Hello and welcome to the latest entry in Lost Gems, the special feature series where I cover games that have been lost, forgotten or removed from sale. This week I will be covering the home version of an arcade game, which was as close to arcade perfect compared to other releases at the time. So let us take a look at Namco’s Pac-Land for PC-Engine/TurboGrafx-16, which was published by Namco in Japan in 1989 and NEC in the west in 1990.
Disclaimer: while the version of the game discussed here may no longer be officially on sale, there are ways to obtain the game. This can be either through the secondary market, or via digital roms/rips. I do not condone or promote piracy, so there won’t be any links to roms or rips of the game being covered.
So with the introductions out of the way, let’s get started. I will be discussing the general game experience, then give my personal thoughts on the release. Please Note, while the Arcade version of the game is available through re-releases, this version of the game is different from that release.
About the game
Pac-Land is a rather simple side scrolling platformer, where the player controls Pac-Man, who must go on an adventure to return a lost fairy to Fairyland. The game itself is separated into Trips of four rounds each, where Pac-man must travel through three different areas to reach the door to Fairyland. After returning the fairy home, Pac-Man must make his way back home, being greeted by Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Baby.
To traverse the stages, the player can run and jump, with the option for button control or lever control for Pac-Man’s movement. When using the default button control, the player will need to tap the buttons to move Pac-Man, with the D-Pad controlling the jump mechanic. If the player selects lever control, the controls will be swapped around which is a more traditional control scheme. After selecting the control the player can select between trips 1-5.
The stages and sections that the player must cross are varied, with the player running through a town, forest and across mountains. The early segments are fairly easy to navigate, with obstacles like falling logs, fire hydrants and tree stumps. There are also launch pads, where players have to mash to cover pools of water. But that’s not all, as ghosts will try to stop Pac-Man, with the iconic spectres using vehicles to try and kill the player.
As the player makes their way through a round, they will be chased down by a purple ghost, which will kill them if they take too long. There will also be a timer on screen, which will count down rapidly during the round. If the timer runs out, the purple ghost will speed up and quickly kill them. In the stages, there will be power pellets, which will make the ghosts vulnerable, so Pac-Man can gobble them up for big points, which can save him when the timer expires.
At the end of the round, the player will reach the church and BREAK TIME sign, which will reward the player with bonus points based on the remaining time. At the end of the third round, Pac-Man will enter the door to Fairyland, where he will meet the Fairy Queen. The ruler of Fairyland will provide Pac-Man with a special pair of winged boots, which provide him with infinite jumps to make it home. If the timer runs out, the winged boots will disappear.
After clearing a trip, the player will start again from home and set out to Fairyland once more. But as the player completes trips, the challenges will increase in difficulty. These include multiple launch pads, where the player will need to chain hover jumps, traversing quicksand and navigate castle ruins. The castle stages are the most challenging of these later rounds, as the player will need to avoid water geysers in the flooded ruins. Then there are the puzzle ruins, where the player needs to unlock doors with keys and find the right path to escape.
As this is an arcade game, there is a heavy focus on scoring points. Throughout the stages, there will be fruits that will provide the players with significant score increases. Then there are the special secret bonuses, which have their own unique effects on the player. There are Galaxian Ships, which will give big score boosts, extra lives and special items by pushing the scenery. These include a helmet to block falling items, invisibility and more.
As the player clears trips, they will see special scenes when the player clears even numbered trips, with Pac-Man enjoying a peaceful tea break or napping, while ghosts spy on him. However, if the player is able to clear all 32 rounds, they will be rewarded with a special end screen, showing all of the characters from the game together. Players will also receive a very special congratulatory bonus, offering 800,000 points per life remaining.
Personal Thoughts
I have memories of seeing the Pac-Land arcade machine while on holiday, struggling to reach the buttons to be able to play. Then seeing the game on the PC-Engine, after my dad imported the system and being enraptured by it. I had played it as a kid, but never got very far with it as I didn’t understand it. But I loved playing it and would try my best every time I got the chance, with the music loop being stuck in my head because of how catchy it is.
I had played several versions of the game, with the early arcade ports from Namco Museum, the severely downgraded Famicom release, as well as the more recent ports. While the arcade version is the version that players will recommend, given the wide availability of it, The PC-Engine/TG-16 version is my preferred choice. The game is as close to arcade perfection for a home console at the time, only being outdone by the Sharp X68000 and PlayStation.
Everything feels right when playing the game, with how responsive the controls are, the vibrancy of the sprite work and the clean crisp audio. I had to use emulators to play it for a long time, before finally getting to own the game through the TurboGrafx-16. After this, I got to put a lot of time into the game uninterrupted, managing to beat all 32 rounds and getting that end screen. I did need to use a lot of continues to do it though.
In the years since this version was released, there hasn’t been a re-release of it on modern platforms, also being omitted from the PC-Engine and TG-16 mini systems. The most recent release of the title was through Pac-Man Museum+ and the Arcade Archives brand, which use edited versions of the game. Replacing Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac with new characters, which is speculated to be due to legal issues surrounding the characters.
The game has been referenced in other titles, with stages in Super Smash Bros, Super Mario Maker and other Namco releases. There is a fondness for this game with fans, but there are mixed feelings from the wider audience, due to the unusual control method and difficulty. Yet the game has a gained more of an appreciation as a whole, due to the arcade release being ported to modern platforms, allowing players to experience it with little barrier to entry.
For those who are looking to add the game to their collection, there are many copies of the game available at a reasonable price. The TurboGrafx-16 and PC-Engine versions are available in several forms, with the price sometimes changing depending on how complete it is. Thankfully, there are many copies of the game out there, with many of them being fully complete. So it is very possible to pick it up within your budget.
I have a lot of love for Pac-Land on PC-Engine and TG-16, as it was an early example of arcade perfection that could be attained in the home. I would love to have this version of the game reach modern platforms, even if it is just through an online library, like the Nintendo Online Classics. Sadly I don’t think this will be possible, as Namco only release the arcade version as it is the original form, while Konami own the rights to the PC-Engine and TurboGrafx-16.
If you have enjoyed this feature, then please stick around and see what else catches your eye. I cover a wide range of games in reviews, get special previews and put out regular features. I have Lost Gems, Retro Revival where I discuss re-releases and the occasional Gaming Oddities piece, where I cover weird and wacky titles. So stay a while and have a look around.
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