Anti-Pacman
January 28, 2008 8:52 AM Subscribe
Is it just me, or did the ghosts move faster than PacMan in the original? Because here if you have 1 ghost, it's nearly impossible to catch PacMan. Also, your ghosts have 0 AI, so don't rely on them to not walk directly into PacMan's mouth when you're not actively controlling them.
posted by Eideteker at 9:01 AM on January 28, 2008 [6 favorites]
posted by Eideteker at 9:01 AM on January 28, 2008 [6 favorites]
Harder than it should be. Nice idea though. Maybe an anti-GTA should be next, The Revenge of the Pedestrian...
posted by jontyjago at 9:02 AM on January 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by jontyjago at 9:02 AM on January 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
Yeah, if it had AI for the ghosts, or even a waypoint system, RTS style, it would be more fun. The way it is now, you just hope the other ghosts do something other than wander off to the other side of the screen.
posted by demiurge at 9:04 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by demiurge at 9:04 AM on January 28, 2008
Is it just me, or did the ghosts move faster than PacMan in the original?
Wikipedia sez: The ghosts are bound by the maze in the same way as Pac-Man, but generally move slightly faster than the player, but they slow down when turning corners and slow down significantly while passing through the tunnels on the sides of the maze. (Pac-Man can pass through these tunnels unhindered.) This is counteracted by the fact that Pac-Man slows down slightly while eating dots, so if a ghost is chasing Pac-Man while he is eating a long chain of dots, he will slowly, but surely be caught. The red ghost speeds up after a certain number of dots are eaten (this occurs earlier in higher levels).
But I think the game would be too easy if your ghosts were faster than Pac-Man.
posted by sveskemus at 9:06 AM on January 28, 2008
Wikipedia sez: The ghosts are bound by the maze in the same way as Pac-Man, but generally move slightly faster than the player, but they slow down when turning corners and slow down significantly while passing through the tunnels on the sides of the maze. (Pac-Man can pass through these tunnels unhindered.) This is counteracted by the fact that Pac-Man slows down slightly while eating dots, so if a ghost is chasing Pac-Man while he is eating a long chain of dots, he will slowly, but surely be caught. The red ghost speeds up after a certain number of dots are eaten (this occurs earlier in higher levels).
But I think the game would be too easy if your ghosts were faster than Pac-Man.
posted by sveskemus at 9:06 AM on January 28, 2008
They should use the whole keyboard so you could drive multiple ghosts simultaneously.
posted by GuyZero at 9:07 AM on January 28, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by GuyZero at 9:07 AM on January 28, 2008 [3 favorites]
Yes, I too would like to conduct a symphony of ghosts rather than one lame gimpy one.
posted by Mister_A at 9:14 AM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister_A at 9:14 AM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
I know it's common to take a phrase out of context and declare it the name of one's next band/blog/sockpuppet, but "symphony of ghosts" is such a great band name, I'm almost compelled to learn an instrument so I can use it.
Oh, this game? Way too hard.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 9:24 AM on January 28, 2008
Oh, this game? Way too hard.
posted by Terminal Verbosity at 9:24 AM on January 28, 2008
The red ghost speeds up after a certain number of dots are eaten
This state is called "Cruise Elroy", easily the greatest name for anything, ever. (term origin AskeMe'd and unanswered. Although later claimed to be answered in unanswered questions thread, but I don't buy the answer given.)
posted by dirtdirt at 9:30 AM on January 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
This state is called "Cruise Elroy", easily the greatest name for anything, ever. (term origin AskeMe'd and unanswered. Although later claimed to be answered in unanswered questions thread, but I don't buy the answer given.)
posted by dirtdirt at 9:30 AM on January 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
Yeah, it's a good idea but the ghosts are just too counter-productively stupid for it to be fun.
posted by creasy boy at 9:37 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by creasy boy at 9:37 AM on January 28, 2008
I did expect better teammate AI for blinky, pinky, inky, and clyde.
posted by rainman84 at 9:40 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by rainman84 at 9:40 AM on January 28, 2008
Clyde sucked. I was Blinky, and I had that pac-punk in the throes of death. He was pacing in the top left corner, like an animal, waiting to be digitally slaughtered. He went right, I blocked his path, he went left, I scurried over and haunted his way out. I just knew as soon as my one remaining ghostly partner got his butt in gear, Paccles was history. But no, dumb Clyde was scooting through the maze like a forlorn teenager with her mom's credit card through a new shopping mall, sliding up and down the main aisles, going in and out of the mwa (magical wrap-around) and coming tantalizingly close to assistance, but all for naught.
I turned it off when I realized that maybe clyde was a mole.
posted by cashman at 9:47 AM on January 28, 2008 [3 favorites]
I turned it off when I realized that maybe clyde was a mole.
posted by cashman at 9:47 AM on January 28, 2008 [3 favorites]
When I was a kid I had elaborate daydreams about a two-player head-to-head version of pacman where one person controlled the ghosts. Yet another dream deferred that someone else picked up on.
posted by OmieWise at 9:53 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by OmieWise at 9:53 AM on January 28, 2008
See also: Pac Man Vs. for the Nintendo Gamecube and Nintendo DS. One player is Pac, 3 others are ghosts.
posted by ALongDecember at 10:01 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by ALongDecember at 10:01 AM on January 28, 2008
This game is interesting and novel. The fact that the ghost AI is awful and you can only control one is the game. It's a little hard, yeah. But once you figure out how to corner Pac with two of your ghosts and slowly tighten the vice and use a third ghost to provide the final lancing, why, it's a pretty clever game.
posted by Nelson at 10:12 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by Nelson at 10:12 AM on January 28, 2008
The way it is now, you just hope the other ghosts do something other than wander off to the other side of the screen.
No, you use the number keys (1 - 4) to switch between ghosts, and you corral him. I figured this out after i only had two left, and while it was challenging, I was able to corner that little bastard on the first try.
posted by dammitjim at 10:16 AM on January 28, 2008
No, you use the number keys (1 - 4) to switch between ghosts, and you corral him. I figured this out after i only had two left, and while it was challenging, I was able to corner that little bastard on the first try.
posted by dammitjim at 10:16 AM on January 28, 2008
This state is called "Cruise Elroy"
Yeah, that was my old AskMe question. I still have cruiseelroy.net registered. No idea what to do with it yet.
posted by danb at 10:36 AM on January 28, 2008
Yeah, that was my old AskMe question. I still have cruiseelroy.net registered. No idea what to do with it yet.
posted by danb at 10:36 AM on January 28, 2008
Site fails miserably in Firefox3 beta. I can't even see the game. Stupid bad coding.
posted by caution live frogs at 10:43 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by caution live frogs at 10:43 AM on January 28, 2008
I would highly encourage the development of AntiWizardOfWor.
posted by Wolfdog at 10:44 AM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Wolfdog at 10:44 AM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
"Site fails miserably in Firefox3 beta. I can't even see the game. Stupid bad coding."
If you want to play the game try clicking the blank black box to activate it. FF 2.0, anyway.
This comment is presented in good faith and is in no way intended to defend that coding or usability model.
posted by dirtdirt at 10:50 AM on January 28, 2008
If you want to play the game try clicking the blank black box to activate it. FF 2.0, anyway.
This comment is presented in good faith and is in no way intended to defend that coding or usability model.
posted by dirtdirt at 10:50 AM on January 28, 2008
I saw the link text, and my first thought was of Pac-Man, running around an empty maze, vomiting dots and half-digested blue ghosts. What's worse is I was kind of disappointed when the actual game didn't match my vision.
posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg at 11:01 AM on January 28, 2008 [3 favorites]
posted by L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg at 11:01 AM on January 28, 2008 [3 favorites]
I got PacMan cornered a bunch of times, but instead of being able to outsmart, overpower and eat him I ended up spending minutes of my life basically chasing him around a table. I realized it wasn't going to get any better, so that's when I got bored and walked away to make coffee.
posted by miss lynnster at 11:24 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by miss lynnster at 11:24 AM on January 28, 2008
I agree with the symphony of ghosts idea. I would much rather lose trying to control the four at once, than lose because they keep wandering off when the only pellets left are RIGHT THERE. Stop it! We're trying to trap him! There's nothing interesting in that corner!
posted by Gary at 11:28 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by Gary at 11:28 AM on January 28, 2008
This is the first game of Anti-Games series.
I hope the next game will be Anti-Pong.
posted by Authorized User at 11:30 AM on January 28, 2008
I hope the next game will be Anti-Pong.
posted by Authorized User at 11:30 AM on January 28, 2008
AntiSpaceInvaders I imagine having a certain dreary, fatalistic atmosphere to it.
Anti-Breakout could be a sort of Sisyphean exercise in replacing lost bricks.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:48 AM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
Anti-Breakout could be a sort of Sisyphean exercise in replacing lost bricks.
posted by Wolfdog at 11:48 AM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
Seconding "Pac-Man VS". It is a GREAT unsung party game.
posted by Dr-Baa at 11:59 AM on January 28, 2008
Reminds me of Steel Defence Commander, which might be called AntiShootEmUp. And yeah, while the idea of AntiPacMan is cool it sucks if you have only one ghost left - it's basically a stale-mate from then on.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 11:59 AM on January 28, 2008
posted by PontifexPrimus at 11:59 AM on January 28, 2008
Dr-Baa typed "Seconding 'Pac-Man VS'. It is a GREAT unsung party game."
I've never played it, but every time I'm at a video game store I look at it and debate buying a Game Boy Advance.
Pac-Man Vs. really needs to be revived as a Wii download title with Nintendo DS integration.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:03 PM on January 28, 2008
I've never played it, but every time I'm at a video game store I look at it and debate buying a Game Boy Advance.
Pac-Man Vs. really needs to be revived as a Wii download title with Nintendo DS integration.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:03 PM on January 28, 2008
By the way, Pac-Man is a jackhole.
posted by roll truck roll at 12:04 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by roll truck roll at 12:04 PM on January 28, 2008
I have nothing to add except to say that the victory screen you see after completing a level may very well contain the greatest work of visual art the human race has yet produced.
posted by AndrewStephens at 12:45 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by AndrewStephens at 12:45 PM on January 28, 2008
When we get to Anti-Frogger, expect PETA to be very, very pissed...
posted by pupdog at 1:34 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by pupdog at 1:34 PM on January 28, 2008
Pac-Man Vs. is available on the DS now as part of the recent Namco games collection.
danb:
Since Shadow speeds up when most of the dots are eaten, and again when they're nearly all gone, and he's the most aggressive monster, I would suggest that cruiseelroy.net be used for a blog about people failing at things at the last second, when victory seemed assured. It'd be a Nelson-laugh kind of thing....
Other antigame ideas....
Anti-Asteroids: Could actually be interesting in that rocks continue in the direction you send them in when you take control, unlike those damn ghosts.
Anti-Defender: Destroy the world by skimming the ground, shooting all the humanoids! Although some advanced players in fact do this with most of them.
Anti-Tetris: Try to fill up the bin by stacking blocks without making complete lines. But the pieces are -slippery-, and slide around, frequently falling into settled layers.
Anti-Zork: The idea is to see how many times you can get "I don't understand 'x'." messages without repeating yourself.
Anti-Nethack: You're just a super-powerful wizard lurking about the depths of hell, meditating on your favorite spot, when this git breaks in and cuts off your head! It's payback time for you and your many identical twins....
Anti-Dig-Dug: Your job is to deposit soil in order to trap in the monsters. Where does the soil come from? Well see, Taizo* just ate at P. F. Changs....
*"Taizo Hori" is the name of the Dig-Dug guy. He's the father of the Mr. Driller guy.
posted by JHarris at 1:36 PM on January 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
danb:
Since Shadow speeds up when most of the dots are eaten, and again when they're nearly all gone, and he's the most aggressive monster, I would suggest that cruiseelroy.net be used for a blog about people failing at things at the last second, when victory seemed assured. It'd be a Nelson-laugh kind of thing....
Other antigame ideas....
Anti-Asteroids: Could actually be interesting in that rocks continue in the direction you send them in when you take control, unlike those damn ghosts.
Anti-Defender: Destroy the world by skimming the ground, shooting all the humanoids! Although some advanced players in fact do this with most of them.
Anti-Tetris: Try to fill up the bin by stacking blocks without making complete lines. But the pieces are -slippery-, and slide around, frequently falling into settled layers.
Anti-Zork: The idea is to see how many times you can get "I don't understand 'x'." messages without repeating yourself.
Anti-Nethack: You're just a super-powerful wizard lurking about the depths of hell, meditating on your favorite spot, when this git breaks in and cuts off your head! It's payback time for you and your many identical twins....
Anti-Dig-Dug: Your job is to deposit soil in order to trap in the monsters. Where does the soil come from? Well see, Taizo* just ate at P. F. Changs....
*"Taizo Hori" is the name of the Dig-Dug guy. He's the father of the Mr. Driller guy.
posted by JHarris at 1:36 PM on January 28, 2008 [2 favorites]
Asteroids Revenge is a sort of anti-Asteroids.
posted by Nelson at 1:44 PM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Nelson at 1:44 PM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
Asteroids Revenge
Asteroids Revenge II and III
posted by Gary at 3:11 PM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
Asteroids Revenge II and III
posted by Gary at 3:11 PM on January 28, 2008 [1 favorite]
Wow what refreshing change from the years of normal pacmaning.
posted by Funky Claude at 3:28 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by Funky Claude at 3:28 PM on January 28, 2008
Asteroids Revenge III is seriously fun for a limited Flash game.
posted by grouse at 5:04 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by grouse at 5:04 PM on January 28, 2008
Anti-[generic 80s game]: You control a bottomless pit and wait to devour unlucky players.
posted by ersatz at 5:56 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by ersatz at 5:56 PM on January 28, 2008
Thanks for the link, Gary. I'm hooked. :-(
posted by wastelands at 9:04 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by wastelands at 9:04 PM on January 28, 2008
Just a note, you can switch between the ghosts using the 1 2 3 and 4 keys on your keyboard
posted by mulligan at 10:06 PM on January 28, 2008
posted by mulligan at 10:06 PM on January 28, 2008
L. Fitzgerald Sjoberg: I saw the link text, and my first thought was of Pac-Man, running around an empty maze, vomiting dots and half-digested blue ghosts. What's worse is I was kind of disappointed when the actual game didn't match my vision.
JHarris: Anti-Dig-Dug: Your job is to deposit soil in order to trap in the monsters. Where does the soil come from? Well see, Taizo* just ate at P. F. Changs....
So... you just want to see a game run in reverse?
This sounds boring. But there's only one way to tell!
*fires up MAME*
posted by Pronoiac at 1:41 AM on January 29, 2008
JHarris: Anti-Dig-Dug: Your job is to deposit soil in order to trap in the monsters. Where does the soil come from? Well see, Taizo* just ate at P. F. Changs....
So... you just want to see a game run in reverse?
This sounds boring. But there's only one way to tell!
*fires up MAME*
posted by Pronoiac at 1:41 AM on January 29, 2008
Once you're down to one ghost, it's impossible to catch Pac Man. He always makes the same avoidance moves, and his reflexes are faster than yours. You can chase him around a block all day and never catch him.
Once I was down to one ghost and only one magic pill remaining, I simply squatted on the magic pill and waited. Pac Man wouldn't get too close to me, even though there were maybe a dozen dots between us. He simply paced back and forth, just our of reach, forever. I didn't exactly win the war, but I didn't lose either!
posted by Lord Kinbote at 12:00 PM on January 29, 2008
Once I was down to one ghost and only one magic pill remaining, I simply squatted on the magic pill and waited. Pac Man wouldn't get too close to me, even though there were maybe a dozen dots between us. He simply paced back and forth, just our of reach, forever. I didn't exactly win the war, but I didn't lose either!
posted by Lord Kinbote at 12:00 PM on January 29, 2008
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posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 8:56 AM on January 28, 2008