A reimagining of the classic PacMan game

OneBit PacMan (Playdate) is a free arcade game made by indie developer oscarbraindead. It is a port of the classic PacMan for the retro handheld game console Playdate. It is based on the Deluxe PacMan game that was released by Edgar M. Vigdal for the Amiga system.

After the release of OneBit Invaders (Playdate), comes OneBit PacMan (Playdate) by the same developer, and is another attempt to bring a classic arcade game to the hands of today’s gamers with the help of the Playdate. It is also available in two versions depending on their preferred playstyle.

PacMan redux

Ever since the original PacMan game came out decades ago, there have been many titles that have tried to mimic and even build upon the core presentation and gameplay. Deluxe PacMan is one of them, and it introduced the pretty interesting mechanics that changed the way you would approach the gameplay. OneBit PacMan (Playdate) takes the same game and puts its own spin on things for the Playdate.

The most noticeable change with OneBit PacMan (Playdate) is with the design, which now features hand-drawn one-bit graphics and a black and white aesthetic that go with the Playdate’s screen hardware. There are 12 mazes for you to play and multiple difficulty levels. Then, there are the collectible powerups that provide nice perks and bonuses, including extra lives, invulnerability, and the most fun of them all, the gun.

As mentioned earlier, there are two versions of the game available to you. The first is the standard version that runs at 30fps. Meanwhile, the second is at a faster 50fps, which makes the gameplay not only speedier, but more challenging as a result. There’s really not much to complain about aside from more levels maybe, but those can be added in future updates.

Near perfect

Put simply, OneBit PacMan (Playdate) is basically a near perfect port of Deluxe PacMan. It’s faithful to the original in look, feel, and gameplay. The only thing different here is the color or the lack of it, but really, it’s part of its retro charm. If you haven’t played this iteration of the classic PacMan before, you can now do so on your Playdate.