"Aside from Jr. Pac-Man, this is the Pac-Man clone to play on the Atari 2600"

Overview- Mattel gave us one of the better Pac Man clones for our beloved Atari console back in the day, this one really has some high points and I actually prefer this version of Lock N Chase over the Intellivision version. It's actually surprising that this game turned out so well because M Network (Mattel's programming arm outside of their native Intellivision shores) was renowned for their lackluster ports to other consoles and for seemingly trying to boost the Intellivision's image while knocking other console's images down. Read on to see why that aside from Jr. Pac-Man, this is the Pac-Man styled game to play.

Game Play- You start out with your standard gobble the dots fare but there are some rather nice twists, you have locks you can place behind you to chase a cop away; instead of the stage just ending after all of the dots/cash are collected you have to make for the exit at the top of the stage, there is a bonus money symbol in the middle that's worth more every time you collect it without missing it. The stages don't ever change but the game picks up at a pretty frantic pace and is just addicting in its simplicity, with the 2 player mode it quickly becomes one to turn someone onto the console with.

Graphics- The graphics are simple but get the job done, surprisingly there is little to no flicker. Despite the stages never changing, we are treated to some bright and detailed visuals for the game's single stage. One amusing aspect is that the player looks the symbol on the Pizza Hut logo, just fire orange, and player two is lime green. The cops look like little white robots. Everything is done quite well. Everything is simple but looks good and makes the game feel solid and original.

Sound- Sound effects for a maze game on the 2600 are done quite well and sound original. Even though the game is a Pac Man rip-off the sounds don't sound recycled as so many other maze games on the console do. When you're caught by a cop, the sound played is actually pretty memorable though I really can't put it to words.

Conclusion- This game lacks variety in some places but makes up for it with solid game play, decent graphics and original sound effects. While it's no Junior Pac-Man, it's definitely a must buy over the Atari's original Pac-Man effort. Add this to your library, you won't regret it.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/05/09

Game Release: Lock 'n' Chase (US, 1982)