Pac-Man Game Analysis: A Deep Dive into Gameplay, Design, and Themes - Prof. Koukous, Lecture notes of Data Communication Systems and Computer Networks

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Pac Man Analysis

BOUMEDIENE BELKHOUCHE

GAME DEVELOPMENT – SWEB 451

UAE Dance

Pac Man

Description

 Inspired from a children's story about a creature that protected children from monsters by eating the monsters.  The monsters from the children's story were included as four ghosts that chase the player through the maze, providing an element of tension.  Attacks on the player were designed to come in waves.

A Good Game

 Simple for all ages  No violence  Gender-neutral  Increasing levels of difficulty

The Game

 Four ghost monsters are also in the maze and chase after our hero, trying to capture and kill him.  The goal is to clear the maze of dots while avoiding the deadly ghosts. Each round starts with the ghosts in the “monster pen” at the center of the maze, emerging from it to join in the chase.

The Game

 If Pac-Man is captured by a ghost, a life is lost, the ghosts are returned to their pen, and a new Pac-Man is placed at the starting position before play continues.  When the maze is cleared of all dots, the board is reset, and a new round begins.  If Pac-Man gets caught by a ghost when it has no extra lives, the game is over.

The Monsters

Blinky Pinky Inky^ Clyde

The Game

 There are 244 dots in the maze, and Pac- Man must eat them all in order to proceed to the next round.  The 240 small dots are worth ten points each, and the four large, flashing dots—best known as energizers—are worth 50 points each. This yields a total of 2,600 points for clearing the maze of dots each round.  Players have two ways to increase their score beyond what is earned from eating dots.

Game Analysis

 Psycho-analysis  Male presence trying to overcome various trials.  Victory is what man is about.  Shadow world (ghosts) threaten his life.  Nutrition provides him with strength to fight.  The maze is symbolic of our quest to find the meaning of life.  The holding for the ghosts symbolizes for the Hereafter (the other world).

Game Analysis

 Theme/Genre  Action/Maze/Arcade  Rating  Everyone  Game world

Game Analysis

 Game world  Boundaries  Bounded grid that fits on a screen  (^) Exit/entry doors East-West  Perspective  2D Top view

Game Analysis

 Game world  Levels  Level 0 to level 255  (^) 240 dots (pellets) per level  (^) 4 flashing (bigger) dots for extra power (energizers)  (^) Similar except for the speed that keeps increasing  3 lives per level  Score: 10 points for dots, 50 for energizers, 200 for first ghost, and then double for next one  Transitions (between levels)