Difference between revisions of "PC-Man's World"

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'''Website:''' [http://members.chello.nl/~jtm.bergervoet/index800.htm GamesLab Productions]<br />
 
'''Website:''' [http://members.chello.nl/~jtm.bergervoet/index800.htm GamesLab Productions]<br />
 
'''Related games:''' ''[[Pac]]''
 
'''Related games:''' ''[[Pac]]''
}}There’s nothing strange about cloning ''Pac-Man''. It’s probably one of the five most significant videogames ever made. Its appearance changed the whole face of the game industry. Without it we wouldn’t have ''Donkey Kong'', ''Super Mario Bros.'', or the aspiration-based design that the whole industry has been based on since 1985. What may be strange is cloning [[A-J Games|someone else]]’s [[Pac|mediocre clone]] of ''Pac-Man''.
+
}}There’s nothing strange about cloning ''Pac-Man''. It’s probably one of the five most significant videogames ever made. Its appearance changed the whole face of the game industry. Without it we wouldn’t have ''Donkey Kong'', ''Super Mario Bros.'', or the aspiration-based design that the whole industry has been based on since 1985. What may be strange is the similarity of [[Bergervoet]]'s game to [[Pac|another clone]] of ''Pac-Man''.
  
 
If anything, Bergervoet’s game is probably better than ''Pac''. Curious as it might be, he put more work into designing original environments and hazards. Otherwise, Bergervoet copied the game's tricks almost to the letter, down to the weeping character at death. Then he threw in scary interstitial screens, positing PC-Men in all manner of guises and professions.  
 
If anything, Bergervoet’s game is probably better than ''Pac''. Curious as it might be, he put more work into designing original environments and hazards. Otherwise, Bergervoet copied the game's tricks almost to the letter, down to the weeping character at death. Then he threw in scary interstitial screens, positing PC-Men in all manner of guises and professions.  

Revision as of 08:49, 26 June 2012

PC-Man's World
Pc-man-title.gif

Release type: Freeware
Release date: 1998
Levels: 5
Author: Erwin Bergervoet
Website: GamesLab Productions
Related games: Pac

There’s nothing strange about cloning Pac-Man. It’s probably one of the five most significant videogames ever made. Its appearance changed the whole face of the game industry. Without it we wouldn’t have Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros., or the aspiration-based design that the whole industry has been based on since 1985. What may be strange is the similarity of Bergervoet's game to another clone of Pac-Man.

If anything, Bergervoet’s game is probably better than Pac. Curious as it might be, he put more work into designing original environments and hazards. Otherwise, Bergervoet copied the game's tricks almost to the letter, down to the weeping character at death. Then he threw in scary interstitial screens, positing PC-Men in all manner of guises and professions.

PC-Man.png

The main problems with PC-Man's World are the same that hinder Pac, namely the compromises centered around Xferplay's automatic counter rollover at death and the strictly location-based level progress mechanics. In other words, clearing all of the dots isn't enough; to move on you need to find and enter a goal -- and the game can't give the player more than one life, because if it did, any dots collected before death would stay collected while the level itself reset, rendering the whole collection mechanic meaningless.

Story

Level 1 of PC-Man's World

PC-Man lived with his family, in the tranquil forests of PC-Land. Of course a PC game is no game if nothing happens. But on this day, there was quite a bit of fuss.

One day, PC-Man went shopping. When he returned home, five of his relatives turned to him.

The others stood gaping, open-mouthed, at a flower vase. Of course PC-Man was shocked, and he immediately asked what was going on, to which his family said:

"This bottle is a Dungeon Spirit, which has taken five PCs from five different regions. Please, PC, will you help us?"

"Okay," PC-Man replied, "but where do I begin? Well, I suppose at the beginning. That would be in the desert, where Cowboy PC belongs. Then on to the cemetery, to return Vampire PC. And from there... I guess we'll see what happens."

Good luck!

Instructions

Level 1 intertitle from PC-Man's World
Left - Go left
Right - Go right
Up - Go up
Down - Go down
F1 Help
F2 Status
F3 Sound On \ Off
F4 Music On \ Off
F5 Save Game
F6 Load Game
F10 About Game Maker

Credits

Level 5 from PC-Man's World

Programmed and graphic designed by Erwin Bergervoet.

Assistance: Vincent Bergervoet

Voting: Have come due

Test Team

Jos Bergervoet
Vincent Bergervoet
Eric Large
Roel Kuiper
and Saskia

Created by Multigames.

Thanks to Game-Maker(tm).

Links

Downloads