BBC Model B - Pacman (Acornsoft) 1982 loading and gameplay

Acornsoft’s Pac-Man clone for the BBC Micro, released in 1982, was one of the early attempts to bring the arcade phenomenon into the home. Due to licensing restrictions, the game wasn’t officially titled Pac-Man, but it replicated the core mechanics: guiding a yellow character around a maze, eating dots while avoiding four roaming ghosts. The BBC Micro’s limited graphical capabilities meant the visuals were more blocky and less colourful than the arcade original, yet the programmers managed to retain the essential feel of the game. Mazes were tightly drawn, with a clear emphasis on speed and smooth control, making it immediately recognisable to anyone familiar with Namco’s hit. The challenge was authentic too, with ghosts becoming faster and more relentless as the player progressed.

The audio was sparse compared to the arcade machine, with simple beeps marking the munching of dots and the pursuit of ghosts after eating a power pill. Despite these limitations, Acornsoft’s version was well received among BBC Micro users for delivering a faithful, addictive maze-chase experience on a machine best known for education and productivity software. It offered an early taste of arcade-style action on the BBC, standing as one of the more successful unofficial ports of the period. For many players in Britain, this was their first chance to play something resembling Pac-Man at home, and it demonstrated just how effectively the BBC Micro could handle fast-moving arcade games when pushed.