Play Pac-Man (Namco) Online

Pac-Man (Namco) on NES is exactly what you'd expect—simple, addictive, and a little frustrating in that classic arcade way. You guide the yellow circle through mazes, gobbling dots while four ghosts chase you down. Each has its own pattern: Blinky's aggressive, Pinky tries to cut you off, and Clyde just wanders like he forgot what he's doing.

The power pellets turn the tables for a few seconds, letting you chase the ghosts instead. But the rush doesn't last—their eyes float back to the center, and suddenly you're running again. The intermission cutscenes are a nice touch, these weird little animations that break up the tension.

It's barebones compared to later versions, but that's part of the charm. The NES port has that slightly off feel—the colors aren't quite right, the sound's a bit tinny—but it still captures the tension of being cornered or the relief of clearing a board. Pac-Man (Namco) holds up because the core idea is just that good.