Page 28 - OSG Presents Classic Gamer Magazine #8

Key feature(s): Professor Pac-Man is a quiz game (a quiz game?!) that has you earning fruit and
snacks for each correct multiple-choice answer. There are only three responses, and the questions
all involve studying a series of images (likely to make the game easier to convert to other countries).
You'll stare at a group of three buildings, for example, then answer which has the most windows; or,
you'll study a group of objects to determine which item doesn't belong.

What went wrong? It's clear at this point that neither Namco nor Bally/Midway has a clue on
how to build on the original Pac-Man's success, so developers are taking shots in the dark, hoping
something hits. This one failed miserably, producing an estimated 400 units. While Professor Pac-
Man was unable to achieve a passing grade with arcade patrons, the educational angle makes this
title one of the more interesting arcade offshoots.

Key feature(s): A side-scrolling jumping game that preceded Nintendo's Super Mario Bros., Pac-
Land represents a dramatic change for Namco's mascot. No longer confined to a maze, Pac-Man is
now a fully realized character that can run, jump, and wear a hat.

Your goal is to escort a friendly fairy across a series of eight "trips," each spanning multiple
segments for a total of 19 levels, by running left to right and avoiding contact with numerous
hazards. The ghosts all make a return, only this time they'll appear in comical modes of
transportation.

What went wrong? Like so many of the later Pac-Man arcade games, Pac-Land has a number of
peculiar design decisions. Despite its colorful, cartoon-style graphics, with elements taken from the
Hanna-Barbera animated series, the game's controls are irritating. Movement is mapped to buttons
instead of a joystick, and many jumps require a frustrating level of precision, while running at full
speed, to pull off.

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