The Maze & Chase Master
If you’re talking about some of the biggest arcade games of the ’80s, names like Donkey Kong, Joust, Tempest, and even Mario Bros. may be brought up. But despite all of these classic titles, one arcade game has chomped more quarters than any of them: Pac-Man. Despite Pac-Man being most well-known for his original arcade cabinet, there are plenty of games in the Pac-Man series that go beyond the classic maze action gameplay of the original. From party games to racing titles to 3D platformers, he’s done it all and then some. Here’s our ranking for the Top 10 Pac-Man titles.
10. Pac-Land (1984)
Made only a few years after the original arcade title, Pac-Land traded the maze for a 2D side-scrolling adventure. Pac-Land sees players running from the left of the screen to the right. All the while, Pac-Man must avoid the ghosts attempting to keep him from reaching the magic door at the end of the level. Once Pac-Man makes it to the magic door at the end of each trip, he’ll be given a pair of enchanted shoes to run home before time runs out. It’s a simple platformer game with delightful sounds and fun gimmicks on each trip. Made as a response to the popularity of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon, Pac-Land is a charming game, just like it’s a cartoon.
9. Pac-Man 99 (2021)
With the popularity of Tetris 99, and Mario 35, Namco teamed up with Akira Co. Ltd. to develop its own version of the retro battle royale. Much like Akria’s previous endeavors, Pac-Man 99 pits 99 players against one another in a Pac-Man gauntlet. Players have to survive through the classic maze, avoiding ghosts and collecting dots. Any ghost a player eats is sent to another player’s maze as a Pac-Man that will slow them down upon contact. Whoever is left at the end is crowned the victor. Pac-Man 99 is a nail-biting, high-adrenaline take on the classic title, putting even the most seasoned Pac-Man veterans to the test. It’s too bad the game is getting delisted this October.
8. Pac-Man Vs. (2003)
Wanting to find a way to showcase the power of the Game Boy Advance Link Cable, Shigeru Miyamoto himself teamed up with Nintendo EAD to create a multiplayer version of Pac-Man. Pac-Man Vs. lets four players take on the roles of both Pac-Man and the ghosts as they compete to see who can achieve the highest score. All ghosts may have the same goal of capturing Pac-Man. If any of them are able to do it before all the pellets are cleared from the stage, they take over as Pac-Man in the next round.
Both Pac-Man and the ghosts can pick up the fruits that appear in the maze. While awarding bonus points for Pac-Man, the ghosts will get a larger view of the maze, making it easier to track down their target. Charles Martinet also makes a cameo as Mario, taking the role of the announcer for the game. Hearing Mario call out, “Pac-Man Ate a Power Pellet!” or “Oooh, this-a looking not so good!” as the game reaches its conclusion is the cherry on top of the cake.
Pac-Man Vs. is a terrific party game, giving players the chance to play as ghosts, and allowing friends to compete with one another in a novel Pac-Man experience.
7. Pac-Man World Rally (2006)
Pac-Man has had his boxing gloves in just about every genre during the height of the GameCube, and racing games are no exception. Don’t listen to contemporary reviews of this game, because Pac-Man World Rally is a delightfully fun arcade racer in the same vein as Mario Kart or Crash Team Racing. However, some Pac-Man-centric gimmicks keep it from being a clone of other titles. World Rally brings back mechanics from Pac-Man World into its races. For example, some tracks incorporate fruit gates, allowing players a shortcut if they’ve snagged a fruit to pay. Pac-Dots also litter the map, but instead of souping up your car, they transform your car into a chomping machine, turning all enemy racers into ghosts.
Charging multiple drifts also fills a meter up, allowing you to store 3 shields, which can block you from many attacks. The game has two main factions for characters as well. The heroes include Pac, Ms. Pac, Jr. Pac, Pooka, and The Prince from Katamari Damacy. And, the villains, including all four ghosts, as well as Toc-Man, Spooky, and Erwin, the villains from all 3 games in the Pac-Man World series.
While the presentation isn’t the game’s strong suit, its tight controls, fun soundtrack, and unique Pac-Man-centric mechanics make it a must-play for both Pac-Man fans and arcade racing fans alike.
6. Pac-Attack (1993)
If it wasn’t for the Pac-Man branding and characters, this wouldn’t pass as a Pac-Man game. However, Pac-Attack is a delightfully fun and addicting puzzle title. This falling block puzzle game has the player putting down tiles to clear lines. Some tiles include ghosts, making it impossible to clear those lines. This is where Pac-Man comes in, as every so often, the ghost-chomping hero will appear instead of a ghost. Once placed, he’ll head in a direction until he can’t move anymore. If any ghosts are in the way, they’ll be swiftly eaten, and the tiles they blocked will fall into place. It’s an amazingly fun title, though it’s a shame Pac-Man Museum+ only includes the Super Nintendo version, as the PlayStation 1 version of the game allows the player to rotate the blocks in either direction.
5. The World’s Biggest Pac-Man (2011)
The World’s Biggest Pac-Man is an interesting addition to this list. This is due to how downright massive the scope of the game is. Created by Namco, Microsoft, and Soap Creative, The World’s Biggest Pac-Man is a browser game that connects multiple user-made mazes together via the exits on the top, bottom, and sides of the maze. The gameplay itself is functionally similar to the original Pac-Man, although, by exiting the map, you’re connected to another maze made by someone else. With some mazes only having one or two exits in their creation, this builds a maze, inside, a maze. As players can leave one maze, and get lost in the near infinity The World’s Biggest Pac-Man provides.
This makes The World’s Biggest Pac-Man one of the most unique takes on the classic title.
4. Ms. Pac-Man (1982)
Whatever the original Pac-Man did right, Ms. Pac-Man did it better. Introducing new maps, more ways to be caught, and an overall more enhanced version of the original, what started out as a modification for Pac-Man usurped its predecessor. The only downside to this game is the feud between Namco and AtGames, all but erasing Pac-Man’s better half from any new releases.
3. Pac-Man World 2 (2002)
The second entry into Pac-Man’s foray into 3D platforming, this 2002 title took everything that made Pac-Man World so entertaining and cranked it up to 11. Introducing a silly Saturday morning cartoon plot, and having Pac-Man trek through forests filled with trampolines, skate down icy mountains, and battle mechs piloted by the four main ghosts. Pac-Man World 2 oozes charm from every place possible, and it would be in the top spot if it wasn’t for the two mandatory submarine levels that kill the pace of the game. Here’s to hoping it gets the Re-Pac treatment like its older brother.
2. Pac-Man Championship Edition DX (2013)
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is one of the most high-octane takes on the Maze & Chase style of gameplay and for good reason. Pac-Man CEDX puts the player on a set time limit with one goal…Eat Everything. Completing Pac-Dot Chains and starting a train of ghosts following Pac-Man will increase the speed of the game, making it easier to complete chains faster, and easier for players to make a mistake. Every so often, a power pellet will be placed on the chain, and Pac-Man can turn around and chomp the lengthy train of ghosts at his back, racking up some serious score. Once time runs out, players can post their scores online or take on a new maze if they’re up for the challenge.
Aside from the five or ten-minute time limit, there’s also a time attack mode as well. Players can also customize their maze with different visuals, as well as change the bassy beats to chomp dots, too. The only thing Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is missing is an endless mode.
1. Pac-Man Arrangement (1996)
Not to be confused with the PSP title of the same name, Pac-Man Arrangement was introduced to the arcades within the Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2 cabinet. This is the pinnacle of the “Maze & Chase” titles, keeping the classic top-down perspective with charming graphics, multiple powerups, several maze gimmicks, and a fifth ghost that can be a walking power pellet if Pac-Man catches it, or a serious threat if he merges with a ghost. Making it to the final level will see the ghosts pilot a massive robot with one goal, to take down Pac-Man once and for all. This final boss fight, while playing like an average Pac-Man level, is a joy to play through as each dot brings the fight closer to its conclusion.
Finishing the game lands the player a simple congratulations, but also leaves them with a message:
The game never really ends.
Someone, somewhere
Is being chased by monsters!
More Stories by Cole Travis
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