Released in July (2017) by Bridge Direct under the Basic Fun label, this is a updated version of their original Pac Man MiniCade release in 2016. Number 07 in the Arcade Series!
As with the first release, there are two games on this little device. The original Pac Man and a game called Chase! The second game has you running out in the maze to collect a power pellet and then return back to the ghost corral without getting caught. Actually is quite fun.
The packaging is very nice and has some great Pac Man illustrations. There are two packaging variations, A blister pack and a nice boxed version. The boxed version is exclusive to Walmart stores. The minicade has four main buttons – On/Off, three level volume, start/pause and mode. When you pause the game it will play the intermission song until you press the pause again to play. the mode button allows you to either select Pac Man Arcade or Chase!
The most significant upgrade was the addition of a full color LCD screen! Although it is only 4 colors, it looks much better than the original monochromatic LCD screen of the first release. The display emulates a VFD display quite well with bright colors and nice animations. Another nice feature is it now has a cool arcade cabinet type design!
It plays rather well, very reminiscent of game play of the Coleco Mini Pac Man. Pac Man only faces one direction in the maze but you can eat dots regardless of which way he is facing. The maze looks really good and very similar to the arcade version. All the ghosts are Red and will blink when a power pellet is chomped. The high score is retained until either the batteries are replaced or if the small reset button is depressed in back of the unit. The joystick has been put over on the left hand side of the control panel which can be hard to use. Needed to be in the center like the first release and like the arcade version of Pac Man.
Pros:
- Authentic arcade sounds!
- Pause feature!
- Two game modes!
- High Score retention!
- Nice artwork!
- Color LCD Screen!
- Mini Arcade Cabinent Design!
Cons:
- Only 4 colors
- Joystick uses carbon dot silicon mushroom pads, can become unresponsive at times.
- Although there are two speaker grills, only one speaker is used.
- Joystick mounted to the far left, makes it difficult to play the game.
Overall I really like this Minicade! It would have been much better if it had a full color TFT display like Qbert and Centipede but it still has been done quite well. Even with the relocated joystick, it is still very enjoyable to play!
Rating: (4 out of 5 Minicades)
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