About this product

Product Information

In 1980, Pac-Man invaded the videogame world, and home game publishers scrambled to capitalize on his popularity. Atari licensed Pac-Man from Namco, but before their home version went to market, Philips released their own dot-gobbling maze game for the Odyssey 2 titled K.C. Munchkin. Named after Philips president K.C. Mencken, K.C. Munchkin was a small, roundish creature, mostly mouth, who ran around a maze eating dots while avoiding ghostly Munchers. A public in the grip of Pac-mania rushed out and purchased Odyssey 2 units in droves. <br><br>Atari quickly sued Philips for copyright infringement. The court, eventually siding with Atari, ordered Philips to stop selling K.C. Munchkin! establishing an important precedent in video game copyright law, which has been often cited in subsequent intellectual property suits. The decision hurt Philips because K.C. Munchkin! had become the best selling Odyssey 2 cartridge to date. However, despite his short shelf life, K.C. put Odyssey 2 back on the map after its popularity had steadily declined.<br><br>Ironically, K.C. Munchkin! differs significantly from Pac-Man. While Pac-Man's screen is filled with dots, K.C. Munchkin! displays only 12 at a time. Pac-Man's dots are stationary, but K.C.'s float around the maze, adding a new level of challenge. K.C. Munchkin! even allows players to choose among several maze layouts or create their own. K.C. Munchkin! is an astounding game for its time, far superior to the mediocre Atari 2600 version of Pac-Man.

Product Identifiers

PublisherPhilips

eBay Product ID (ePID)56249986

Product Key Features

GenreAction & Adventure

PlatformOdyssey2/Videopac

Game NameK.C. Munchkin!

Additional Product Features

Release Year1981

Number of Players1

Country/Region of ManufactureUSA

Control ElementsGamepad/Joystick

Ratings and reviews

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5.0

3 product ratings

3 users rated this 5 out of 5 stars
0 users rated this 4 out of 5 stars
0 users rated this 3 out of 5 stars
0 users rated this 2 out of 5 stars
0 users rated this 1 out of 5 stars

Good graphics

Compelling gameplay

Good value

Most relevant reviews

by trish_37
22 May, 2019
blast from the past, better than Pac Man!
I grew up playing KC Munchkin, and I still had it and a working Odyssey console when, unfortunately, I lost everything in a house fire. I'm so glad I was able to replace it!
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
by maire6o
12 Jul, 2017
Game works well !!
Game cartridge was carefully packaged, promptly shipped, and works well !!
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
by rock-n-wrestling
20 May, 2020
KC Munchkin RULES!!!!
Fantastic Retro throw back!
Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned