Super Pac-Man
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Video games |
| Founded | June 1, 1955 in Japan |
| Founder | Masaya Nakamura |
| Headquarters | Tokyo , Japan |
| Products | Video games |
Super Pac-Man is a maze-style arcade game developed and released by Namco in 1982. Serving as the official follow-up to the original Pac-Man (1980), its North American distribution was managed by Bally Midway, who had earlier commissioned General Computer Corporation for the unofficial Ms. Pac-Man (1982). The game's design was led once again by Toru Iwatani.
Gameplay
This installment introduces a shift from previous titles by requiring players to consume keys that unlock doors, which then reveal food items—formerly referred to as "fruits"—that must be eaten to progress through levels. Initially, keys open doors nearby, but as the game advances, they unlock doors located further away. Players can enter the ghost house at any time without needing a key.
Collecting two "Super" pellets temporarily transforms Pac-Man into Super Pac-Man, enlarging his size and enhancing speed, which can be further accelerated using a "Super Speed" button. In this form, he can pass through doors without unlocking them and is immune to ghost attacks. During this state, ghosts appear thin to suggest that Super Pac-Man is "flying" over them; however, he cannot consume ghosts unless powered by the original power pellet. The Super mode flashes white before ending and can be prolonged by eating additional power or super pellets.
A bonus scoring mechanic involves eating a star positioned between two central boxes displaying flashing symbols. Matching symbols award 2,000 points or 5,000 points if they correspond with the level's symbol; otherwise, bonuses vary from 200 to 1,600 points depending on the stage. Certain versions grant higher points regardless of symbol matching.
Occasionally, bonus rounds appear featuring mazes filled with food items to clear within a time limit. Throughout these stages, Pac-Man remains in Super Mode and faces no ghost threats.
Reception
Following its release in 1982, Midway anticipated sales between 10,000 and 15,000 arcade cabinets within the United States. By May 1983, it ranked as the highest-grossing arcade title of the month.
Arcade Express awarded the game an 8 out of 10 rating, commending the innovative maze design incorporating keys, locked doors, and Super Energy Dots. The review also highlighted the feature allowing Pac-Man to grow via "Super Dots" and praised the "Super-Speed" button that boosts movement velocity.
Despite this positive reception, creator Toru Iwatani expressed dissatisfaction with the game, criticizing Super Pac-Man's oversized form and describing the overall gameplay as dull.
Ports
In Japan, the game was adapted for the PV-2000 under the title Mr. Packn and for the Sord M5 as Power Pac. It later appeared on the Commodore 64 in 1988 and on IBM PC/MS-DOS platforms in 1989.
Although versions for the Atari 5200 and Atari 8-bit computers were completed in 1984, they were never officially released.
Additionally, it was made available on the Game Boy Color through Ms. Pac-Man Special Color Edition.
Legacy
- In 1996, Super Pac-Man was included in the second volume of Namco Museum for the PlayStation, though it was omitted from the Japanese edition.
- Namco incorporated it into Namco History Volume 3 for PC in Japan in 1998.
- The game was bundled with Ms. Pac-Man in Ms. Pac-Man: Special Color Edition for Nintendo's Game Boy Color in 1999.
- In 2006, Jakks Pacific released a Plug and Play Super Pac-Man joystick featuring titles such as Super Pac-Man, Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus, and Pac & Pal. It also appeared in TV Games' collections Arcade Gold: Pac-Man (2007) and Retro Arcade...Pac-Man (2008).
- Namco launched a portable version exclusive to select cell phone models via Sprint, which sponsored a sweepstakes offering a customized Super Pac-Man Volkswagen New Beetle showcased at E3 2006.
- The title was included alongside others like Pac & Pal, Pac 'n Roll, and Pac-Mania in both Namco Museum Remix (2007) and Namco Museum Megamix (2010).
- Namco released an enhanced mobile edition featuring updated 3D visuals and improved audio.
- On November 4, 2008, it became available within Namco Museum Virtual Arcade on Xbox 360.
- In 2012, Bandai integrated Super Pac-Man into their Pac-Man Connect & Play controller.
- The game was part of the lineup in the 2014 launch of Pac-Man Museum.
- On January 6, 2022, Hamster reissued it through their Arcade Archives series for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch.
- Additionally, it is featured as an unlockable title in Pac-Man Museum+, released May 27, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.