MANUFACTURER:  TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

 PRODUCT NUMBER:  PHM 3057

 RELEASED:  1Q/1982

  PROGRAMMER:  JIM DRAMIS

   ORIGINAL RETAIL PRICE:  $39.95

TOUCAN'S TRIVIA: Like Parsec, Munchman is one of those classic TI-99/4A video games. Sure, it may be a Pac-Man clone but there is no doubt this cartridge was one of the top sellers on the TI-99/4A system back in the early 80s.

TOUCAN'S TRIVIA: You might ask why they call the game "Munchman" when nothing is being "munched" in the game (as Munchman himself is not eating anything, but rather laying down chains). This is a common question that many people have after playing it, and the answer lies in the prototype version of the game (which carries a 1981 copyright on the title screen, versus the 1982 date on the released version). In the prototype, Munchman actually gobbles dots and power-pills in order to pass each level just as in Pac-Man. However, TI thought it would be too risky to market the game that way as it was a clear rip off of the arcade original. So to avoid any lawsuits they took out the dots and had Munchman lay down a series of chains, where the player had to cover the entire maze instead of eating dots. Also, the power-pills were changed to TI logos but still served the same purpose. One other note is that the maze was altered for the final version of the game (in my opinion the maze that came out in the released Munchman cartridge is easier than the prototype one) and the title screen was changed. After all these changes, the name Munchman was retained even though the "munch" had been taken out from most of the game play.

TOUCAN'S TRIVIA: Fun Bit!  If you think you are the biggest fan of Munchman you might want to check with Lauren Urban. Back in 1983 she had an actual Munchman Birthday Cake made for her sixth birthday! The image of the cake comes from the August 1983 issue of 99er Magazine (page 68). Wonder where Lauren is today? She would be over 30 years old now!

TOUCAN'S TRIVIA: Secret Code Alert!  If you press the buttons "* # *" (in that sequence) on the title screen, it will take you to a cheat mode where you can choose the Round, Screen, and Number of Munchmen that you want to start with. It's fun to see what the later levels look like if you are not talented enough with the joystick to get there, since Munchman really does "munch" things towards the end of the game! There is a catch however, the score that you rack up while in this special mode is recorded as a "Test Score"  instead of "Your Score" as in a normal game. Therefore, cheating does indeed have its limitations!

TOUCAN'S TRIVIA: Well, Howard Kistler (Dream Codex) is at it again! After programming a superb update of Hunt The Wumpus (the updated game can be played by clicking on the link in Wumpus' Trivia section), now comes his update of Munch Man, called MunchMates! The game can be played right on your own PC for free. It's well worth a play and Howard should be commended for his great TI-99/4A video game updates!

	1982 Munchman Manual
	European Munchman Manual

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