The tome also explores patterns for the Atari 2600 version that work great-at least they worked fine when I played the game as a kid. How to Win at Pac-Man presents the three primary patterns and the famous ninth key pattern, along with tips about using the tunnels, misdirecting the ghosts, and using the hiding places on each board. Written by the editors of Consumer Guide Magazine and published by Penguin Books in 1982, the book is a vastly more entertaining presentation of the Pac-Man patterns, but lacks the depth and analysis of other books. Perhaps the most succinct (and engaging) book, however, was How to Win at Pac-Man. The 95-page tome boasted “new secrets” for both stand up and sit down arcade version of the game and also featured a workaround for the pattern-squashing chip. The ultimate goal of a good Pac-Man player.Īpril, 1982 brought Pac-Man practitioners The Video Master’s Guide to Pac-Man from authors Jim Sykora and John Birkner. While Uston’s Mastering Pac-Man provided an in-depth look at the Pac-Man patterns, with a revised edition that covered the Atari version, knock-off games, and the expanded chip, other books arrived to provide a more accessible portal into the hobby. Author Ken Uston (more on him later) would write about in his revised version of Mastering Pac-Man, noting that, “For every countermeasure, there’s a counter-countermeasure” and that experimenting with various patterns, he was able to get a few of his established ones to work while developing new ones dedicated to the new chip programming.

The “new chip” programming provided more of an opportunity for engaging in Pac-Man pattern perfection. This didn’t deter players from creating and perfecting new patterns, and Bally would later leave arcade licensing behind to focus on fitness. The perfecting and sharing of patterns became so popular that at one point, Bally Manufacturing Corporation-who licensed the arcade version at the time-changed the programming on some of their games to render the established patterns completely useless. By establishing patterns that would help Pac-Man clear each maze quickly while avoiding the ghosts, enabled players to engage in an early sort of gaming fandom and community contributions. Several books arrived in the early 1980s that sought to assist Pac-Man players in their eternal quest to obtain the highest score. While eye-hand coordination and making quick turns are vital to Pac-Man success, players began developing patterns of taking Pac-Man through each maze in a way that maximized scores and a series of established patterns for the mazes emerged. Playing and mastering the game became the subject of intense research and study on the part of the game’s players. The game spawned animated TV shows, several arcade variants, home versions, and music since its initial release on May 22, 1980. Pac-Man was a cultural phenomenon from the beginning, but evolved into a beloved, inclusive, and instantly recognizable part of modern day pop culture. So get those patterns committed to memory and don’t forget to eat plenty of fruit before you do. In today’s Tedium we’ll be revisiting Pac-Man through the many ways it has been-and continues to be-played, mastered, and adored today. The Pac-Man patterns are one of the most interesting aspects of the game’s entire history.

The rich history of the game, its sequels, and spin-offs is well covered around the internet, but the act of playing the game and perfecting one’s own performance within its legendary mazes doesn’t seem to generate much buzz in the 21st century.

I enjoyed the game from that moment onward, even if it wasn’t the ideal introduction to Pac-Man. Today in Tedium: As a kid, I owned the Atari 2600 port of Pac-Man. Hey all, Ernie here with a piece from David Buck, who spent a lot of time recently researching obscure patterns that once took the arcades of the world by storm.

Buckner and garcia pac man fever