Play Pac-in-Time on Snes Online

Pac-in-Time came out on the Super Nintendo in 1995, developed by Kalisto Entertainment. It was one of those mid-90s platformers that tried to give a classic character a new dimension, literally, by tossing Pac-Man into a time-traveling adventure instead of another maze. It didn't have the same buzz as some other SNES titles, but it had its own quiet spot on the shelf.

You control Pac-Man through side-scrolling levels set across different eras, from medieval castles to pirate ships. Your main goal is to collect keys to unlock doors and find the exit, all while avoiding or defeating enemies. Instead of dots, you gather power pellets that let you spit fireballs or use a hammer to break blocks and attack foes. The game moves screen by screen, with some light puzzle-solving about which path to take or which tool to use. It can be a bit unforgiving with enemy placement and precise jumps. Playing it feels like a strange but earnest remix of everything platformers were doing at the time, wrapped in a familiar yellow skin.