View source for Pac-In-Time

{{short description|1995 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}{{Infobox video game
| title = Pac-In-Time
| image = Pac-In-Time Coverart.png
| caption = North American SNES cover art
| developer = [[Atreid Concept]]
| publisher = {{vgrelease|JP|[[Namco]]|NA|[[Namco Hometek]] (SNES/Game Boy)|NA|[[Mindscape (company)|Mindscape]] (MS-DOS, Mac)|EU|[[Mindscape (company)|Mindscape]] (SNES)|EU|[[Nintendo]] (Game Boy)}}
| series = ''[[List of Pac-Man video games|Pac-Man]]''
| composer = Frédéric Motte
| released = '''SNES, Game Boy'''{{vgrelease|WW|January 3, 1995}}'''MS-DOS, Mac'''{{vgrelease|WW|February 1995}}
| genre = [[Platform game|Platform]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]]
| platforms = [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], [[Game Boy]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Mac OS]]
}}
{{nihongo foot|'''''Pac-In-Time'''''|パックインタイム|Pakku In Taimu|lead=yes|group=lower-alpha}} is a 1995 [[Platformer|platform]] [[video game]] developed by [[Kalisto Entertainment|Atreid Concept]] and published by [[Namco]] for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] and [[Game Boy]]. It is a rebranded version of a 1993 game, ''[[Fury of the Furries]]'', also developed by Kalisto, to feature [[Pac-Man (character)|Pac-Man]]. It was also released for MS-DOS and Mac OS, where the original game was released.

This game was an offshoot from the normal variety of ''Pac-Man'' games, in that it does not confine Pac-Man to a maze-like board. Rather, the player controls Pac-Man through various [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] levels, obtaining many different items along the way; the plot does take elements from the earlier ''Pac-Man'' games, such as the objective to collect a certain number of pellets before exiting a level. The game allows the player to access completed levels via passwords that are given every five levels.

The PC, Macintosh and Game Boy versions are almost identical to the original, while the Super NES game, despite using the same basic gameplay mechanics, is an entirely new game using a different game engine and aesthetic.

==Gameplay==
[[File:Pac-In-Time screenshot.png|thumb|left|Super Nintendo screenshot]]

In ''Pac-In-Time'', players control [[Pac-Man (character)|Pac-Man]] in his mission to return to the present day after his nemesis, the Ghost Witch, cast a spell that transported him to his youth in 1975, five years before his [[Pac-Man|debut appearance]].<ref name="Manual">{{cite book |title=Pac-In-Time Super Nintendo Entertainment System instruction manual |date=3 January 1995 |publisher=[[Namco]] |location=USA |url=https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_SNES//Manual/formated/Pac-in-Time_-_1995_-_Namco_Limited.pdf |access-date=1 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301220300/https://www.gamesdatabase.org/Media/SYSTEM/Nintendo_SNES//Manual/formated/Pac-in-Time_-_1995_-_Namco_Limited.pdf |archive-date=1 March 2020}}</ref> The game spans the course of five different worlds with 10 levels each.<ref name="Manual"/> Levels are designed around solving puzzles and backtracking to previous sections, taking place in environments such as mountains, villages, and castles.<ref name="Manual"/> The objective of each level is to collect all of the pellets, or "Pac-Dots", found throughout to open up an exit door.<ref name="Manual"/> Each level contains around 30 Pac-Dots each, with a counter displayed at the bottom-left of the screen that indicates how many remain.<ref name="Manual"/> Enemies and obstacles are found throughout that will cause Pac-Man to lose a portion of his life-bar when touched.<ref name="Manual"/> The [[Ghosts (Pac-Man)|Ghosts]] also appear and will give chase to Pac-Man; he can defeat them by eating a Power Pellet, which will cause them to turn blue and edible.<ref name="Manual"/><ref name="ClubN">{{cite news |title=Pac-In-Time |url=https://archive.org/stream/ClubNintendo1995German/Club_Nintendo_1995_3#page/n9/mode/2up/search/Pac-In-Time |access-date=9 June 2020 |agency=Club Nintendo |issue=3 |publisher=[[Nintendo of Europe]] |date=May 1995 |volume=7 |pages=18–19 |language=de}}</ref>

Pac-Man can collect four different items to aid him in his quest, each having different effects when used.<ref name="Manual"/> These items can be found by jumping through colored hoops in levels; Pac-Man can hold all four of them at once, but can only use one at a time.<ref name="Manual"/> Jumping through the hoop a second time will remove the item from the player's inventory.<ref name="Manual"/> These items are the rope, which can latch onto ceilings and can allow Pac-Man to swing himself to higher places, and can also be used to push objects; the fireball, which allows Pac-Man to spit deadly fireballs at enemies; the hammer, which allows Pac-Man to smash objects; and the swim shoes, which grant Pac-Man the ability to swim underwater.<ref name="Manual"/> Pac-Man can also replenish his health by eating fruit found throughout levels, and can also find items such as 1-ups in treasure chests, which can be opened by finding a key.<ref name="Manual"/> In the final level, Pac-Man will face off against the Ghost Witch, and defeating her will allow him to be sent back to the present.<ref name="Manual"/>

==Development and release==
[[File:SNES-Mod1-Console-Set.jpg|thumb|right|The SNES version of ''Pac-In-Time'' is a completely different game compared to other versions, which are simply reskins of ''Fury of the Furries'' with ''Pac-Man'' characters.]]
''Pac-In-Time'' was designed by [[Kalisto Entertainment|Atreid Concept]], a French video game studio headed by business entrepreneur [[Nicolas Gaume]]. Assisting production was Namco Hometek, the North American console game division of Japanese company [[Namco]].<ref name="EGM"/> Namco Hometek also served as the publisher for the game. ''Pac-In-Time'' is a reskin and rebranding of Atreid's older game ''[[Fury of the Furries]]'', a puzzle platformer originally released for [[Amiga]], [[Macintosh]] and [[MS-DOS]] in 1994.<ref name="RGamer1"/> Namco licensed the game's engine from [[Mindscape (company)|Mindscape]], the parent company of Atreid Concept.<ref name="RGamer1"/> Namco, who had attempted to get a foothold into the European game market on multiple occasions, decided to make the game a ''Pac-Man'' platformer due to the character's worldwide appeal.<ref name="QTQ"/>

''Pac-In-Time'' was developed for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] (SNES), [[Game Boy]], Mac OS, and MS-DOS. While the Game Boy and computer versions are simply ''Fury of the Furries'' with a ''Pac-Man'' skin, the SNES version is an entirely new game with altered levels and themes, while still keeping the same mechanics and concepts intact. The Japanese [[Super Famicom]] version was changed to be harder than its international counterparts, adding instant-death traps and generally making levels more difficult and challenging.<ref name="QTQ">{{cite book |author1=QTQ |title=スーパーファミコンクソゲー番付 |date=2017 |publisher=Myway Publishing |isbn=9784865117097 |page=113}}</ref> ''Pac-In-Time'' is billed as a follow-up to ''[[Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures]]'', which was released earlier in 1994.<ref>{{cite news |title=Prescreen - Kalisto |url=https://archive.org/details/EDGE.N044.1997.04/page/n41/mode/2up?q=nicolas+gaume+pac-in-time |access-date=10 June 2020 |agency=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] |issue=44 |publisher=[[Future plc]] |date=April 1997 |pages=42–45}}</ref>

''Pac-In-Time'' was first released on January 3, 1995 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Game Boy.<ref name="Famitsu"/> The Macintosh and MS-DOS versions were published a month later. The magazine ''[[Sega Visions]]'' announced a [[Sega Genesis]] version of the game slated for an October 1995 release, however this version was never published.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/details/Sega-Visions-Issue-25#page/n99/mode/1up|title=Incoming - October|magazine=[[Sega Visions]]|issue=25|publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]]|date=September 1995|page=96}}</ref> A [[Game Gear]] version was also cancelled, designed by Gil Espeche;<ref name="RGamer1"/> this version has since been dumped online by the video game preservation group SMS Power in 2005.<ref name="RGamer1">{{cite news |last1=Gasking |first1=Frank |title=Games That Weren't: Pac-In-Time |url=https://archive.org/stream/retro_gamer/RetroGamer_017#page/n69/mode/2up/search/time |access-date=1 March 2020 |agency=[[Retro Gamer]] |issue=17 |publisher=[[Imagine Publishing]] |date=2005 |location=United Kingdom |page=75}}</ref>

An emulated version of the Japanese Super Famicom version is included in the compilation title ''[[Pac-Man Museum+]]''. Though the game is emulated, the game is modified to alter the graphics of Pac-Man's family in the introductory and epilogue cutscenes, with Ms. Pac-Man, Baby Pac-Man and Jr. Pac-Man being replaced with the Pac-Mom, Pac-Sis and Pac-Boy characters created for the collection. While not officially stated why the changes were made, news outlets have assumed the changes to be tied with [[Ms. Pac-Man#AtGames Dispute|Ms. Pac-Man's ongoing legal dispute with AtGames]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=SwitchArcade Round-Up: 'Pac-Man Museum+', 'Kao the Kangaroo', Plus Today's Other New Releases and Sales – TouchArcade |date=27 May 2022 |url=https://toucharcade.com/2022/05/27/pac-man-museum-plus-kao-the-kangaroo-switch-eshop-price-deal-panzer-dragoon-remake-discount-nintendo/ |access-date=2022-05-28 |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| EGM = 7.75/10<ref name="EGM">{{cite magazine|title=Review Crew: Pac-In-Time|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|issue=68|publisher=Sendai Publishing|date=March 1995|page=34}}</ref>
| Fam = 24/40<ref name="Famitsu">{{cite magazine |title=パックインタイム (GB) |url=https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=13012&redirect=no |magazine=[[Famitsu]] |publisher=[[Kadokawa Corporation]] |access-date=1 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301165545/https://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=13012&redirect=no |archive-date=1 March 2020}}</ref>
| GamePro = 4.5/5<ref name="GPro">{{cite news |last1=Nade |first1=Sarah |title=Proreview - Pac-In-Time |url=https://archive.org/details/GamePro_Issue_069_April_1995/page/n67/mode/2up |access-date=28 February 2020 |agency=[[GamePro]] |issue=69 |publisher=[[International Data Group]] |date=April 1996 |page=66}}</ref>
| NGen = {{rating|3|5}}<ref name="NGen">{{cite journal|title=Pac-In-Time |journal=[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]|issue=6|publisher=[[Imagine Media]]|date=June 1995|pages=113–4|url=https://archive.org/details/nextgen-issue-006/page/n125/mode/2up}}</ref>
| rev1 = ''Total! Germany''
| rev1Score = 3/6<ref name="Total!">{{cite news |author1=CH |title=Game Boy - Pac In Time |url=https://total.bee-ware.ch/tests/gb/gb_PacInTime.jpg |access-date=1 March 2020 |agency=Total! Germany |date=August 1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726180218/http://total.bee-ware.ch/tests/gb/gb_PacInTime.jpg |archive-date=26 July 2015 |language=de}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine|VideoGames]]''
| rev2Score = 8/10<ref name="VideoGames">{{cite news |last1=Bieniek |first1=Chris |title=Super NES - Pac-In-Time |url=https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_The_Ultimate_Gaming_Magazine_Issue_75_April_1995/page/n59/mode/2up/search/Pac-In-Time?q=Pac-In-Time |access-date=28 February 2020 |agency=[[VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine|VideoGames]] |issue=75 |publisher=[[Larry Flynt Publications]] |date=April 1995 |page=68}}</ref>
}}
''Pac-In-Time'' was met with a generally favorable reception from publications, and is seen as a unique and innovative title in the ''Pac-Man'' series. ''[[GamePro]]'' magazine commented that it helps represent the character's legacy, and that it was an interesting take on the franchise.<ref name="GPro"/> The Super Famicom version sold 21,265 copies in its first week on the market.<ref>{{cite web |title=Game Search (based on Famitsu data) |url=https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search |website=Game Data Library |access-date=16 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190424035430/https://sites.google.com/site/gamedatalibrary/game-search |archive-date=24 April 2019 |date=1 March 2020}}</ref>

The game's visuals and presentation were praised by several. ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' liked Pac-Man's cute design and for the game itself having a distinctly-cute style, while also praising the graphics themselves for being bright and colorful, which ''GamePro'' agreed with.<ref name="GPro"/>  Reviewing the Game Boy version, ''[[Famitsu]]'' and ''Total! Germany'' said that the graphics had a very cartoony look, but were average for the system.<ref name="Famitsu"/><ref name="Total!"/> Critics also praised the game's controls and items;<ref name="EGM"/><ref name="NGen"/> ''GamePro'' in particular said that together they "breathed new life into a classic character."<ref name="GPro"/> ''GamePro'' and ''[[VideoGames - The Ultimate Gaming Magazine|VideoGames]]'' both enjoyed the rope item for being fun to use.<ref name="GPro"/><ref name="VideoGames"/> ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' liked the music but said it became repetitive after a while.<ref name="EGM"/>

The gameplay was well-received, particularly for its usage of puzzle-solving. ''GamePro'' described it as a "fun, fast-paced adventure".<ref name="GPro"/> ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' said that it "has the makings of a great game" through its pick-up-and-play approach and for the game being generally fun to play.<ref name="EGM"/> ''[[Next Generation (magazine)|Next Generation]]'' and ''VideoGames'' agreed, both of whom enjoyed the level design for its usage of puzzle-solving.<ref name="NGen"/><ref name="VideoGames"/> ''[[Famitsu]]'' liked the gameplay for being entertaining and the stages for being wide-open and fun to explore, although said that the puzzle-solving can become repetitive after a while.<ref name="Famitsu"/> By contrast, ''Next Generation'' felt that the level design became repetitive and lack in variety between them, which they stated was the game's only weakness.<ref name="NGen"/> Most critics felt that the game became too difficult later on,<ref name="NGen"/><ref name="Famitsu"/><ref name="GPro"/> with ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' in particular disliking the learning curve for being overly-high.<ref name="EGM"/> ''Total! Germany'' praised the Game Boy version for its creativity and design, but claimed that its difficulty would put off younger players and only recommended the game towards more dedicated platform fans.<ref name="Total!"/> ''Video Games'' magazine said that ''Pac-In-Time'' was a significant step-up in quality compared to the series' previous platform outings, writing: "''Pac-Man'' fans will dig the characters and the familiar theme music at the opening of each stage, but ''Pac-In-Time'' really has little to do with the maze game that launched a thousand maze games. However, unlike ''Pac-Land'' - a previous attempt to blend the ''Pac-Man'' universe with a platform-game scenario - this one is a pleasantly addictive romp that knows just how to tease players into coming back for more."<ref name="VideoGames"/>

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{MobyGames|id=/pac-in-time}}

{{Pac-Man}}
{{Kalisto Entertainment}}
{{Portal bar|Video games|1990s}}

[[Category:1995 video games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Game Gear games]]
[[Category:Cancelled Sega Genesis games]]
[[Category:Classic Mac OS games]]
[[Category:DOS games]]
[[Category:Game Boy games]]
[[Category:Kalisto Entertainment games]]
[[Category:Mindscape games]]
[[Category:Nintendo games]]
[[Category:Pac-Man]]
[[Category:Platformers]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]
[[Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games]]
[[Category:Video games about time travel]]
[[Category:Video games about witchcraft]]
[[Category:Video games developed in France]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Frédéric Motte]]
[[Category:Video games set in 1975]]