Munch Man
Munch Man is a video game written by Jim Dramis for the Texas Instruments TI-99/4A home computer and published as a cartridge by Texas Instruments in 1982. Based on Namco's Pac-Man, Munch Man includes several variations that alter gameplay. Dramis later wrote Parsec for the TI-99/4A.[1] The game cartridge originally sold for $39.95 (USD).[2]
 | |
| Developer(s) | Texas Instruments |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Texas Instruments |
| Designer(s) | Jim Dramis[1] |
| Platform(s) | TI-99/4A |
| Release | 1982 |
| Genre(s) | Maze |
Advertising Blurbs
Front Cover of Manual
Four cunning Hoonos are in hot pursuit of your Munchman while he races to an energizer to change the attack. Can he make it to safety, or does his fate lie in the mouth of the Hoonos? [3]
Back Cover of Manual
Your Munch Man maneuvers through the maze, connecting the passages with a chain, when suddenly four Hoonos begin to close in around him. Can the Munch Man make it to an energizer in time or will the Hoonos devour him in his tracks? You determine the fate of the Munch Man with the Munch Man Solid State Software Command Module.
Munch Man tests your skill as you try to:
- Score points by connecting the passages with a chain.
- Score points by capturing Hoonos while you Munch Man is energized.
- Avoid being eaten by the Hoonos. [4]
Fun Facts
- Originally, Munch Man gobbled dots and power-pills, just like Pac-Man. However, TI decided to avoid the risk of a lawsuit to replace the dots with laying down a chain and power pellets were changed out for TI logos. [5]
- If you press in order "*#*" on the Munch Man title screen, it will allow you to choose the Round, Screen, and Number of Munch Men that you start with. It's an interesting way to see what the later levels are like if a player isn't able to get there by sheer skill. However, this cheat will cause the screen to display "Test Score" instead of "Your Score" so you won't be able to fool your friends. [6]
- There is debate on exactly how the game is supposed to be spelled. Some sources show the name of the game as two separate words (i.e. Munch Man), while others show it as a single word (i.e. Munchman). For example, the old-style manual cover and old-style black-labelled cartridge both display the name as two separate words, while the modern-style cover and newer red-labelled cartridge display the name as a single word. No official word from Texas Instruments can be found on the subject. However, the manual itself lists the name multiple times, and in every instance displays the name as two separate words instead of one. [7]
Gameplay
The player controls the Munch Man using either the keyboard or joystick. Like Pac-Man, the goal of a level is to visit every part of the maze, but instead of eating dots the player fills the maze with a chain pattern. Four Hoonos (the equivalent of Pac-Man ghosts) attempt to thwart Munch Man's efforts to complete his mission. However, Munch Man always has his "Energizer" (the equivalent of a Pac-Man power pill) which gives Munch Man the ability to devour the Hoonos. The game ends when the player's lives are depleted.
In level 20, 40, and 60, the maze is invisible and there are no chains. Instead, Munch Man must eat all the TI logos in the invisible maze. This gives the odd effect of showcasing the maze at first, but slowly hiding the maze as the player removes the indications of the maze paths by eating the TI logos.
Points
Points are earned in the game in the following ways:
- 10 points are earned for every link of the chain made.
- 70 points are awarded for each of the four Texas-shaped energizers eaten per level.
- 100 points are given for the first Hoono munched, 200 for the second, 400 for the third, and 800 for the fourth.
For every 10,000 points earned, an extra Munch Man is awarded. Although the play screen only shows up to four additional lives, the games remember any additional earned and applies them to the total. Each level has a maximum score of 8,700 points.
The Hoonos
The Hoonos (similar to the ghosts of Pac-Man) prevent the player from reaching his/her goal. The Hoonos are different from level to level in both appearance and ability. For example, the Hoonos on the first level are not particularly cunning nor aggressive. With each higher level, the Hoonos not only look totally different, but they become much more aggressive. The Hoonos also become much faster with each level, eventually becoming faster than Munch Man. In addition, with each level, the Hoonos have a shorter vulnerable period (the time that Munch Man can eat them) making it more difficult for the player to complete the level and move on to the next.
Although the shape of the Hoonos changes with each level, the colors of them remain consistent. Each level has Hoonos colored red, yellow, blue, and purple. The red Hoono on each level is the most intelligent, therefore the most likely to eat the Munch Man. The yellow Hoono is the least intelligent of the bunch. However, to make up for its lack of intelligence, the yellow Hoono has the ability to disappear occasionally for shorts periods of time, making it possible for it to sneak up on the player when least expected. This only happens if all the Hoonos and Munch Man are on the same row, due to a four sprite per scanline hardware limitation in the TI-99/4A. Since the hardware limitation is per-scanline, not per-sprite, it is possible and often the case that the yellow Hoono is only partially invisible. It is rare that it remains invisible for long.
There are 20 unique sets of Hoonos. Beginning with level 21, the Hoonos recycle shape.