[{"TitleName":"Pac-Man","Publisher":"Atarisoft","Author":"David J. Looker, Hiro Kimura","YearOfRelease":"1984","ZxDbId":"0003581","Reviews":[{"Issue":{"Name":"Your Spectrum Issue 7, Sep 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-08-16","Editor":"Roger Munford","TotalPages":74,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Roger Munford\r\nManaging Editor: Bruce Sawford\r\nDeputy Editor: Tina Boylan\r\nTechnical Editor: Peter Shaw\r\nSub Editor: Sophie Wright\r\nEditorial Consultant: Andrew Pennell\r\nSoftware Consultant: Gavin Monk\r\nContributors: Ron Smith, Gavin Smyth, Simon Goodiwn, Henry Budgett, Ross Holman, Stevenage Computer Club, John Flenley, Ian Beardsmore, John Tydeman, Stephen Stratford\r\nArt Editor: Hazel Bennington\r\nArt Assistant: Steve Broadhurst\r\nGroup Advertising Manager: Jill Harris\r\nAdvertising: Shane Campbell, Nik Saha, Dave Baskerville\r\nTypesetters: Carlinpoint\r\nProduction Manager: Sonia Hunt\r\nGroup Art Director: Perry Neville\r\nPublisher: Steven England\r\n\r\nPublished by Sportscene Specialist Press Ltd, [redacted] Company registered in England. Telephone (all departments): [redacted]\r\nReproduction: Graphic Ideas, London\r\nPrinters: Chase Web Offset [redacted]\r\nDistribution: Seymour Press [redacted]\r\n\r\nAll material in Your Spectrum ©1984 Felden productions, and may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the written consent of the publishers. Your Spectrum is a monthly publication.\r\n\r\nCover Illustration by Mark Watkinson"},"MainText":"PAC-MAN\r\nAtarisoft\r\n£9.95\r\n\r\nThe Pac-man, as usual, scores points by eating all the dots in the maze while avoiding the pursuing ghosts. There are four flashing power pills, located one in each corner of the screen.","ReviewerComments":["Atari has Spectrumised its old favourite - it's just as good as the original and is not likely to be equalled. It's also nice that all the sound effects have been included.\r\nIan Hemmingway","Technically, it's as good as most other Pacman type games, and no doubt some people will go for it. However, there must be better similar games now available, even though the speed gets quite challenging.\r\nFrank Pelling","It's totally unoriginal, but that doesn't make a bit of difference to the playability. The speed increases as you progress and the colour is just right.\r\nOwen Pugh"],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"45","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Ian Hemmingway","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":"HIT"},{"Name":"Frank Pelling","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":"MISS"},{"Name":"Owen Pugh","Score":"","ScoreSuffix":"HIT"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":null,"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Big K Issue 4, Jul 1984","Price":"£0.85","ReleaseDate":"1984-06-20","Editor":"Tony Tyler","TotalPages":100,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Tony Tyler\r\nAssisted By: Richard Burton\r\nContributors: Paul Walton (Features); Paul Rambali (Arcades); Jenny Parrott; John May; Steve Keaton; David Rimmer; Richard Taylor; Bernard Turner; David Ellis; David Eastbury; Tony Benyon\r\nArt/Design: Central Art Studio\r\nGroup Art Editor: Doug Church\r\nGroup Advert Controller: Luis Bartlett\r\nPublishing Director: John Purdie\r\nEditorial Address: [redacted]\r\nTelephone: [redacted]\r\n\r\nPublished approximately on the 20th of each month by IPC Magazines Ltd. [redacted]. Monotone and colour origination by G.M. Litho Ltd [redacted]. Printed in England by Chase Web Offset, Cornwall. Sole Agents: Australia and New Zealand, Gordon& Gotch (A/sia) Ltd.; South Africa, Central News Agency Ltd. BIG K is sold subject to the following conditions, namely that it shall not, without the written consent of the Publishers first given, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise disposed of by way of trade at more than the recommended selling price shown on the cover, and that it shall not be lent, resold or hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated constitute or any unauthorised cover by way of trade or affixed to as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. IPC MAGAZINES 1984."},"MainText":"TOO LATE... TOO PRICEY!\r\n\r\nMAKER: Atarisoft\r\nMACHINE: Spectrum\r\nFORMAT: cassette\r\nPRICE: £14.99\r\n\r\nLike a guest late for his own party Pac-Man finally arrives on the Spectrum scene.\r\n\r\nYes, folks, the genuine, fully authorised, accept-no-fakes, original Ghost Gobbler is here. Purists who have been holding out against the hordes of Pac-Clones, this is it!\r\n\r\nThe best compliment that can be paid to Atarisoft's Spectrum edition of Pac-Man is that it is an extremely faithful reproduction of the original arcade barnstormer. All the ingredients that made the game a classic (ghosts, power pills, fruit, etc.) are rendered in easily recognisable graphics form.\r\n\r\nIn fact about the only thing that shows up the Spectrum's limitations is some rough animation. Sound, however, is very good and manages to retain the characteristic 'wacka wacka' sound of the game.\r\n\r\nA high score table, attract mode, keyboard/joystick options and a cute 'interlude' after each two screens round off a generally high quality presentation - which is to be expected of an Atari product.\r\n\r\nThe big problem of course is that Pac-Man has already been done to death. Atari I have attempted to close the proverbial stable door with the horse cold in its grave.\r\n\r\nEven those who haven't already got some form of the ghost chomping game in their collections will be hard put to cough up nearly us for this cassette-based edition. Atari seem to be blind to the realities of the software marketplace in this country. Someone had better perform some laser surgery on their corporate optic nerve before lack of foresight condemns this particular game to some dusty shelf in a Hall of Fame somewhere.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"26","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Richard Burton","Score":"2","ScoreSuffix":"/3"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Overall","Score":"2/3","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]},{"Issue":{"Name":"Personal Computer Games Issue 6, May 1984","Price":"£0.75","ReleaseDate":"1984-04-19","Editor":"Chris Anderson","TotalPages":168,"HasCoverTape":false,"FlannelPanel":"Editor: Chris Anderson\r\nProduction Editor: Roderick George\r\nArt Editor: Ian Findlay\r\nTechnical Editor: Stuart Cooke\r\nStaff Writers: Steve Cooke, Peter Connor\r\nEditorial Assistant: Samantha Hemens\r\nSoftware Consultant: Tony Takoushi\r\nCartoons: Kipper Williams\r\nProgram Control Guardians: Jeff Riddle\r\nScreenshots: Chris Bell\r\nCover Illustration: Pat Weedon\r\nGroup Editor: Cyndy Miles\r\nArt Director: Jim Dansie\r\nGroup Publisher: John Cade\r\nPublisher: Mark Eisen\r\nAssistant Publishing Manager: Sue Clements\r\nPublishing Secretary: Jenny Dunne\r\nAdvertising Manager: Herbert Wright\r\nAssistant Advertisement Manager: Jan Martin\r\nGroup Advertisement Manager: Mike Caroll\r\nAdvertisement Production: Simon Carter\r\nAdvertisement Assistant: Coraline Turner\r\nSales Executives: Joey Davies, Marion O'Neill\r\n\r\nPublished by VNU Business Publications, [redacted]. Typesetting by Spectrum Typesetting, [redacted] Origination by Fourmost Colour [redacted]. Printed and bound by Chase Web Offset [redacted]. © VNU Business Publications 1984."},"MainText":"MACHINE: Spectrum\r\nJOYSTICK: Optional\r\nSUPPLIER: Atarisoft\r\nPRICE: £14.99\r\n\r\nI must admit that my first impression on seeing this game was 'why did they bother?' After all, the Spectrum has been around for a couple of years now and, despite the efforts of Atari's litigation-hungry legal department, a number of companies have produced Pac-Man-derived games.\r\n\r\nIndeed, Bug-Byte's excellent Spectres was a novel implementation that sold very well and proved extremely addictive to play.\r\n\r\nBut it must be said that the official, Atari-approved Pac-Man has a number of things going for it.\r\n\r\nThe aim, of course, is to tear round a maze, gobbling dots and avoiding monsters. I found that keyboard control was adequate, but a joystick is a necessity for those really high scores.\r\n\r\nAtarisoft has chosen to ignore the Sinclair Interface 2 and instead has opted for Kempston compatibility, which could cut the sales potential a bit, although it must be said that probably the majority of Spectrum owners have plumped for this particular stick.\r\n\r\nAlthough the four ghosts don't have the 'personalities' of their arcade counterparts, once the first couple of mazes have been cleared the action gets fast and furious enough for anyone.\r\n\r\nThe graphics are faithful to the original, given the Spectrum's limitations, and all in all this is a fair copy of the arcade favourite. But have they left it too late? And look at the price! Atarisoft is pushing its luck a bit. I can't see too many Spectrum owners being willing to shell out more than a fiver.","ReviewerComments":[],"OverallSummary":"","Page":"66,67","Denied":false,"Award":"Not Awarded","Reviewers":[{"Name":"Steve Mann","Score":"3","ScoreSuffix":"/10"}],"ScreenshotText":[],"BlurbText":[],"TranscriptBy":"Chris Bourne","ReviewScores":[{"Header":"Graphics","Score":"7/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Sound","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Originality","Score":"4/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Lasting Interest","Score":"6/10","Text":""},{"Header":"Overall","Score":"3/10","Text":""}],"CompilationReviewScores":[]}]}]