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| Mini-MunchMan | |
|---|---|
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| Publisher(s) | Grandstand |
| Platform(s) | Handheld |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Maze |
Mini-MunchMan is an LCD handheld electronic game that was released in 1981 in the UK by the manufacturer Grandstand. [1] The game is a rebadged version of the Pac-Man clone Epoch-Man from Epoch. [2]
In some markets, such as Australia, the game was badged "Mini-Arcade". [3]
Capitalising on the then-contemporary success of Namco's Pac-Man , the game was released in the same year as Grandstand's larger Munchman game and in the same yellow colour scheme (Conversely, Epoch Man is white). Mini-Munchman, however, is a pocket-sized device that includes additional features, such as a real-time clock, alarm, and stopwatch. The manufacturer later spawned a larger LCD version with greater screen area called Pocket Pac-Man. [4]
The game uses a low consumption LCD-based screen, allowing for a small form factor design incorporating alkaline button power cells. The game requires two LR-44 or equivalent cells. In-game objects are displayed on fixed, immovable LCD elements. The main score display, which doubles up as a date/time and stopwatch display, consists of a three-and-a-half-digit display and an extra small digit for tenths of a second, or lives remaining.
The object of the game is to move the character around a maze, eat all the fruit, and avoid contact with ghosts. There are two humpback bridges containing fruit items over and underneath the bridge. Each successive level is faster, increasing difficulty. Each level has a fixed route the player can follow to ensure completion without losing a life. The game tracks the player's score, with a maximum possible score of 1,999. Once this has been exceeded, the score will display as HHH.
A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the console, screen, speakers, and controls in one unit, allowing players to carry them and play them at any time or place.
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Pac-Man, originally called Puck Man in Japan, is a 1980 maze video game developed and released by Namco for arcades. In North America, the game was released by Midway Manufacturing as part of its licensing agreement with Namco America. The player controls Pac-Man, who must eat all the dots inside an enclosed maze while avoiding four colored ghosts. Eating large flashing dots called "Power Pellets" causes the ghosts to temporarily turn blue, allowing Pac-Man to eat them for bonus points.
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The Sharp PC-1211 is the first pocket computer ever released, marketed by Sharp Corporation in March 1980. The computer was powered by two 4-bit CPUs laid out in power-saving CMOS circuitry. One acted as the main CPU, the other dealt with the input/output and display interface. Users could write computer programs in BASIC.
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The Epoch Game Pocket Computer is a second-generation handheld game console released by Epoch Co. in Japan in 1984 for 12,800 Japanese yen. It is also known as Pokekon and was the first handheld console to feature interchangeable cartridges, preceding the Game Boy by 5 years.
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Nintendo Mini Classics are a series of small LCD games licensed by Nintendo in 1998. Most games in the series are reissues of Game & Watch titles, but the series does include titles that were not from the original Game & Watch line, like Spider-Man, Carrera and Yu-Gi-Oh!.
Astro Wars is an electronic table top game made in Great Britain in 1981 by Grandstand under licence from Epoch Co., who sold the game in Japan as Super Galaxian (スーパーギャラクシアン), and in the United States as Galaxy II. The game originally used a red logo on the housing; it was later switched to white.
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Grandstand is a video game console and electronic game manufacturer and distributor. It was based in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and was active in the 1970s and 1980s.
Munchman is a tabletop electronic game that was released under licence in 1981 in the UK by Grandstand. It is a rebadged version of the Tomy game known as Pac Man in the United States and Puck Man in Japan. The games are all based on Namco's Pac-Man arcade game and use a VFD screen.
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