Originally an arcade game, Pac-man is a trend of the 80s. As you play, you consider yourself as the Pac-man and continue eating the dots that come your way. Yes, do you also remember the four ghosts? that turn blue once you eat the Power pellets. This game became one of the Kids’ adventures in the past and even now. With the advent of Pac-man plus and also the evolution of the mobile version of the game, there is a lot in store for this generation too.
Pacman vs Pacman Plus
The main difference between Pac-man and Pac-man Plus lies in the graphical appearance while playing the game. One such difference is the ghosts that used to turn blue in the Pac-man when the user-controlled Pac-man eats the power pellets, turns vulnerable and invisible in the Pac-man Plus.
Pac-man is an excellent Maze Action game. It was developed by Namco, a Japanese video game publisher, in the year 1980. The Japanese title initially was Puck-Man, and the producers changed it to Pac-man for the international audience. Pac-man is indeed a powerful commercial success all over the world.
Pac-man Plus is the third title in the series of Pac-man. It was released two years later to the original Pac-man. The game has faster movements. Yes, the ghosts are more aggressive and fast in this game. So do you. You can move incredibly faster. All you need is the perfect control over the Pac-man. It is believed by the players that the Pac-man plus is difficult compared to the Pac-man
Comparison Table Between Pacman and Pacman Plus
| Parameters of Comparison | Pacman | Pacman Plus |
| Colour of the Maze | Blue | Green |
| Power Pellet Action | All the four Ghosts turn blue and vulnerable. | Only 3 out of 4 ghosts turn blue. Also, the ghosts might get invisible in few instances when a power pellet is eaten. |
| Vulnerable Ghosts | They turn blue and stays the same size as before. | They turn blue or become invisible. If it is visible, the ghosts tend to be shorter than before. |
| Visibility of the Maze | Always visible throughout the game. | The maze might go invisible as the power pellet is eaten. |
| Difficulty range | Moderate | Aggressive |
What is Pacman?
Pac-man is an adventurous arcade game developed by a video game publisher in Japan. The company named Namco, who released the game, changed the name of the game to Pac-man. Ideally, it is for marketing reasons and also to reach the global market.
Midway Manufacturing Inc., a company in North America, took the license to release it in other parts of the world. The game was well-received by the audience as it is the first of its kind in the gaming industry.
Pac-man was developed when the video game series, more importantly, targeted men. Moreover, it was mostly connecting either war or sports. The developers of the game made it a point that Pac-man must be played by both genders. The fun fact is, the appearance of Pac-man is of a Pizza in which a slice is removed.
The game players available in the Pac-man was purposely made cute to attract the younger crowd too. Pac-man spread across the world in quick time. It became an incredible success commercially as well. It is considered to be the most influential game of all time.
Pac-man inspired many, and two television series was made out of this game too. The objective of the game is to eat all the dots on the way has made people go crazy while playing the game. As of 2016, the revenue of $14bn is made out of this game.
What is Pacman Plus?
Pac-man Plus is a third in the series of Pac-man developed and released by Midway Gaming Inc. in the year 1982. The producers marketed the game extensively as ‘Exciting and ‘New’. Yes, the game had a few changes that made the players get more excited.
The people felt that the game is competitive compared to the actual Pac-man. The developers were cautious in making changes to the point systems too. For example, eating a bonus point turns the Ghosts invisible or vulnerable. Once it gets vulnerable, the points get doubled. Moreover, the speed of the game is rapid. It makes the players and well in-game players get aggressive too.
Arcade express has rated the game 8 out of 10. It is rated high merely because of the graphical content available for the player while playing the game. Both Pac-man and Pac-man plus did not have any home versions earlier. Nowadays, mobile phone versions exist. Also, plug and play method is hitting the ceiling in its sales.
Pac-man Plus did not leave away the legacy created by Pac-man. The game plan remains the same but altered the graphical content invariably. Right from the colour of the maze to the shape of the ghosts, the developers have made a conscious effort to give a new look to the evergreen game of the 80s Kids.
Main Differences Between Pacman and Pacman Plus
- The main difference between Pac-man and Pac-man Plus is the development team. Pac-man was developed and released by Namco, while Pac-man Plus was developed and released by Midway Gaming Inc. The former belonged to Japan while the latter is from North America.
- Pac-man has a Blue Maze while Pac-man Plus has a Blue coloured maze.
- Pac-man is usually moderate when it comes to difficulty levels. Even if you reach the topmost level in the game, it is a bit moderate when compared to Pac-man Plus’ difficulty levels.
- The appearance of the ghost in Pac-man is bigger compared to the one in Pac-man Plus. Also, the latter’s ghost has a stem and a leaf sticking to its head.
- The consumption of power pellet has predictable results in the case of Pac-man while it is unpredictable in Pac-man Plus. At times, the Ghosts get vulnerable, and some other time, it gets into invisible mode.
Conclusion
The game by itself is a brand. Pac-man evolved and loomed large over the decades. Creating a cultural as well financial legacy, Pac-man and Pac-man plus is similar in their audience approach. The target audience was kept concrete as the general public, and it is gender-biased, unlike the other games in the market. Several products were developed based on the game. The game offered commercial success to the television series that was developed too.
References
- https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/6815300/
- https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-642-02315-6_23