POINT
POWER PILL     =  5 POINTS
VITAMINS       =100 POINTS
FIRST GHOST    = 20 POINTS
SECOND GHOST   = 40 POINTS
THIRD GHOST    = 80 POINTS
FOURTH GHOST   =160 POINTS
 

7. HELPFUL HINTS FOR PAC-MAN'S SURVIVAL

1. When all of the ghosts are hiding on top of each other, eat a Power Pill and then you can gobble all four ghosts in one big bite and score 300 points.

2. Try to eat as many Video Wafers as possible before eating a Power Pill.  This will save the Power Pill until you really need it.

3. Before you eat a Power Pill, stay in the corner close to it so you can tease the ghosts into moving closer to you, thus allowing you to eat more ghosts with one Power Pill.

4. Use the top and bottom openings in the maze like a tunnel to outsmart the ghosts.  Slip in or out of the openings to escape hungry ghosts.

8. GAME SELECT MATRIX

Game Number           1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Slow moving PAC-MAN   X X         X X
Fast moving PAC-MAN       X X X X
Ghosts Jogging Speed  X       X
Ghosts Running Speed    X       X
Ghosts Crawl Speed        X       X
Ghosts Walking Speed        X       X
Children's Versions       X       X
Challenge (level A)             X
 

CO16943-46 REV.1  MANUAL, PROGRAM & AUDIOVISUAL (c)1981 ATARI, INC.  Printed in U.S.A.