10 Best Pac-Man Games

Pac-Man is one of gaming’s longest-running series. While the franchise may not carry the same cultural cache that it once did, Pac-Man is still loved around the world. Over the years, there have been countless quality Pac-Man titles. Some of these modern Pac-Man games are iterations on the classic formula, some are imbued with new quirky elements, others see Pac-Man tackle a variety of different game genres.

Related: Things You Never Knew About Pac-Man

At this point in his career, Pac-Man has been featured in everything from party games to puzzle titles. However, there are a few elements that the series has held onto throughout the decades: power pellets, ghosts, and being a ton of fun.

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10

Super Pac-Man

Super Pac-Man is one of the black sheep of the Pac-Man franchise. During its time, this was a Pac-Man game that fans really didn’t take to. That being said, Super Pac-Man adds enough to the classic formula to stand out.

In Super Pac-Man your path is often blocked off. This means that you dynamically need to adjust your path on the fly in order to collect keys to unlock doors while simultaneously avoiding ghosts. It also features the titular Super Pac-Man, which is the name for the giant Pac-Man powerup (which allows you to blast through doors). Don’t be discouraged by its reputation; this unfairly maligned Pac-Man game is the key to a good time.

9

Pac-Man World

The Pac-Man World games are free-roaming platformers. Pac-Man World was the first title in the series. The levels are smaller than in the later Pac-Man World games, but that works to the game’s advantage. While the Pac-Man elements here are more relegated to theming than they are to gameplay, the saving grace of Pac-Man World is that it is a really great game.

Related: Why Pac-Man World Deserves A Sequel

To be fair, Pac-Man World does incorporate some classic Pac-Man elements. As an example, the Power Pellets act as you would expect them to. There are also some bonus stages that play more like the original. If you are looking for a more traditional Pac-Man game to play, there are better options, but there are very few forgotten platforming titles that are as good as Pac-Man World. For that alone, it is worth your time.

8

Pac ‘n Roll

Pac ‘n Roll is Mario meets Monkey Ball with a Pac-Man coat of paint. You still collect dots, and you still avoid ghosts, and there are still power pellets, but everything else is different.

The name of the game here is speed. You want to roll Pac-Man through the stage as quickly as possible (while hitting awesome ramps, loops, and slides). Pac-Man is controlled through tilt mechanics. This title was originally created for the DS, but the best version is on the Wii (by way of the Namco Museum Megamix). Pac ‘n Roll plays nothing like a traditional Pac-Man game, but it is an absolute blast.

7

Baby Pac-Man

Being a hybrid pinball and arcade game, Baby Pac-Man is a novel experience. Gameplay starts on the pinball playfield. This features two bumpers, two lanes, and five targets. Most importantly, there are two ball holds. Hit one of these holds and you will transition into the arcade portion of the game. Exit one of the bottom lanes in Pac-Man, and you reenter the playfield portion.

Related: Most Interesting Pinball Video Games

Unfortunately, this strange hybrid was a sales disappointment, so Baby Pac-Man has been given very little attention in any of the many Pac-Man collections. However, it is available on PinMame. For those Pac-Man fans with even a passing interest in pinball, this baby is absolutely worth taking for a stroll.

6

Pac-Man

This game is the standard that all other Pac-Man games are compared to. There are games from four years ago that have aged poorly, but this classic is still immediately fun forty years on. Pac-Man is simple; collect all the dots, avoid the ghosts, eat the power pellets, eat the ghosts, rinse and repeat.

Of course, seasoned Pac-Man players know that there are patterns for each ghost and that they cycle between scattering and pursuing. That is the fun of classic Pac-Man: learning the game inside out so that you can reach the next stage and beat your best score. For some people, this is the only Pac-Man game that matters.

5

Pac-Man 256

Pac-Man 256 is one of the more stripped-back games available on modern consoles. Once you load it up, you press start and you are playing. Pac-Man 256 has little in the way of razzle-dazzle, but what it does have is an excellent core concept that it delivers upon with grace.

Pac-Man 256 is about survival. The maze never ends, it carries on forever. Pac-Man has to push forward and prolong his life as long as possible. With every run, you will acquire new abilities that will assist you. You can take three abilities into the maze each time. And that is it, there is nothing more to it. This is a fantastic game to pop in when you want to kill a few minutes.

4

Pac-Man Vs.

Pac-Man Vs. features one player taking control of Pac-Man and clearing the maze, while three other players control the ghosts. The catch is that Pac-Man has the whole view of the screen, while the ghosts are only given a limited line of sight (forcing them to coordinate). Thus, Pac-Man Vs. has an extraordinarily strong focus on multiplayer.

This is to its benefit, but also to its detriment. While the most recent release on the Nintendo Switch does allow for single-player play, it just isn’t particularly interesting playing a rogue ghost. However, if you have two switches, and three friends, Pac-Man Vs. is an excellent party game. It is also easily the best Pac-Man game to play with friends. Bar none.

3

Pac-Man 99

Pac-Man 99 is a fun, battle royale-style variation of the original Pac-Man. Here you are competing against 98 other combatants. Eating ghosts will send an ephemeral Pac-Man to the mazes of your enemies. These Pac-Men don’t kill, but coming in contact with one will slow your opponents down. Coming in contact with the dreaded red Pac-Man, on the other hand, is instant death. On top of all this, if you clear all the dots, you will gain a speed increase. Yes, Pac-Man can level up.

Related: Tips For Playing Pac-Man 99

Overall, this is a super engaging multiplayer version of Pac-Man. It only has the classic Pac-Man maze, so matches can start to blur together after a while, but it never stops being an exhilarating experience. This is a great game for fans of the original looking for something with a little extra spice.

2

Ms. Pac-Man

While Pac-Man is the classic, Ms. Pac-Man is that and so much more. Introducing multiple new mazes (the classic Pac-Man maze does not make a return here), less exploitable enemy logic, and updated graphics, Ms. Pac-Man is the sequel that does everything you would want a sequel to do.

When it comes to the classic style of Pac-Man game, Ms. Pac-Man is the best of the best. There will be people who still prefer the original, but shot-for-shot Ms. Pac-Man just has more to offer.

1

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX

Pac-Man Championship Edition was the last Pac-Man game designed by the series’ creator, Toru Iwatani. Unlike so many of his contemporaries, Iwatani went out on top. Championship Edition is an excellent modern interpretation of Pac-Man, allowing for endless new maps and absolutely filling the map with ghosts, keeping the action fast-paced and enthralling.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX builds off of Championship Edition and just adds more Pac-Man goodness. Honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of the Championship Edition games, but DX feels like the sweet spot. Ultimately, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is the pinnacle of Pac.

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