Anyone know the exact difference of all the PacMans on NES?

[demen999]

Ok I know there is a Tengen black cartridge one ( I got that one), and a regular grey cart one. is there more, also what are the differences in each game?

Just a random question that creeped up on me today.....

[Matt-El]

Actually there's three:

Black Tengen
Grey Tengen
Grey Namco.

Black and grey tengen are the same, but I couldn't tell ya if the namco one was the same. I think it is...

[mikeetler]

The only difference between the Tangen and Namco releases is the title screen. Ms Pac-Man was completely different but Pac Man was the same.

-Mike

[demen999]

So basically its the same thing, different packaging...
I thought there was more to it. Why did Tengen make the same version of a game taht already came out? Doesn't really make sense.

[rbudrick]

So basically its the same thing, different packaging...
I thought there was more to it. Why did Tengen make the same version of a game taht already came out? Doesn't really make sense.

My guess is that they still had the license to do so from the Atari console days...Tengen was a Atari subsidiary (basically the name they used to make games for the NES and Genesis).

-Rob

[BMF54123]

Actually, the Tengen version came first. Namco re-released it, along with their own matching version of Ms. Pac-Man (which is inferior to the Tengen version, strangely enough) in 1993.

I wonder if Namco based their version of Ms. Pac-Man on Tengen's Pac-Man source code? The two look VERY similar...

[dendawg]

Actually, the Tengen version came first. Namco re-released it, along with their own matching version of Ms. Pac-Man (which is inferior to the Tengen version, strangely enough) in 1993.

I wonder if Namco based their version of Ms. Pac-Man on Tengen's Pac-Man source code? The two look VERY similar...

AFAIK, the Namco version IS the original. Tengen just used the code from the Famicom version.

[Leroy]

I wonder if Namco based their version of Ms. Pac-Man on Tengen's Pac-Man source code? The two look VERY similar...
No, Namco based their Ms. Pac-Man on THEIR Pac-Man. Namco's Pac-Man is what Tengen released in the US which was later re-released by Namco US. Tengen coded their own Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Mania.

[demen999]

Actually, the Tengen version came first. Namco re-released it, along with their own matching version of Ms. Pac-Man (which is inferior to the Tengen version, strangely enough) in 1993.

I wonder if Namco based their version of Ms. Pac-Man on Tengen's Pac-Man source code? The two look VERY similar...

How is it inferior? If it's the same thing? frame issues or something?

[jcheatle]

My guess is that they still had the license to do so from the Atari console days...Tengen was a Atari subsidiary (basically the name they used to make games for the NES and Genesis).

Actually, that's sort of true. Tengen started off its relationship with Nintendo as a licensed company, same as Konami, Acclaim and so on. They released RBI Baseball, Gauntlet and Pac Man with the standard "NES seal of approval" which only meant they paid the licensing fee to Nintendo, and they used the standard gray NES cart.

After this, however, Tengen discovered the secrets of the lockout chip and basically told Nintendo to go screw themselves as most are familiar with. They re-released the three aforementioned games along with the rest of their familiar "black case" games in order to avoid paying any fees to Nintendo.

As for the Namco games, I'm not sure at all how the coding worked, but I do love the Tengen version, so it wouldn't be surprising if Namco was inferior, especially if completely reworked as Mike said.

Since they were released so late, I'd assume Tengen let the console rights (possibly from the Atari days, as mentioned by Rob) run out, and Namco decided to make a buck before the NES died. That's all I've got.

[demen999]

Oh so it was more of a financial thing. Well I see better now. BTW what is this lockout code?

[jcheatle]

As with most things in life, yeah, mostly a financial thing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Entertainment_System

Scroll down to "Third Party Licensing". It has a pretty concise explanation of the lockout chip, better than I could muster. In short, it was so Nintendo could keep its developers on a tight leash.

Also, if you're interested more and can track down a copy, the book Game Over by David Sheff is a good read. Lots of neat stuff about the early days of the NES as well as the entire Tetris affair, which reads more like a spy novel at times. It was written in the 90s and only runs through the inception of the N64, but good stuff nevertheless.

[demen999]

I actually have that book, but havent finished it :p
Thanks for more info, I appreciate it.
It's so funny all these multiple carts for the same game. Not only with this game, but many atari ones, and all that other good stuff. I would be interested in finding some kind of archive somewhere that keeps track of all of them and their differences.

[Graham Mitchell]

Actually, that's sort of true. Tengen started off its relationship with Nintendo as a licensed company, same as Konami, Acclaim and so on. They released RBI Baseball, Gauntlet and Pac Man with the standard "NES seal of approval" which only meant they paid the licensing fee to Nintendo, and they used the standard gray NES cart.


Tengen also released Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in a black cart. I always thought that was goofy because Mindscape published the grey-cart variant.

[MASTERWEEDO]

I just picked up that Indian jones cart a few weeks ago, i was think about it when i was readin this.