Gallery 02 / 09
The Maze
1980—2015
PAC-MAN’s history is the story of an extraordinarily legible chase escaping its original maze—into new viewpoints, genres, controls, spectacles, and social spaces.
Gallery thesis
1980—2015 / Scroll chronologically
1980
Arcade · Namco
What changed
Four ghosts with distinct pursuit behaviors turned eating dots into readable spatial strategy. Power Pellets periodically reversed predator and prey.
1982
Arcade · Namco
What changed
Keys opened food chambers while a Super Power Pellet enlarged PAC-MAN, let him break through doors and ghosts, and introduced a separate speed button.
1984
Arcade · Namco
What changed
The series became a side-scrolling platformer with jumping, obstacles, secrets, and expressive cartoon animation. Locomotion itself became the central challenge.
1987
Arcade · Namco
What changed
An isometric viewpoint made the maze appear three-dimensional, while a jump button let PAC-MAN vault over ghosts and changed how players escaped danger.
1994
Super NES / Genesis · Namco
What changed
PAC-MAN behaved like the star of an interactive cartoon, reacting according to his mood. Players pointed and used a slingshot to influence rather than steer him.
1996
Arcade · Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2
What changed
Jump panels, dash arrows, power-ups, and the combining ghost Kinzo complicated the chase. Two players could now occupy the same maze at once.
1999
PlayStation · Namco
What changed
Jumping, butt-bouncing, rev-rolling, swimming, and environmental traversal expanded PAC-MAN into a full platform quest while Maze Mode preserved the original chase.
2005
Nintendo DS · Namco
What changed
A stylus-drawn PAC-MAN came alive at a size and speed implied by the sketch. Gestures also created arrows and bombs, making handwriting part of play.
2007
Xbox 360 · Namco Bandai
What changed
Mazes regenerated as fruit was collected, letting skilled players sustain an uninterrupted route. Time limits, leaderboards, neon visuals, and music modernized score attack.
2010
Xbox 360 / PlayStation 3 · Namco BandaiWhat changed
Dormant ghosts awakened into long chains that could be swallowed in enormous combos. Near-collisions triggered slow motion, making narrow escapes spectacular and legible.
2011
Arcade · Namco Bandai
What changed
Human PAC-MEN competed in one maze, eating pellets, ghosts, and—while powered up—one another. Rapid eliminations turned survival into party-game rivalry.
2015
iOS / Android · Hipster Whale / Bandai Namco
What changed
A corruption wave based on level 256 consumed a procedural maze from below. Revived ghost behaviors and many power-ups recast PAC-MAN as an endless mobile chase.
Research desk
Dates and design notes prioritize publisher histories, institutional museums, and contemporary archives. Modern rerelease imagery is labeled through its credit link.