Pac-Mania
| Company type | Video game |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Founder | Toru Iwatani |
| Headquarters | Japan , Japan |
| Products | Pac-Mania (arcade game) |
| genre = Maze | modes = Single-player, multiplayer | arcade system = Namco System 1 }}
is a maze game released in 1987, developed and published by Namco for arcade cabinets in Japan, and licensed to Atari Games for distribution in North America. Players navigate Pac-Man through mazes to consume all dots while evading ghosts. Consuming "Power Pellets" temporarily empowers Pac-Man to eat the ghosts. A notable feature introduced is Pac-Man’s ability to leap over ghosts as a method of escape. This title marks the ninth installment in the Pac-Man franchise and represents the final arcade release prior to Pac-Man Arrangement in 1996. The project was overseen by series originator Toru Iwatani.
Pac-Mania garnered widespread praise from critics for its distinctive gameplay mechanics and earned a nomination for "Best Coin-Op Conversion" at the 1987 Golden Joystick Awards. It was subsequently adapted for various home systems including the Atari ST, MSX2, Sega Genesis, and Nintendo Entertainment System—the latter version published by Tengen. The game has also been featured in multiple Namco compilation releases and later became available on Wii Virtual Console, iOS, and mobile devices.
Gameplay
Pac-Mania presents maze navigation from an oblique viewpoint, maintaining gameplay elements reminiscent of the original Pac-Man. Players guide Pac-Man to clear all pellets within each level while avoiding five distinct ghosts: Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (cyan), Clyde (orange), and Sue (purple). When Pac-Man consumes a Power Pellet, the ghosts turn blue and become vulnerable, allowing him to eat them for extra points and send them back to their base. Completing each maze by eating all pellets advances the player to subsequent stages. The mazes scroll both horizontally and vertically, with some edges wrapping around to the opposite side. Contact with any non-vulnerable ghost results in losing a life.
A key gameplay innovation is Pac-Man’s capacity to jump over ghosts to avoid capture. As levels progress, two additional ghosts appear: Funky (green) and Spunky (grey), both capable of jumping themselves. While Pac-Man can barely clear Funky with a jump, Spunky is immune to this tactic. Collecting a specific number of pellets triggers bonus items at the center of the maze, including Special Items introduced in later stages as well as Red and Green Power Pellets. Red Power Pellets double the points earned from eating blue ghosts but this bonus is forfeited if Pac-Man loses a life; Green Power Pellets temporarily boost Pac-Man’s speed. If players take too long to clear a level, Pac-Man’s jumping ability gradually weakens until it disappears.
The game includes four distinct mazes: Block Town, Pac-Man's Park, Sandbox Land, and Jungly Steps. Players cycle through these mazes sequentially; after completing all four, the sequence repeats. Players can start on any of the first three mazes and receive bonus points for beginning on Pac-Man’s Park or Sandbox Land and successfully finishing their initial round there.
The game concludes when players lose all their lives or after completing a predetermined number of cycles through all four mazes, depending on arcade machine settings.
Ports
In 1988, Pac-Mania was released on major European 8- and 16-bit platforms: October saw versions for Amiga and Atari ST, followed by a Commodore 64 release later that year; versions for Amstrad CPC, MSX, and ZX Spectrum arrived in December. These conversions were created by Teque Software developers Peter Harrap and Shaun Hollingworth and published by Grandslam Entertainment. An adaptation for the Acorn Archimedes was issued by Domark in 1991. Additionally, Sharp Corporation developed a version for its X68000 computer in early 1989, while Namco produced an MSX2 port mid-year.
Subsequent ports included releases on the Nintendo Entertainment System in late 1990 as well as on the Master System and Sega Genesis in 1991 by Tengen. These three versions were distributed across North America; furthermore, the Master System and Genesis editions were made available in Europe, with TecMagik handling publishing duties for the Master System port. The Genesis version was developed by Sculptured Software, whereas Westwood Studios managed the NES adaptation.
Reception
Pac-Mania experienced notable commercial success, securing the position of Japan's fifth highest-grossing arcade table unit in December 1987. In the North American market, Atari distributed 1,412 arcade machines during that year, resulting in sales revenue close to $2.82 million.
The game received predominantly favorable reviews across different platforms. The Genesis edition was awarded a B− rating by Entertainment Weekly in 1991. Meanwhile, the NES version earned a perfect score of 5 out of 5 from the Polish publication Top Secret, which praised its soundtrack, visual presentation, cinematic sequences, and the innovative inclusion of jumping mechanics.
At the Golden Joystick Awards, it was the runner-up for Best Coin-Op Conversion of the Year, coming second to Operation Wolf. Various critics consistently rated the game within a range of 79% to 93%, reflecting its strong reception among players and reviewers alike.
Legacy
The arcade iteration of Pac-Mania has been featured in multiple Namco compilation releases, such as Namco Museum Volume 5 (2001), Namco Museum: 50th Anniversary, and Namco Museum Virtual Arcade. It was included in the 2001 Pac-Man Collection for Game Boy Advance and later reintroduced as an unlockable bonus in Pac-Man World 2 (2002). In 2007, it appeared within Namco Museum Remix, alongside titles like Pac & Pal and Pac 'n Roll, and was again part of the 2010 sequel, Namco Museum Megamix, which combined 17 classic Namco arcade games with six remix titles.
In 2010, character designs from Pac-Mania were incorporated into Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, and the game was released as an iOS application. That same year marked its inclusion in the Pac-Man's Arcade Party arcade cabinet celebrating Pac-Man’s 30th anniversary. Subsequently, it was added to the 2014 Pac-Man Museum collection available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC via Steam, and appeared in the 2018 arcade cabinet Pac-Man's Pixel Bash. Most recently, it was included in the 2022 compilation Pac-Man Museum+ for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch platforms, as well as being launched through Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives series in December 2022.
Music originally from Pac-Man’s Park was adapted as the "power up" theme in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, while remixed tracks from Pac-Mania have been featured in both Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.