Play Pac Man on NES Online

Pac-Man on the NES came out in 1984, a straightforward port of the arcade game by Namco. It was one of those early titles that felt essential to have, a familiar face in a growing library of home console games. The maze looked a bit different on a television screen, but the goal was exactly the same.

You control the yellow circle, Pac-Man, navigating him through a single-screen maze to eat all the dots. Four ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde, chase you with their own patterns; learning their movements is key to survival. Eating a Power Pellet lets you turn the tables and chase the ghosts for a short time, which is always a rush. The pace is quick, and the difficulty ramps up steadily as you clear more screens. It feels sharp and responsive, a simple concept executed well that keeps you hitting start after every game over.