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Revenge Of Pac-Man - Vintage Gaming Still Hot?

Posted by simoniker on from the same-as-it-ever-was dept.

Thanks to the New York Times for its article (free reg. req.) discussing the cresting popularity of retro game chic over many types of media, noting: "Last month Saturn introduced a commercial featuring its Vue sport utility vehicle rolling through a town, absorbing dots to the officially licensed sounds of a grazing Pac-Man. Billboard magazine's Hot 100 singles chart includes 'Game Over (Flip),' a song by the rapper Lil' Flip that contains a beat built from the sounds of Pac-Man." There's also insight into the financial benefits: "Robert Ennis, chief operating officer of Namco, publisher of the transcendent Pac-Man, said that classics represented about 5 percent of his company's revenue. More important, he said, the company's several 'museum' collections have involved little financial risk."

47 comments

  1. Don't Forget by stinkyfingers · · Score: 2, Funny

    Live Action Drunken Pac-Man with busty chicks as ghosts, seen in the box office smash "Club Dread".

    1. Re:Don't Forget by Dizzle · · Score: 1

      The busty chicks eat pac man?

      --
      -Dizzle
      "I most likely AM so interested in myself."
    2. Re:Don't Forget by mwheeler01 · · Score: 1

      It's also might be worth noting that this may have been the inspiration for (or the other way around) for Pacmanhattan (as seen here) which was woefully overlooked in the description.

      --
      Pretty widgets? What pretty widgets?
  2. Let's Also Not Forget by Slyght · · Score: 2, Funny

    Bloodhound Gang's "Mope," in which there is a skit where Pac-Man smokes crack.

    1. Re:Let's Also Not Forget by Mr.Dippy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yes that was a very funny, totally random scene in the song.

      "Hey pacman whatsup?"
      "Me you bitches, I'm high on crack. Wanna freebase?"

      classic.

      --


      -Dipster
    2. Re:Let's Also Not Forget by Pluvius · · Score: 1

      NO PACMAN, DRUGS ARE BAAAAAAD

      Rob (Hello, stupid caps filter, how are you? I'm fine.)

    3. Re:Let's Also Not Forget by Destoo · · Score: 1

      Pacman already is on drugs.
      What do you think those pills represent?

      And being chased by red, pink, orange and blue ghosts? Bad trip.

      But I was proudly wearing my pac-man t-shirt yesterday.

      --
      Nouvelles de jeux et technologies en français. TC
  3. Mame......... by MrIrwin · · Score: 4, Informative
    It's by far the most used game on my computer, but not just by me. My 8 year old son and his friends pass hours playing PacMan, Invaders et al.

    And after all these years I **still** can get nowhere with defender!

    --

    And if you thought that was boring you obviously havn't read my Journal ;-)

    1. Re:Mame......... by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 1

      Try the new Defender for XBox and PS2 (and maybe Gamecube)... it's a lot easier. Of course, it's also structured like a modern game, with 'bosses' to beat and an end.

      --
      Comment of the year
  4. More rap :) by Lord+Graga · · Score: 1

    I remember hearing a rap song built over the music from super mario 1 for NES! ;) I'll post it here if I find the name of it.

    1. Re:More rap :) by Dizzle · · Score: 1

      The Freestyle Kingz (lame southern rap group) did a freestyle over the super mario brothers theme that wasn't that bad. Though when it comes down to that, *I* could have made a freestyle over it...

      --
      -Dizzle
      "I most likely AM so interested in myself."
    2. Re:More rap :) by cjellibebi · · Score: 1
      Could it perchance be:

      Ambassadors of Funk (feat. M.C. Mario) - Super Mario Land

      This is somewhat Techno/Rave and came out during 1992

  5. Two Categories: Nostalgia and Fun by Thyamine · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I find that most of the old games fall into one of two categories: games that we sit back and say 'remember blah blah blah' or games that I still play (Gameboy Advanced, MAME, emulator on my laptop, etc).

    Most of those old games are fun for about 5 minutes; long enough to realize that it was better to have just left well enough alone and enjoyed the memories. Otherwise, games like Zelda et al. I currently have in some form or fashion so that I can play them when I want to.

    --
    I will shred my adversaries. Pull their eyes out just enough to turn them towards their mewing, mutilated faces. Illyria
  6. DOS games by Zarks · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I don't know whether they count as 'vintage' or not but I love downloading and playing old abandonware DOS. Even though it's old and the graphics are normally incredibly blocky, its still fun. I believe firmly in gameplay over graphics. Getting some of them running can be quite hard though, sometimes a modern machine is just too fast for them.

    1. Re:DOS games by Jane_the_Great · · Score: 5, Interesting

      How much gameplay is there in many of those old DOS games though? I see this opinion that today's games look better but the gameplay is poor in comparison to the games of yesteryear bandied about on Slashdot quite a bit. Just because a game looks like crap, does not mean that it's got amazing gameplay. Likewise, just because a game looks good, the gameplay is not guaranteed to be garbage. Comparing say Commander Keen to Ratchet and Clank, I would say that the latter takes the prize in both the gameplay and graphics departments easily.

      --
      THIS ACCOUNT IS OFFICIALLY RETIRED/RETARDED.
    2. Re:DOS games by stanmann · · Score: 1

      There are quite a few games that have signifigant replayability. I trot out Centurion, M1 Abrams battle tank, and blackthorne frequently to run a few missions. I've also got on my list the Forgotten realms gold box AD&D stuff silver queen, hillsfar, pool of radiance, etc.

      --
      Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
    3. Re:DOS games by Deraj+DeZine · · Score: 1

      I've never seen anyone make that argument. I'd say the older games are often more fun and easier to get into for a few minutes, but they're not more immersive or anything.

      --
      True story.
    4. Re:DOS games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Haven't been reading Slashdot very long, have you slapdick?

    5. Re:DOS games by Nasarius · · Score: 1

      I still have more fun with Darklands than many modern RPGs.
      It really bothers me when arcade junk like Pac-Man is held up as an example of "classic" gaming.

      --
      LOAD "SIG",8,1
    6. Re:DOS games by PurpleFloyd · · Score: 1
      You would do well to realize that gameplay and graphics are independent of each other. After all, Nethack has some of the worst graphics around, but the gameplay is incredibly deep; almost any concievable action has been implemented by the Devteam. On the other hand, Morrowind has both immersive, open-ended gameplay and pretty graphics. My point? It's certainly possible for a newer game to have good gameplay, and graphics just don't enter into the gameplay equation.

      I doubt that anyone would state that simply because a game has outmoded graphics, its gameplay must be excellent. However, it is true that in an era when computers were only capable of simple graphics, pretty boxshots weren't enough to sell a game. Instead, developers had to focus on other elements to make their games sell - gameplay was a prime marketing tool. In addition, when games were small enough to be created by one developer or a small team, it was possible for someone to put years of work into their game - crafting a game to their ideals, not simply completing a product and rushing it out the door. Finally, simple nostalgia comes into play - when comparing today's selection of games to "the classics," people will almost certainly forget about the metric tons of crap games that have always inhabited the market - instead, each new release will be measured against the best of everything that came before. While this isn't exactly fair to the new games, it is nonetheless pervasive throughout all walks of life; people always reminisce about the "good old days" and forget about all the things that made them not so good.

      --

      That's it. I'm no longer part of Team Sanity.
    7. Re:DOS games by Zarks · · Score: 1

      I'm not saying that all DOS games have good gameplay. Nor am I saying that all modern games (good graphics or not) have crap gameplay. I'm just trying to say that I'm not like some people who see a game and immediately dismiss it because it has bad graphics.

      Generally I think that games have improved in quality greatly over the years which is why I still buy new games. It's good to occasionally play an old classic though to see how things have moved on.

    8. Re:DOS games by Teddy+Beartuzzi · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Not immersive? I suggest you try different games then.

      I find it's quite the opposite. Almost everything modern I try is fun for a few minutes, but then you realise it's pretty much the same as every other recent release, all flash and no substance.

    9. Re:DOS games by gunmenrock · · Score: 1

      I was actually fortunate enough to find a 486/66 on the side of the road... took it home, cleaned it up, and installed only DOS on it. No Windows.
      I'm in heaven. I've been playing through my old Sierra adventures (and astonishing myself at remembering the solutions to every puzzle after 12 years), and just started a game of Syndicate. Syndicate is the second best game EVER, next to the original X-Com, which I'm also playing. Now if I could just find an extra hour or two in the day.....
      Happy gaming all, Bob

    10. Re:DOS games by Jane_the_Great · · Score: 1
      " You would do well to realize that gameplay and graphics are independent of each other."
      That's the point I was making, idiot.

      "I doubt that anyone would state that simply because a game has outmoded graphics, its gameplay must be excellent."
      Again, you're an idiot. Try reading games.slashdot.org for any length of time and you'll see that this argument gets made quite frequently. Try reading what people are meaning rather than what they are simply saying. In conclusion, don't ever reply to anything I post again. You're obviously not intelligent enough to communicate with me you moron.
      --
      THIS ACCOUNT IS OFFICIALLY RETIRED/RETARDED.
  7. found it! by Lord+Graga · · Score: 1

    Seems like there's at least two mario music raps, one by some rapper called "Benefit" and one by "DJ Clue". If you find more, tell us! :)

    1. Re:found it! by Nephilium · · Score: 1

      Don't forget the other genres of music:
      Old School Master

      And there was a Fresh Prince song called Human Video Game from years back...

      Nephilium
      The plural of spouse is spice. -- Lazarus Long in Time Enough for Love

  8. Licensing by DJayC · · Score: 1

    How do you actually go about licensing vintage sounds and sprites? IE: If I wanted to use vintage atari sounds / characters in one of my games or presentations, how would I go about this legally?

    1. Re:Licensing by Blakey+Rat · · Score: 4, Informative

      Well, you'd start by contacting the owners of the property, duh. The Atari brand name belongs to the company that used to be known as "Infogrames" and, I would wager, all the characters, sounds, whatnot also belong to them. Contact their legal department and ask about it.

      Or you could do what Aqua Teen Hunger Force did with the Mooninites characters. They were Atari-like without actually being any characters from any specific games. The sound effects associated with them were from very very obscure games.

      --
      Comment of the year
    2. Re:Licensing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      re: "The sound effects associated with them were from very very obscure games."

      Riiiight - the moonites jumped to the sound derived from the 2600 version of Pac-Man. That's about as rare as fucking dirt I'd say.

  9. Classic gaming by veganjay · · Score: 5, Informative

    I completely agree with the earlier comment that gameplay is most important - not the graphics.

    Also, perhaps it's my age - I'm now 30 and honestly have less time to play games. I can afford the fifteen minutes needed to play Qix - but something like Final Fantasy X needs to be played in hour sittings!

    The NYT article just brushes the surface. For more info on the on-line classic gaming community, check out some of these sites:
    AtariAge
    Retrogaming Radio
    Classic gaming

    Magazines:
    Armchair Arcade
    Classic Gamer
    Manci Games
    Retrogamer

    Also, there are quite a few gaming conventions, most notably Philly Classic and Classic Gaming Expo.

    --
    jason

  10. Pac man song - "Weird" Al Yankovic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Sung to "Taxman" by the Beatles.

    [Tax Man/The Beatles]
    (one, two, thray, four, one, two [nasal hocking sound])

    I used to be a pinball freak
    That's where you'd find me every week
    But now it's Pacman!
    Ye-ea-ah it's the Pac-ma-an!

    I love to gobble up those dots
    Keep pumpin' quarters in the slots
    They call it "Pacman"!
    Ye-ea-ah it's the Pac-ma-an!

    At the game arcade
    they say I'm "hard core"
    I can play all day
    'til my hands are sore
    And I quit my job
    just to play some more
    But I won't give up
    'til I break high score

    Pacman! [music from Pacman "intermission"]

    Well it's the Pacman!
    Ye-ea-ah it's the Pac-ma-an!

    Well it takes a lot of cash to play
    (Pacman! Get the cherry!)
    So I'm gonna sell my house today
    (Pacman! Eat 'em up!)

    I'm playin' Pacman!
    Ye-ea-ah it's the Pac-ma-an!

    Hey mom, I won't be home this year
    (Pacma-an!)
    Please forward all my mail right here!
    (Pacma-an!)
    I'm at the Pacman!
    Ye-ea-ah it's the Pac-ma-an! ...and you're playing with no one but me
    Pacman!
    [music from Pacman "intermission"]
    [sound from when Pacman dies]

  11. Why the question mark? by lightspawn · · Score: 1

    simoniker, if you're not sure if "vintage gaming [is] still hot", shouldn't it be on "ask slashdot"?

    And why is this "Revenge"? Who is Pac-Man getting back at, and why?

  12. The original name of Pac-Man was Puck-Man... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It was released in Japan as Puck-Man, but when released in the USA, kids were scratching out a portion of the 'P' to make it an 'F'...

    Those whacky kids!

  13. Wow by empaler · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You are exasperatingly boring, did you know that?

  14. Newsgroup thread and encoded video files... by antdude · · Score: 2, Informative

    Newsgroup thead about this with links and an article with a few encoded commercials (Saturn Pac-Man commercial is listed). :)

    --
    Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
  15. I love the classics by clu76 · · Score: 4, Informative

    I grew up in arcades of the 80's. Call me a littled biased, but I find games like Pac-man, asteroids, tempest, and such to be of much higher quality than most modern arcade games. Sure, they have better graphics and take up four times more space and cost two dollars, but they lack certain special something. Dance Dance Revolution is the obvious exception to this.

    Anyways, I found myself at one of those kiddie pizza places with a modern arcade last night. And they had Ms. Pac-man, Asteroids and a Galaga machine in these ultra small cabinets, sized for 6 year olds. Only the adults were playing these games, including myself. You should have seen it. Everyone had to lean way over and out in order to reach the controls. Funny stuff.

    Recently learned that the Ms. Pac-man / Galaga 20th Anniversary Machines have a very special Easter Egg... Pac-man! After you put in your money and the select screen comes up, enter in UP UP UP DOWN DOWN DOWN LEFT RIGHT LEFT RIGHT LEFT. You should hear a noise and see the ghost change colors. Press start using the Ms. Pac-Man side and you have Pac-Man. I've verified that this works.

    --
    the cosmos in 20 words or less: thumbuki.com
  16. Vintage Gaming on the GBA... by GTRacer · · Score: 4, Insightful
    My wife and I have 3 of the retro collections - Konami, Namco and Williams. We grew up on these games, and the ones in the collection are pretty much all twitch games. Great fun for short periods of time and you don't feel too bad if you have to switch off and get back to life (Unlike being midway through a two-hour enduro in Le Mans or GT3).

    HOWEVER, why, pray tell, do NONE of these collections have a high-score save, options for control and difficulty, or proper collision detection (Williams, I'm looking at YOU!)?

    It's a real PITA to have to remember high scores or keep a piece of paper with scores handy. Those GBAs go everywhere...

    GTRacer
    - Needs some SMB3 goodness...

    --
    Defending IP by destroying access to it? That makes sense, RIAA/MPAA. Go to the corner until you can play nice!
  17. Other Video Game Beats by The-Bus · · Score: 1
    Here's a list of the songs I know which are game-influenced. There's probably a very big list but these immediately stand out.
    • Cocoa Brovaz - Super Brooklyn. This song (IIRC) is set up with not one, but two beats from Super Mario Brothers (the first game from the NES). I believe the beats are the song from level 1-2 (still frightening in a very simple way) and the star/power-up sequence. This one I'm a bit unsure of.
    • Benefit - Warp to World 6-9. If you read the lyrics and imagine a child-like nasal voice rapping along to the Level 1-1 music from SMB on the NES, saying things like "Mario really wants to get [the princess] in bed, So bad that he's bustin up bricks with his head, He just wants sex - so forget the wedding bells, Jumping on lil mushroom men and turtle shells," you can't help but laugh.
    • Beenie Segal(?) - Mac Man. Rapid-fire pac-man beat. Awful song.
    • N*Sync - Game Over. At the very beginning of the song, there's a cool video game intro.
    --

    Small potatoes make the steak look bigger.

  18. N*Sync?!?!?!? by arhar · · Score: 0

    N*Sync ... cool ...

    *rubs eyes in disbelief, slowly shakes head"

    1. Re:N*Sync?!?!?!? by Nasarius · · Score: 1
      *nods*

      I was going to respond with "Frogger" by Bad Religion, but then I realized that people who have watched and liked MTV in the past oh, ten years, probably wouldn't be familiar with them or any other decent punk band.

      --
      LOAD "SIG",8,1
    2. Re:N*Sync?!?!?!? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Oh man...get over it. A lot of us went through our 'punk is so cool' phase in the 80's, when Bad Religion first started putting out records. That didn't preclude us from putting on some MTV to watch boobs shaking around.

      Then again- someone else will post about how they were huge (insert earlier punk band here) fans, and they were on the scene before the children of the 80's.

      Someone else has always been there before you. No reason to feel superior to those who haven't.

      Besides...what the hell is a 'decent punk band'. That's an oxymoron if there ever was one.

  19. Go Retro Gaming by BortQ · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    Yeah! Retro gaming all the way!

    Check out my Risk game linked in my sig! Alright!!!

    --

    A Multiplayer Strategy Game for Mac OS X, Windows, and Linux
  20. blatant plug! by John+Harrison · · Score: 1

    This article seems like a good place to plug my Pacman clone/ripoff/project/experiment/what have you. In making my own Pacman game I have come to admire the gameplay, balance, and brilliance of the original more than ever.

    --
    Lasers Controlled Games!
  21. Don't Forget... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't forget Beanie Sigel's song "Mac-Man" which has multiple references to older video games.

    "met Ms. Pac, told her she can go on a mission
    but first she gotta let me put in Pole Position
    wish I woulda knew then what I now know sooner
    'cause ten towns later, here come Pac Junior"

  22. How many versions of Pac-Man do you own? by LSD-25 · · Score: 1

    In the article, one guy said he owned 16 versions of Pac-Man. I'm nowhere close to that, but I do own five versions, plus two pirated versions. I have the Jakks TV Game, adaptations for the Atari 5200 and Atari 800, and Namco Museum for PlayStation and PlayStation 2. On my computer, I have a copy of the arcade ROM (for use in MAME), and a copy of the Atari 2600 version (ugh). I also have Namco Museum for the Game Boy Advance, but that has Ms. Pac-Man instead.

    I actually don't have an Atari 5200. I found some carts at a thrift shop, so I bought them, figuring that I'll someday buy a system.

  23. Another Pacman song - Pac Man Fever by cjellibebi · · Score: 1

    The lyrics to Buckner & Garcia - Pac Man Fever

  24. Re:Other Video Game Beats (PacMan related) by cjellibebi · · Score: 1

    Here's another one - Aphex Twin - Powerpill Pacman . For details on their PowerPill Pacman EP single - follow this link. There are several remixes on this EP Single.