RandomPac
arcade game for Commodore 64, 2024
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RandomPac is a tribute to Pac-Man, an arcade game released by Namco in 1980.
Main differences from the original version:
- Procedurally generated mazes
- Bonus rounds
Gameplay
RandomPac is an action maze chase video game; the player controls Pac-Man
through an enclosed maze. The objective of the game is to eat all of the dots
placed in the maze while avoiding four colored ghosts - Blinky (red), Pinky
(pink), Inky (cyan), and Clyde (orange) - who pursue Pac-Man. When Pac-Man
eats all of the dots, the player advances to the next round. After the first
2 rounds and every 3 rounds thereafter, Pac-Man enters a bonus round where he
has to eat all the bonus items before the time runs out.
If Pac-Man is caught by a ghost, he will lose a life; the game ends when all
lives are lost.
Placed near the four corners of the maze are large flashing "energizers"
or "power pellets." When Pac-Man eats one, the ghosts turn blue with a
dizzied expression and reverse direction. Pac-Man can eat blue ghosts for
bonus points; when a ghost is eaten, its eyes make their way back to the
center box in the maze, where the ghost "regenerates" and resumes its normal
activity. Eating multiple blue ghosts in succession increases their point
value. After a certain amount of time, blue-colored ghosts will flash white
before turning back into their normal forms.
Eating a certain number of dots in a round will cause a bonus item - usually a
fruit - to appear underneath the center box; the item can be eaten for bonus
points.
To the sides of the maze are two "warp tunnels", which allow Pac-Man and the
ghosts to travel to the opposite side of the screen. Ghosts become slower
when entering and exiting these tunnels.
The game increases in difficulty as the player progresses through the rounds:
the ghosts become faster, and the energizers' effect decreases in duration.
At 10000 points and then every 50000 points, the player earns an extra life,
for a maximum of 7 lives.
Options
There are 4 difficulty levels to choose from: Easy, Normal, Hard, Expert.
Controls
Joystick lever Move Pac-Man
F7 Pause
F1 Stop game and return to title screen
F1 Reset ranking (while the top scores are displayed)
Joystick in port 2.
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Some useful keyboard shortcuts
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[PAUSE] - stop/continue game
[F9] - quick load game state
[F12] - quick save game state (still stored after leaving the site)
[F11] - toggle fullscreen mode
[ScrollLock] - quick switch control ports
[PageDown] - make a screenshot (320x200)