Looking at Retro Arcade: Pac-Man by Plug & Play

As long as the '80s nostalgia train has been running, companies have been repackaging the video games of that era for new audiences in several ways. Multi-game compilations for modern gaming consoles, anniversary re-releases for arcades, and TV plug-it-in-and-play games have brought the classics of video games' golden age to the 21st century. Today I'll be examining Retro Arcade: Pac-Man from TV Games, one of their selections in the TV plug-and-play genre. Combining 12 of Namco's arcade games from 1979 to 1983, this is a terrific buy for anyone who wants to relive their childhood or discover the games of an era they never experienced.

First off, here's a listing of the games to be found on this compilation:

1. Pac-Man (1980)
2. Dig Dug (1982)
3. Pole Position (1982)
4. Galaga (1981)
5. Galaxian (1979)
6. Bosconian (1981)
7. Super Pac-Man (1982)
8. Xevious (1982)
9. New Rally-X (1981)
10. Mappy (1983)
11. Pac-Man Plus (1983)
12. Pac & Pal (1983)

Now most of you reading are probably asking yourselves: where the hell is Ms. Pac-Man on this multi-game set? I was surprised myself when I found out that Pac-Man's female equivalent was missing but wasn't terribly disappointed. Let's face it: Ms. Pac-Man has seen a 20th anniversary reissue with Galaga (another game that is a tad overrated in my opinion), a 5-in-1 plug-in game, a 7-in-1 plug-in game, and God knows how many other re-releases. You can still find it in several arcades, bars, and movie theaters. It's great to see some of Namco's less popular but still fun Pac-Man entries make the cut here. While I'll concede that Ms. Pac-Man is better than Pac-Man, the title of the best Pac-Man game truly belongs to Super Pac-Man, but more on that later.

"Hey! How come Pac-Man makes it onto this set and not me? Doesn't anyone have respect for a lady like me?" We  hear ya, Ms. Pac-Man

I really like the design scheme of Retro Arcade. Complete with a joystick, two buttons (appropriately labeled "A" and "B"), and even a replica of a coin slot mech that takes you back to the main menu, it really takes the player back a good 30 years. Those old enough to remember the Golden Age of Video Games will like this added touch. It's a nice icing on the cake that complements this package.

For those not readily acquainted with these games, here's a quick description of the gameplay for each:

Pac-Man: The one that started it all. Eat up all the dots while evading the enemy ghosts and eat up the bonus fruits that periodically show up. Swallow a power pellet to turn the tables on the ghosts and eat them.

Dig Dug: Now you've dug yourself up some trouble here, haven't you? Help Dig Dug pump up the Pookas (red tomato-looking things with yellow goggles) and Fygars (green fire-breathing dragons) in order to advance to the next round. Get a bonus veggie every time you drop two rocks (which can also be used to squash the enemies).

Pole Position: This ain't NASCAR. Get behind the wheel of an F-1 race car and finish the qualifying lap on the Fuji Speedway. Do that and you'll enter the Grand Prix. Look for puddles, competing cars, and roadside signs!

Galaga: The extremely ubiquitous sequel to Galaxian. Shoot down the space bugs (butterflies, bees, and other intergalactic insects) and dodge their oncoming fire. Remember to let yourself get captured by a Boss Galaga and then shoot it down so you can reclaim your stolen ship and get double the firepower.

Galaxian: The game that took Taito's Space Invaders and added everything that was missing from the pioneering game (namely, full color and a slightly faster-moving  ship). It's pretty much the same as its more successful and superior sequel Galaga: shoot down these nasty space bugs. No double ship trick here, though. Bummer!

Bosconian: Move your space ship in eight ways to eliminate the enemy bases while clearing out enemy ships, asteroids, and space mines. Sadly, the joystick on this home version doesn't make it so easy to move in all eight directions as in the original arcade game.

Super Pac-Man: No dot-munching this time! Eat up doughnuts, apples, corn husks, and other goodies. Gobble a super power pellet to grow ten times your normal size and become invincible to the ghosts. Get keys to unlock doors to power pellets, super power pellets, and different kinds of food.

Xevious: One of the earliest free-moving space shooters is also one of the strangest ones too. Are those flying CDs you're firing at? Why are there square-shaped pyramids and gray orbs on the ground that shoot at you? How come none of the enemies in this game make any sense? Argh!

The first person who can explain what these enemies are supposed to be gets a Double Stuff Oreo cookie. Seriously!

New Rally-X: A rare, modified sequel to an underrated classic retains all the original's elements and adds a few new tweaks. Guide a race car around an obstacle course while evading enemy cars. Unleash a cloud of smoke to stop them in their tracks. Collect all the flags as well as the Lucky Flags (take your remaining fuel and add it to your score) and bonus flags (multiply your score).

Mappy: It's Tom & Jerry brought to the video game world! Help a police officer mouse recover the stolen items and avoid the cat burglars and the big boss cat. Open a flashing door to unleash a wave to capture the cats. Don't dilly-dally: they do come back.

Pac-Man Plus: Don't be deceived by this game's similar appearance to the original Pac-Man. Now you're drinking beverages for bonuses rather than fruits. The ghosts now sport green leaves on their heads when you eat a power pellet. Sometimes not all of them turn blue when you eat a power pellet. All this and other exciting changes to a tried-and-true game.

Pac & Pal: Now you've got a green little friend named Miru to help you out. He'll collect the fruits and bring them to you while you avoid the ghosts. Miru can get sneaky and bring the fruits to the ghosts' lair sometimes, so make sure you get them quickly!

"I'm a mischievous little guy, but no one ever suspects me because I'm so cute!"

I'm happy to report that the majority of these games are excellently reproduced here with all the original graphics, sound effects, and music. You'll hum to the catchy theme of Dig Dug, dance to the "Enter Your Score" ditty of Mappy, smile at the humorous cut-scenes in Super Pac-Man, and chuckle at the antiquated synthesized voice samples in Bosconian (Is he saying "Battle stations!" or "Oh baby!"?). This is almost as good as buying the original arcade versions of these games and setting them up in your home.

"You'll enjoy pumping up these nasty Pookas and Fygars as much as I do!" says Dig Dug

Sadly, this collection falls flat on a few levels. Let's start with my least favorite game here: Pole Position. Now I enjoy playing this whenever I can find it in an arcade because I can use a steering wheel to guide the car. Racing games were made to be played in an arcade where you can feel like you're actually driving. Not only that, but you also get a gear shifter, an accelerator, and a brake in the arcade version. Sadly, the home version has none of these features. Trying to move a car with a joystick is tedious because you have to toggle the "ball" of the joystick to move the car around. It's very sensitive, so driving off the track becomes a more common occurrence than in the arcades. Even worse, the "A" and "B" buttons are used in place of the arcade's gear shifter to switch between high and low gear. This feels cumbersome after a while and may cause you to take your hands off the joystick by accident. This version of Pole Position is better left untouched.

The version of Xevious contained here is ridiculously hard. When it comes to most video games, there's always a difficulty curve: start off easy, then gradually increase in difficulty. Not here. Shortly after encountering the first few waves of enemies (mostly CDs and skull-shaped heads) you're instantly bombarded by black pea-shaped things that explode, floating fireballs, and red-eyed, winged ships. Granted, these foes do appear in the original arcade version, but not until later in the game. Whoever put this version of of Xevious on Retro Arcade must be laughing his ass off at the frustration of players trying to advance.

Overall, there's really not much to complain about here. Ten of the twelve games are reproduced nicely, so that's a good batting average. The majority of Namco's classic arcade games are included here, although I can think of a few notable omissions (Jr. Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position II, Pac-Land, and Rally-X all would have made acceptable additions). Regardless of these quirks, this compilation is a must-buy for the serious or casual video game collector. Most physical and online retailers sell it for between 20 to thirty dollars, so it's a bargain by any collector's standards. Highly recommended, but don't tell Ms. Pac-Man that! I hear she might consider breaking up with Pac-Man over her being slighted.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 power pellets.