Description

"Pac-Man" by Tengen is a notorious adaptation of the classic arcade game for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Despite being unauthorized by Nintendo, this version was released in 1988 by Tengen, a label owned by Atari Games. As in the classic version, players navigate Pac-Man through a maze filled with pellets while avoiding four colorful ghosts — Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Each level is completed when all pellets are eaten, and the gameplay incorporates power pellets that allow Pac-Man to temporarily eat the ghosts for extra points, adding a strategic layer to the simple yet challenging maze navigation.

The release of Pac-Man by Tengen is significant due to its legal history. Tengen initially had a licensing agreement with Nintendo; however, disputes arose over Nintendo’s restrictive licensing practices. Consequently, Tengen began producing NES cartridges without Nintendo's authorization, using their own technology to bypass the console's security chip. This led to a legal battle that Tengen eventually lost. Despite these issues, the Tengen release of Pac-Man is often preferred by enthusiasts over the later, authorized Namco version, mainly because Tengen’s version more closely mirrors the arcade original in terms of graphics and gameplay authenticity, making it a unique piece of video game history.