Programmer Dale Harvey has created a playable version of Pac-Man using only web standards.
To rebuild the same gameplay found in the arcade classic using browser-native code, he’s relying on local storage, HTML5 audio, Canvas and @font-face. Harvey is sharing all the code on Github as well, so you can run it locally.
Reminiscent of Google’s recent Pac-Man port, Harvey’s attempt is yet another example of web standards being used instead of Flash to create animated, interactive experiences in the browser.
The Flash plug-in is still the most popular platform choice for browser-based games, and it has some advantages over HTML5. Most notably, a Flash game would work in any browser that allows the plug-in, but to play Harvey’s game, you’ll need to use a browser that supports the elements he’s using — Firefox, Opera and Chrome work just fine, but IE8 is a no-go.
On his blog post about the project, he notes some of the other stumbling blocks he encountered when porting the game. For instance, there’s no easy way to loop HTML5 audio, there isn’t a convenient tool for drawing Canvas shapes, and using Canvas/HTML5 for a game even this simple still puts more strain on your CPU than using Flash.
[via Hacker News]
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