Ms. Pac-Man

Sequels are often just a lukewarm reheat of the original — but Ms. Pac-Man is a famous exception that many players and critics still consider better than its famous predecessor. And that's saying something, given what a phenomenon Pac-Man was.

The game came about by a remarkable route. A group of enthusiasts created a modification of the Pac-Man arcade machine, which was subsequently bought by Midway and released in 1982 as an official title. The result exceeded expectations: Ms. Pac-Man became one of the most successful arcade games ever and ranks in North America among the best-selling machines in history.

Compared to the original, the heroine with a bow brought several fundamental improvements. Instead of a single maze it offers four different ones, fruit flits across the screen instead of a static placement, and the ghosts' behavior is less predictable — the so-called patterns with which players simplified the original Pac-Man no longer work here. The result is a fresher, more challenging and fairer experience.

The home port on the Atari 2600 was among the successful conversions that washed away the bitterness after the catastrophic port of the original Pac-Man. It preserved the color, pace and charisma of the source and became one of the titles collectors and old-timers remember fondly.

The cultural significance of Ms. Pac-Man reaches further than mere gameplay. It was one of the first games with a prominent female heroine in the lead role, and its popularity helped broaden the video game audience to female players too. The character became a pop culture icon and remains to this day a symbol of the golden era of the arcades.

Why play: A rare case where the sequel surpasses the original — smarter mazes, unpredictable ghosts and timeless flair that's still fun today.