Pac-Man Annotated Perfect Game

Welcome to the Annotated Pac-Man Perfect Game!

The intent here is to illustrate a perfect game while also sharing everything I know about the game, including the internal logic, timing, and glitches.

Here is a list of the patterns and their origins, numbered based on what level they first appear in the video. Where one pattern starts like an earlier one, the new pattern includes the original one's level number. (Example: On Level 10, the pattern is derived from the one on Level 6, which was derived from the one on Level 5, so it is named 5.6.10.). (Much of the origin information came from Neil Chapman.)

Pattern 1: beginning John Birkner; unknown man from Tennessee; from shortly before 1st cherry by Neil Chapman
Pattern 2: unknown man from Tennessee
Pattern 3: unknown man from Tennessee
Pattern 3.4: unknown man from Tennessee
Pattern 5: unknown man from Tennessee; last 2 energizers by Neil Chapman
Pattern 5.6 unknown man from Tennessee
Pattern 5.6.10: unknown man from Tennessee; last 2 energizers by WB DeFord
Pattern 5.14: unknown man from Tennessee; last 3 energizers by Neil Chapman
Pattern 9: David Race; 4th energizer by David Cruz; outtake 4th energizer by Rick Fothergill
Pattern 17: Ken Uston; energizers by WB DeFord
Pattern 19: John Birkner, thru 2nd tunnel trip w/ slight variation; 3 energizers, ending by WB DeFord; remainder unknown
Pattern 21: John Birkner, through lower portion; remainder unknown
Pattern 21.71: .71 portion by WB DeFord
Pattern 21.124: .124 portion by WB DeFord
Pattern 128: Tommy L.,from San Francisco, published by Ken Uston; ending by WB DeFord
Pattern 1.170: .170 portion, unknown man from Tennessee
Pattern 1.170.192: .192 portion by WB DeFord
Pattern 21.251: .251 portion by WB DeFord
Pattern 21.254: John Birkner
Pattern 256: Unknown to lower right corner; Remainder by WB DeFord
Pattern PK.19: Ken Uston; energizers and 2 pairs of dots by WB DeFord
Pattern F-4: Donnie Hodges; from first turnaround by David Race

Outtakes

1: Slow Pattern 1
2: Slow Pattern 2
3: Slow Pattern 3[.4]
4: Slow Pattern 5[.*] (Clyde to Corner)
5: Worse Slow Pattern 5[.*] (Short of Energizer)
6: Slow Pattern 5 (Pinky Up)
7: Failure to move Down for 3rd monster, Pattern 5
8: Space Out Pattern 5.14
9: Slow Pattern 9 (Caught from behind by Pinky)
10: Slow Pattern 9 (3rd energizer turnaround, green-eyed red monsters)
11: Fast Pattern 9 (2nd fruit turnaround)
12: Fast Pattern 9 (missed hesitation)
13: Slow Pattern 9 (too long hesitation)
14: Pattern 9 (Alternate 4th Energizer)
15: Pattern PK (alternate for Levels 19 and 20)
16: Pattern 21 (alternate ending)
17: Pattern 21.251 (easier ending sometimes available)
18: Fast Pattern 21.254 (failing to wait for Clyde to pass)
19: Safe Spot Deaths
20: Pattern 5, Safe Spot, Level 5/11 vs 7/8
21: Pattern 21.124 variation illustrating fruit timer
22: Failure to account for Mode Switch
23: Up "Illegal" Passage
24: Pattern 21 (stopping a turn too soon)
25: Pattern F-4 (Fast pattern for Levels 21-255)
26: Pattern F-4 (Booey Example)
27: Pattern F-4 (Four Green-Eyed Pink Monsters)
28: Blinky Turns Away
29: Level 256 (Frozen in Place)
30: Level 256 (It matters how you get to the BC stop)
31: Level 256 (Mode Switch Reversal)
32: Other Perfect Score ("Hard" Setting)
33: Why 256 is as it is
34: Turnabout is Fair Play
35: Why The 1-Frame 4th Scatter
36: More Readable Level 256 Screen
37: Eating a monster before he is fully out of the pen
38: Tile Grid and examples
39: 2 Player Perfect Game

Pac-Man information -
(Note: Times are off by 1% because they assume 1/60 second per frame instead of 1/60.606.)

Most of the information in these videos was derived from the work of Donnie Hodges, who deciphered a lot of the original code.

for the game, which is found at: https://github.com/BleuLlama/GameDocs...

AI:    • Pac-Man Ghost AI Explained  

Level 256:    • Pac-Man Ghost AI Explained  

Pac-Man Dossier: https://www.gamasutra.com/view/featur...

Grouping Strategy:    • Pac-Man Grouping Tutorial