Peter Packrat
Encyclopedia
Peter Pack Rat is a 1984 platform game
released by Atari
for the Atari System 1. Only 500 units were produced, either as a standalone Coin Op Arcade Cabinet or as an upgrade kit to existing Coin Op Arcade Cabinets (Atari part no. 136028). The game's background music
appeared on the 1991 and 2003 release of That's Atari Music - G.S.M Atari Games 1.
The player maneuvers Peter, a cartoon rodent, through various environments to collect objects and take them back to his nest within a designated time. Enemies, referred to as "The Gang", include cat
s, dog
s, owl
s, and spider
s, and must be avoided or stunned by throwing gems or collected objects. Each successive stage increases the number of objects to collect, reduces the allotted time to collect them, and adds more enemies.
Points are awarded based on the amount of time remaining when all items are collected, and the number of enemies stunned. Jeff Peters holds the official high-score with 910,875 points achieved at the Camelot Arcade in Anaheim, California
on March 20, 1986.
in the episode "iStage an Intervention."
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
released by Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
for the Atari System 1. Only 500 units were produced, either as a standalone Coin Op Arcade Cabinet or as an upgrade kit to existing Coin Op Arcade Cabinets (Atari part no. 136028). The game's background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
appeared on the 1991 and 2003 release of That's Atari Music - G.S.M Atari Games 1.
Gameplay
To get a better example of what the arcade version looked like compared to the Spectrum version, search youtube for Peter Pack Rat Arcade 1984.The player maneuvers Peter, a cartoon rodent, through various environments to collect objects and take them back to his nest within a designated time. Enemies, referred to as "The Gang", include cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, and spider
Spider
Spiders are air-breathing arthropods that have eight legs, and chelicerae with fangs that inject venom. They are the largest order of arachnids and rank seventh in total species diversity among all other groups of organisms...
s, and must be avoided or stunned by throwing gems or collected objects. Each successive stage increases the number of objects to collect, reduces the allotted time to collect them, and adds more enemies.
Points are awarded based on the amount of time remaining when all items are collected, and the number of enemies stunned. Jeff Peters holds the official high-score with 910,875 points achieved at the Camelot Arcade in Anaheim, California
Anaheim, California
Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...
on March 20, 1986.
In popular culture
The game appears in the TV show iCarlyICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
in the episode "iStage an Intervention."