Found this MGA Ms. Pac-Man Handheld at the flea market – can we save it?
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MGA’s Pac-Man handheld series refers to a line of handheld LCD games based on the original Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man arcade games. The handheld line was launched in 1992 by Micro Games of America (later known as MGA Entertainment), and continued production well into the 2000s.
The series is noted as being very ubiquitous, with over 25 different models released in total. Despite the numerous model variants, the majority of consoles run the same game software; with a few earlier units running a different gameplay variant.
The game’s rules are fundamentally the same as the original arcade games; with the oddly-implemented functions of the first port (e.g. the changing maze walls and “Power Fruits”) being fully redone. The maze is split into eight “sections”, displayed on a 2-by-4 grid; the maze layout is a close approximation of the original Pac-Man maze (or the first maze in Ms. Pac-Man). As the game instantly cuts to the next screen without scrolling, however, it is possible to run into a ghost on the other side without warning.
One small oddity with the second version’s rules is that, if a fruit is on screen, it must be eaten to complete the level (even if all dots are eaten otherwise). The game features six levels total, which only differ in gameplay speed; the starting level can also be selected by moving the joystick up/down on the “New Game” screen.
The Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man variants only differ in graphics and maze layout. Oddly, some Pac-Man releases appear to erroneously use the Ms. Pac-Man maze design, and vice-versa.
MGA-208N – Ms. Pac-Man (version 2); dated 1995, B&W, flat pink design. Reissued in 1996 with a flat white design and different packaging.
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