Zuckman

The Good
In 1982, two brothers went out to create the very first clone of Namco’s classic game, Pac-Man, for the ZX81, and that game was Zuckman. I recently reviewed another called Ghost Hunt, which has similar graphics to this attempt by DJL. What I found impressive are the detailed instructions, which are ideal for players who are unfamiliar with the concept and have not played the original arcade game. Even more impressive is the little animation of Gobble-Man eating the ghosts, and this appears after the title screen is idle for ten seconds. This animation also shows players how many points they earn for eating successive ghosts.

As far as the game goes, the maze has the same layout as Pac-Man and is quite detailed, even if the graphics are monochrome. It is nice that DJL provided an alternate keyset for those who don’t wish to see their fingers huddled together in one spot as they press the 5,6,7,8 keys. There is no sound in the game, which is understandable considering that the ZX81 has no built-in sound.

The Bad
As if the power pellets are not enough, the ghosts turn vulnerable every thirty seconds. They turn back when ten seconds is up, yet you receive no warning about this.

The Bottom Line
Zuckman is an impressive clone of Namco's classic arcade game. Although the graphics are presented in monochrome, the maze is quite detailed and it even has a similar layout. Great animations are also thrown in, and lengthy instructions are provided for anyone unfamiliar with Pac-Man. The game receives a minus one for the odd mechanic.