Pac-In-Time

is a platform game developed by Kalisto and published by Namco, featuring the arcade character Pac-Man. It was released in 1995 for MS-DOS, Macintosh, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and Game Boy.

This game was an offshoot from the normal variety of ''Pac-Man'' games, in that it does not confine Pac-Man to a maze-like board. Rather, the player controls Pac-Man through various side-scrolling levels, obtaining many different items along the way; the plot does take elements from the earlier ''Pac-Man'' games, such as the objective to collect a certain number of pellets before exiting a level. The game allows the player to access completed levels via passwords that are given every five levels.

The game is a rebranded version of a 1993 game, '' Fury of the Furries'', also developed by Kalisto. The PC, Macintosh and Game Boy versions are almost identical to the original, while the Super NES game, despite using the same basic gameplay mechanics, is an entirely new game using a different game engine and aesthetic.

Gameplay

In ''Pac-In-Time'', players control Pac-Man in his mission to return to the present day after his nemesis, the Ghost Witch, cast a spell that transported him to his youth in 1975, five years before his debut appearance. The game spans the course of five different worlds with 10 levels each. Levels are designed around solving puzzles and backtracking to previous sections, taking place in environments such as mountains, villages, and castles. The objective of each level is to collect all of the pellets, or "Pac-Dots", found throughout to open up an exit door. Each level contains around 30 Pac-Dots each, with a counter displayed at the bottom-left of the screen that indicates how many remain. Enemies and obstacles are found throughout that will cause Pac-Man to lose a portion of his life-bar when touched. The Ghosts also appear and will give chase to Pac-Man; he can defeat them by eating a Power Pellet, which will cause them to turn blue and edible.

Pac-Man can collect four different items to aid him in his quest, each having different effects when used. These items can be found by jumping through colored hoops in levels; Pac-Man can hold all four of them at once, but can only use one at a time. Jumping through the hoop a second time will remove the item from the player's inventory. These items are the rope, which can latch onto ceilings and can allow Pac-Man to swing himself to higher places, and can also be used to push objects; the fireball, which allows Pac-Man to spit deadly fireballs at enemies; the hammer, which allows Pac-Man to smash objects; and the swim shoes, which grant Pac-Man the ability to swim underwater. Pac-Man can also replenish his health by eating fruit found throughout levels, and can also find items such as 1-ups in treasure chests, which can be opened by finding a key. In the final level, Pac-Man will face off against the Ghost Witch, and defeating her will allow him to be sent back to the present.

Development and release

''Pac-In-Time'' was designed by Kalisto Entertainment, a French video game studio headed by business entrepreneur Nicolas Gaume. Assisting production was Namco Hometek, the North American console game division of Japanese company Namco. Namco Hometek also served as the publisher for the game. ''Pac-In-Time'' is a reskin and rebranding of Kalisto's older game '' Fury of the Furries'', a puzzle platformer originally released for Amiga, Macintosh and MS-DOS in 1994. Namco licensed the game's engine from Mindscape, the parent company of Kalisto. Namco, who had attempted to get a foothold into the European game market on multiple occasions, decided to make the game a ''Pac-Man'' platformer due to the character's worldwide appeal.

''Pac-In-Time'' was developed for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Game Boy, Mac OS, and MS-DOS. While the Game Boy and computer versions are simply ''Fury of the Furries'' with a ''Pac-Man'' skin, the SNES version is an entirely new game with altered levels and themes, while still keeping the same mechanics and concepts intact. The Japanese Super Famicom version was changed to be harder than its international counterparts, adding instant-death traps and generally making levels more difficult and challenging. ''Pac-In-Time'' is billed as a follow-up to '' Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures'', which was released earlier in 1994.

''Pac-In-Time'' was first released on January 3, 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy. The Macintosh and MS-DOS versions were published a month later. The magazine ''Sega Visions'' announced a Sega Genesis version of the game slated for an October 1995 release, however this version was never published. A Game Gear version was also cancelled, designed by Gil Espeche; this version has since been dumped online by the video game preservation group SMS Power in 2005.

An emulated version of the Japanese Super Famicom version is included in the compilation title '' Pac-Man Museum +''. Despite being emulated, the game was modified to replace/alter the designs of Pac-Man's family in the introductory and epilogue cutscenes, with Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac-Man being replaced with the Pac-Mom and Pac-Sis characters created for the collection, while the design of Jr. Pac-Man (named Pac-Boy) is slightly altered. While not officially stated why the changes were made, it is assumed to be tied with Ms. Pac-Man's ongoing AtGames dispute.

Reception

''Pac-In-Time'' was met with a generally favorable reception from publications, and is seen as a unique and innovative title in the ''Pac-Man'' series. '' GamePro'' magazine commented that it helps represent the character's legacy, and that it was an interesting take on the franchise. The Super Famicom version sold 21,265 copies in its first week on the market.

The game's visuals and presentation were praised by several. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' liked Pac-Man's cute design and for the game itself having a distinctly-cute style, while also praising the graphics themselves for being bright and colorful, which ''GamePro'' agreed with. Reviewing the Game Boy version, ''Famitsu'' and ''Total! Germany'' said that the graphics had a very cartoony look, but were average for the system. Critics also praised the game's controls and items; ''GamePro'' in particular said that together they "breathed new life into a classic character." ''GamePro'' and '' VideoGames'' both enjoyed the rope item for being fun to use. ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' liked the music but said it became repetitive after a while.

The gameplay was well-received, particularly for its usage of puzzle-solving. ''GamePro'' described it as a "fun, fast-paced adventure". ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' said that it "has the makings of a great game" through its pick-up-and-play approach and for the game being generally fun to play. '' Next Generation'' and ''VideoGames'' agreed, both of whom enjoyed the level design for its usage of puzzle-solving. ''Famitsu'' liked the gameplay for being entertaining and the stages for being wide-open and fun to explore, although said that the puzzle-solving can become repetitive after a while. By contrast, ''Next Generation'' felt that the level design became repetitive and lack in variety between them, which they stated was the game's only weakness. Most critics felt that the game became too difficult later on, with ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' in particular disliking the learning curve for being overly-high. ''Total! Germany'' praised the Game Boy version for its creativity and design, but claimed that its difficulty would put off younger players and only recommended the game towards more dedicated platform fans. ''Video Games'' magazine said that ''Pac-In-Time'' was a significant step-up in quality compared to the series' previous platform outings, writing: "''Pac-Man'' fans will dig the characters and the familiar theme music at the opening of each stage, but ''Pac-In-Time'' really has little to do with the maze game that launched a thousand maze games. However, unlike ''Pac-Land'' - a previous attempt to blend the ''Pac-Man'' universe with a platform-game scenario - this one is a pleasantly addictive romp that knows just how to tease players into coming back for more."

Notes

References

External links

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{{Portal bar, Video games, 1990s

1995 video games
Cancelled Game Gear games
Cancelled Sega Genesis games
Classic Mac OS games
DOS games
Game Boy games
Kalisto Entertainment games
Pac-Man
Platform games
Single-player video games
Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Video games about time travel
Video games about witchcraft
Video games developed in France
Video games scored by Frédéric Motte
Video games set in 1975