Play Ms. Pacman Game Online
About Ms. Pacman Game
Ms. Pacman is one of the most iconic arcade games of all time. Released in 1982 by Midway Games, it quickly became a cultural phenomenon. The game is a sequel to the original Pacman, featuring improved gameplay, new mazes, and the introduction of the titular character, Ms. Pacman.
History of Ms. Pacman
Ms. Pacman was developed as an unauthorized sequel to Pacman by General Computer Corporation. It was initially created as a modification kit called "Crazy Otto," but Midway saw its potential and rebranded it as Ms. Pacman. The game introduced several new features, including:
- Four new mazes with varying designs.
- More complex ghost behavior, making the game more challenging.
- The addition of cutscenes between levels, adding a narrative element.
Ms. Pacman was a commercial success, outselling the original Pacman in many regions. It remains a beloved classic in the arcade gaming community.
Pacman vs. Ms. Pacman: What's the Difference?
While both games share the same core mechanics, there are several key differences between Pacman and Ms. Pacman:
- Character: Ms. Pacman features a female protagonist, complete with a bow and lipstick, adding a new layer of personality to the game.
- Mazes: Ms. Pacman includes four unique mazes, compared to the single maze in the original Pacman.
- Ghost AI: The ghosts in Ms. Pacman have more unpredictable behavior, making the game more challenging.
- Cutscenes: Ms. Pacman introduced animated cutscenes that depict the relationship between Pacman and Ms. Pacman, adding a storytelling element.
Why Play Ms. Pacman Today?
Ms. Pacman remains a timeless classic that appeals to both nostalgic players and new generations. Its simple yet addictive gameplay, combined with its historical significance, makes it a must-play for any gaming enthusiast. Whether you're reliving your childhood or discovering it for the first time, Ms. Pacman offers endless fun and excitement.
How to Play Ms. Pacman
You can play the game on all canvas-enabled browsers. Touch controls are enabled for mobile browsers. The game is resolution-independent and smoothly scales to fit the size of any screen. Performance may increase by shrinking the window or zooming in with your browser.
Main Controls
- Swipe: Steer Ms. Pacman on mobile browsers.
- Arrow keys: Steer Ms. Pacman on desktop.
- End: Pause the game.
- Escape: Open the in-game menu.
Game Modes
Each of the following games is playable from the main menu:
- Pac-Man: The 1980 original arcade game by Namco.
- Ms. Pac-Man: The 1981 Pac-Man modification by GCC/Midway.
- Crazy Otto: GCC's unreleased, in-house version of Ms. Pac-Man before it was sold to Midway.
- Cookie-Man: A brand-new version of Ms. Pac-Man with a sophisticated procedural map generator.
Turbo Mode
Each game has an alternate mode called Turbo (a.k.a. speedy mode). This is a popular hardware modification of the game found in many of the original arcade cabinets. In this mode, Ms. Pacman travels about twice as fast (same speed as the disembodied eyes of the ghosts) and is not slowed down when eating pellets.
High Scores
High scores for each game (normal and turbo separately) are stored on your local machine by your browser.
Learn Mode
Learn Mode allows you to visualize the behaviors of the ghosts. The colored square represents the ghost bait, helping you understand their movement patterns.
Practice Mode
This mode allows you to practice the game with special features. You can go into slow-motion or rewind time with the special onscreen buttons or the hotkeys listed below. (The time-manipulation controls and design were borrowed from the game Braid). You can also turn on invincibility or ghost visualizers from the menu.
Practice Controls
- Shift: Hold down to rewind (a la Braid).
- 1: Hold down to slow down the game to 0.5x speed.
- 2: Hold down to slow down the game to 0.25x speed.
- O: Toggle Ms. Pacman turbo mode.
- P: Toggle Ms. Pacman attract mode (autoplay).
- I: Toggle Ms. Pacman invincibility.
- N: Go to the next level.
- Q, W, E, R, T: Toggle target graphics for Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde, and Ms. Pacman, respectively.
- A, S, D, F, G: Toggle path graphics for Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde, and Ms. Pacman, respectively.
Procedurally-Generated Maps
In the Cookie-Man game mode, the mazes change as often as they do in Ms. Pac-Man, but are procedurally generated. Each level has a pre-defined color palette, granting an element of consistency to the random structure of the mazes.
