Oh, right.

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Yes, there are methods to beat the games.  Several things had been forgotten, with galaga.  The double ships?  Right.  There seems to have been a glitch.  I probably knew about it back in the day, but wouldn't have used it.  My uncle watched over my shoulder.  He probably knew about the glitch too?  Didn't use it.  We played legit.  I can't remember my highest score, but it was... solid.  It impressed him and he wasn't impressed by much.

Why am I including the cheat?  Well, first, I can erase the high score, so that isn't a problem.  Won't be doing it for that.  But, what this can allow is practice at higher levels.  When I hit a level I am just getting eat up at, I can use this to crack through, learn the patterns with only have the complications, or less, and then ease back into full application of complexity.  A man doesn't go to a gunfight never having shot a gun, not... willingly.  A man always wants to know what is next, when possible.

As to pac-man?  I had played it, but never got good at it.  I didn't really like it as much.  Still, always wanted to figure it out, just never really had the time, or resources.  It's sort of an extreme nerd game, because you had to memorize various paths.  I wasn't good at that.  Oh, and some tried, and apparently succeeded, at learning the ghost algos.  

Now, how successful knowing the ghost algos is in allowing you to beat the game?  I think, roughly, knowing a few triggers, an escape type path, and having an idea of what can cause a trigger, might help.  It will take a lot of chair time to actually be able to bring that to more direct gameplay.  Mostly it is a nebulous notion.  And it won't ever be a direct thing.  You might sort it out subconsciously, or in a muscle memory sort of way, but it won't ever be in the forebrain.  Knowing, then playing, will offer a possible reaction, or even sometimes a conscious action... but still mostly with hope.

Pac-man just probably won't be something I work all that much on.  It may just remain a beater game, albeit, at $1.99, it will be a far cheaper beater game.  I may attempt memorization of paths, in time.  Or... not.  But, at least, now, I know.  I think I felt the same way back then.  Besides, the memorization has major limits.  As well, the controls, I thought, back then, and today, are terrible.  On both games actually.  Clunky, imprecise, slow to function.  It reminds me of circus games, where they were cheating, one way or another.  Magnets, weights, throwing items with an imbalance.  These you can sort out, in time.  But it is like wading through sand, rather than crisp and precise.  Part of the... experience.  A handicap against the player.  Made to suck your money in.  Frustration, it seems, like sex?  Sells.  Ponder that the next time you deal with a politician or businessman, especially major corporations.  They... play that game.

Well... on to some playing.  I'll start with galaga.  Though... the thing about pac-man is... memorization is... not a bad thing.  I don't do much, if any, of that.  I learn some things, passively.  Such as measuring, in order, with quilting... or learning sizes of nuts and bolts by eye.  But those become static, once learned.  Pac-man would require learning, and then improvisation... a mix.  So... has mental application advantages.

Hurts, donut?  :p  Pain is the way to... more.  Leisure is death, one way or another.  And I really hate memorization.  So?  So... I... will get to pac-man, when I can.  Bleh.  Soon.  Fine.  Fie then, but sure.  Pain is where  it is at.  Find what you really don't like, from time to time, and do it.  And... learn to love it.  Embrace the suck, enjoy the pain, giggle at the struggle.  Win, lose, draw, keep at it.  This isn't about you, or your lily whites, boys and girls.  It's about getting out there and winning.  While you can't win, you don't have to lose.  In more ways than one.  But... it is going to hurt.  Enjoy!  I do.  Amen.