K.C. Munchkin!

Atari exclusive

A copy of Pac-Man, but with various improvements. This game is primarily known for the Atari lawsuit against it which set an important precedent for copyright and lawsuits in videogames.

Released: 1981
Platforms: Atari 7800 Magnavox Odyssey 2 Odyssey 2 / Videopac G7000
Genres: Arcade Maze
Developers: Magnavox
Publishers: Magnavox Koninklijke Philips NV
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Bird view / Isometric
Themes: Action
Country: United States
Languages: English

About

C. , released in Europe as Videopac 38 - Munchkin, is a 1981 maze game created by Ed Averett for the Magnavox Odyssey², also known as the Philips Videopac G7000. C. who navigates a maze while eating pellets and avoiding enemy aliens.

), who were sued by Atari over the game's resemblance to the arcade game Pac-Man. C. Munchkin! to be too close in "look and feel" to the arcade game causing it to be pulled from the market.

Keywords

death
maze
anthropomorphism
randomly generated dungeons
in-game map editor
invisible wall
temporary invincibility
eat or be eaten
pac-man clone

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

C. Munchkin! plays very similarly to Pac-Man. C.

roams a maze with the goal of eating pellets called munchies while avoiding ghost-like aliens called munchers. The maze contains twelve munchies, four of which flash a variety of colors. Collecting all twelve resets the maze and starts a new round. The munchies can move throughout the maze and move faster each time another munchie is consumed.

Development

C. Munchkin! was designed and programmed by Ed Averett, an independent contractor based out of Chattanooga, Tennessee. At the time, Averett was the only developer working on Odyssey² games in the United States.

Previous to this, Averett had developed 21 other games for the Odyssey². C.) by its parent, North American Philips. V.

Reception

C. Munchkin! was an "amusing twist on the gobble game theme" but also that it was "maybe just a little too easy". In their 1983 Software Encyclopedia, Kunkel and Katz gave it a nine out of ten, calling the gameplay "outstanding" and complimenting the custom maze feature.

Videogaming Illustrated called it "delightful" while bemoaning its removal from the market. JoyStik magazine thought it offered "cleaner graphics" and "more challenging gameplay" compared to the Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man. They also believed the extra gameplay modes and customizable mazes brought the game above its competitor.