Ms. Pac-Man (MD, 1991)
Graphics-6.5 Sound-6 Control-8 Challenge-9/?* Story-4
Level Design-7 Frustration-7.5/?* Fun-7/7.5?* Originality-5
Overall Score-7
*2-player
+
Difficulty options (4 levels), some optional gameplay additions (2-player co-op/vs/alternating options, speed booster/pac-booster option (always on or toggled), 4 different maze modes (arcade, "strange" - adds minor deads and large rooms here and there, big, mini); same additions as in the NES ver.), fast paced and eventually pretty intense, selectable starting level out of the first 7 from the get go (then whatever you've reached after a game over), the enemy AI still holds up pretty well, minor visual improvements (mainly for the sprites), cute cutscenes in-between every other level (skippable)
+/-
The booster makes the game easier at first but pretty soon vulnerability periods and ghost speeds become really fast (some ghosts become faster than your avatar), steep difficulty curve, collectathon (100% every level), very forgiving hit detection when it comes to ghosts touching you, one hit kills
-
Repetitive (more so in arcade maze mode where each maze layout repeats three times) - they could've added more obstacles/hazards/enemy types to some maze modes, no "level begins" jingle plays after the first one - emulation issue?, pretty basic sound and no option for in-game music, only 3 continues (normal and easy) - it seems you gain them over the course of the first few levels but I'm not sure how it works,
Notes:
-Made for three button controllers - Need to boot while holding the mode button on a six button controller for it to work properly
Level Design-7 Frustration-7.5/?* Fun-7/7.5?* Originality-5
Overall Score-7
*2-player
+
Difficulty options (4 levels), some optional gameplay additions (2-player co-op/vs/alternating options, speed booster/pac-booster option (always on or toggled), 4 different maze modes (arcade, "strange" - adds minor deads and large rooms here and there, big, mini); same additions as in the NES ver.), fast paced and eventually pretty intense, selectable starting level out of the first 7 from the get go (then whatever you've reached after a game over), the enemy AI still holds up pretty well, minor visual improvements (mainly for the sprites), cute cutscenes in-between every other level (skippable)
+/-
The booster makes the game easier at first but pretty soon vulnerability periods and ghost speeds become really fast (some ghosts become faster than your avatar), steep difficulty curve, collectathon (100% every level), very forgiving hit detection when it comes to ghosts touching you, one hit kills
-
Repetitive (more so in arcade maze mode where each maze layout repeats three times) - they could've added more obstacles/hazards/enemy types to some maze modes, no "level begins" jingle plays after the first one - emulation issue?, pretty basic sound and no option for in-game music, only 3 continues (normal and easy) - it seems you gain them over the course of the first few levels but I'm not sure how it works,
Notes:
-Made for three button controllers - Need to boot while holding the mode button on a six button controller for it to work properly
