Mini-Munchman

Mini-Munchman
Publisher(s)	Grandstand
Release date(s)	INT: 1981
Genre(s)	Arcade

Mini-Munchman is a handheld electronic game that was released in 1981 in the UK by Grandstand.^[1] The game is a rebadged version of Epoch-Man from Epoch.^[2]

Overview

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 including additional features such as real time clock, alarm and stopwatch. The game later spawned a larger LCD version with greater screen area called Pocket Pac-Man.^[3]

Hardware

The game employs 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.

Gameplay

Like most Pac-Man clones, the object of the game is to move a Pac-Man type character around a maze, eating all the dots and avoiding ghosts. However, in this version, the dots are replaced with fruit items and there is also the addition of two humpback bridges which contain a fruit item both over and underneath the bridge. Successive levels are faster, eventually becoming very fast to play. Experienced players (after some practice) can eventually work out a fixed route which can guarantee completion of each level without losing a life. Because of the limits of the fixed numeric display, the highest score that can be represented is 1,999. Once this is exceeded, the score displays HHH and the game can be considered won. The ultimate achievement which cannot be bettered is to score HHH with a maximum of six lives remaining.

References