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Playing Pacman is easy to learn and hard to master (like all
classic games). Simply score as many points as you can eating
the small dots all around the maze. 10 points per dot (240
of them). Big points come when you eat 1 of the 4 Big flashing
dots called Energizers worth 50 points located in each corner
of the maze. You can gather a possible 14,600 points for each
level, and if you gobble up a few fruits you add to the level.
The first fruit, the cherry, gives a small bonus of 100 points,
progressing to higher levels like the Key level you can receive
as high as 5000 point per fruit eaten. Once you eat an energizer,
all the monsters in the maze turn blue and run away from you.
At this point you can eat the monsters for points effectively
doubling the points from 200 to 1600 per monster you eat.
The monsters will only stay blue for a limited time, or until
you eat them all. Once you eat a monster it's eyes are the
only thing left until they return to the monster bull pin,
and the monster regenerates back, comes out of the monster
bull pin, and is on the move again though the maze. It is
fairly easy to eat all the monsters during the limited time
of the Energizer phase, however the more mazes you clear,
the shorter the Energizer phase is. Sooner or later at this
point, it's a good thing that fruits are worth more points
because the monsters start getting so fast that you almost
can't even see them turning blue, and even later they do not
even reverse at all. Every Pacman attic has a love-hate relationship
with the monsters. You've got to eat them for points, however
you want to stay far away as long as possible. Serious players
will start to understand the personality of each of the monster
and use this to their advantage. Once you're read this web
page, take a few days to practice up on your newly honed skills.
Then challenge your friends to a game of Pacman. You'll amaze
them with your skill.
The Pattern Theories:
In order to go though each level faster and faster, you must
form logical and repeatable patterns. The Cherry partner is
the first of three logical patterns. If these patterns are followed
with accuracy, the Pacman will safely outwit the monsters and
get a huge majority of the dots on the maze at the same time.
Once you memorize the patterns, you'll be able to relax and
play just like a pro. Many people are even seen yawning during
the first few levels. The toughest part about running patterns
is that fact that you must move your Pacman around following
the precise pattern. Failure to follow the pattern without hesitation,
can throw the timing off enough to lose the pattern. Certain
situations can look like certain death, be brave and run full
throttle around ever single corner. To do this you must train
yourself to have the joystick already going in the direction
that you want to go, a split second before the actual turn.
Pacman Pros can't stress this enough.
The Cherry Pattern:
Start of by going left. (A)
Make sure that you clear the entire bottom row of dots. You
can stay out of the danger area if you do this quickly first.
If you miss one dot, and have to return it, will blow the entire
pattern. (B) Three
monsters will be coming at you here. Don't hesitate and make
the pattern as quick as possible. (C)
Here eat your Energizer, then kill the three monsters running
from you. The fourth monster will be running toward the bottom
screen. Chase him to kill for 1600 point while he's still blue.
(D) Once you've reached
this area, you're on your own here. A few monsters will be following
you at this point. Eat the top right energizer and kill the
monsters. If the monsters stop following you and retreat, clear
as many dots as possible on the top part of the screen and head
for the energizer on the top left. The monsters will eventually
close in, where you can eat the energizer and kill them.
The Mid-Fruit Pattern
The pace picks up at bit here with the second mid fruit pattern.
This pattern works with the next three screens. The first will
have a strawberry: the second will have peaches. The monsters
don't stay blue as long as they did in the first pattern. Point
values for eating fruits are going up. The tunnels become more
effective as the speeds increase here. Start off going to the
left again. (A)
Clear the bottom row of dots again, but this time retrace your
steps on that bottom row. (B)
Again, turning this corner is critical. Do not hesitate. The
monsters are charging faster than the first maze. If you're
slick, you'll survive. (C)
Eat this energizer and kill the three monsters. One will try
to escape though the tunnel, go get him before he goes into
the tunnel. Then go to the bottom to get the forth monster for
that 1600 points before they turn back from blue. (D)
Once here, you're on your own once again. The strategy is similar
again here. If the monster keeps after you, eat the top right
energizer and kill them. If the monsters retreat, eat the dots
on the top of the screen and make your way over to the top left.
The Apple Pattern:
The Apple pattern is the third and final Pacman pattern. If
followed correctly, with hesitation, you'll successfully gobble
up most of the small dots on the screen before you eat any monsters
or energizers. Play these corners to your own style, but keep
in mind that the monsters only stay blue for a very limited
time now. You might be able to only eat 1-2 before they turn
back. Do not get to greedy on eating monsters, your bigger points
will come from eating the 2 fruits per level that this pattern
will let you get. (A)
Unlike the first two patterns, you clear only half the bottom
row of dots, and move upward first. (B)
at this point you have already been though here, but guide your
Pacman down to the corner here, then double back. This is a
decoy and will make the monsters slip right on by you. When
the coast is clear, you resume the pattern. (C)
2 dots will remain here. Quickly, and we do mean quickly, snatch
up these dots, reverse, and continue up. If you lagged previously
in the plan, you may not be able to snatch up these dots. If
you can do it, it will leave a nice clean maze. (D)
If a monster is charging you right at this point, hesitate,
and let the monster go past under you. Follow the monster though
the tunnel, but do not overtake him. If no monster is approaching,
simply follow the plan as show. (E)
Go though the tunnel. At this point near 80% of the maze will
be clear of dots. The only remaining dots will be conveniently
around the energizers. Play each corner with your own style.
Shake the joystick to lure the monsters into the energizer trap.
Some screens during various levels keep the monsters blue for
longer. Make sure you give yourself time needed to eat the monsters
while there still blue if your going after them.
Pattern Variations:
After Pacman developed a dedicated audience of followers in
arcade, people started learning patterns and scoring huge scores
while tying up the games for hours. By demand from Arcade owners,
Midway came up with some variations in the ROMS, throwing off
patterns so that original patterns didn't work anymore. It became
evident that Midway had simply switched the orders of the patterns.
Combine this with the bootleg roms out there, the general public
didn't know what game version you we're playing on. It's important
that you figure out which version of Midway game you we're playing
on. This can be done by watching the behavior of the monsters
first.
Upon the start of the first maze, if the light blue monster
"bashful" stays in the monster bull pin, you're
on a 1-2-5 machine. This means that the cherry pattern is
used during the first maze; the Mid-fruit pattern on the screen
2,3,and 4; and the apple pattern from screens 5 on till your
arm falls off. If "Bashful" leaves the monster bull
pin and goes stair-step fashion downward to the bottom right
part of the screen, you're on a 1-3 design type machine, where
the mid-fruit pattern is used on screens 1 and 2, and the
apple pattern is used from screen 3 onward until you get throw
out of the Arcade. If "Bashful" doesn't behave in
any of these ways, most likely your on some type of machine
that is a variant, bootleg, or other non-Midway machine. You
can try to devise your own plans, but this web page is mostly
made up for Midway Original machines.
Tricks, Zones, and Hiding spots:
(A) and (C)
These areas marked in red lines, are areas that have been designated
as Danger Zones. These are areas in which you have to remember
to spend the least amount of time in as possible. Scoop up the
dots as fast as you can, and stay out if at all possible. (B)
The tunnel can be used as an effective tool, especially in the
higher levels as it slows down monsters going though, and this
can buy you a little bit of time if the monsters are hot on
your trail. However, do not stay in the tunnel for any amount
of time, use it for going though over and over, but don't hang
around it or go from side to side to side. The monsters will
know what you're doing, and will cut you off.
Whether or not Midway intended it, there's a secret hiding spot
in the Pacman maze. This magical spot will keep you safe from
all monsters for as long as you like, but only during the cherry
and mid-fruit phases. (D) Simple
enter this area when the monsters are looking away from you.
Once there, the monsters will not be able to see you, and will
dart around looking for you in a repetitive pattern. This hiding
spot comes in handy for these breaks like going to the bathroom,
and getting something to eat.
Fakeouts and Lures are the hallmark of a good Pacman strategy. Although they are ingenious individual techniques, all fake outs build on a basic concept: Misdirection. It is at the heart of every good chase and is what makes Pacman so apealing. Once you've been playing long enough, you'll notice certain patterns that each one of the monsters carry out. In order to catch you, they must corner you. In order to corner you, they have to cooperate jointly. One monster will always pursue you, while others try and think one step ahead, and cut off your routes. This gives you an advantage once you discover that your being set up. By heading toward one direction, you can simple circle around a block in the maze suddenly going in the other direction. Most of the headoff monsters will be sent flying in the wrong direction. Since the monsters usually take their routes, this buys you time in order to pick up more dots usually on the other side of the maze. In certain cases if you are near an energizer and would like the monsters to be close so you can eat them for points, you can get the monsters attention by using the hesitation method right before you eat an energizer. This creates a good lure to bring them close to an Energizer when you eat it.
Finally, be sure to take your time. There's no time limit on finishing a maze up, and the monsters don't get smarter or faster despite what you might here in the game. Treat it as if you have all the time in the world to just go around the maze in some kind of illogical pattern of directions. You'll find that you play much better with this in mind. Make the maximum out of the first levels. Get as many monsters using the energizers as possible, later on this becomes very difficult as the monster don't stay blue very long at all. And finally, don't eat the last dot next to the energizer just yet. Wait for those monsters, eat the energizer, kill the monsters, then go back and get the last dot. But do it after they turn back from blue. I know it looks like you just want to finish off the maze, and get to the next already, but it's easy points right before you finish the level.
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