Once again, Pac-Man roams the maze, pursued by four colorful ghosts. But instead of dots, this maze is peppered with other goodies, ranging from the usual fruits (apples, bananas, etc.) to donuts, cake, and burgers. And in addition to the traditional four "power pellets" in each corner of the screen, there are two green "super power pellets" per screen, which give the mighty yellow one the power to fly over the monsters' heads and to break down doors that confine some of the yummy treats in the maze. (Bally/Midway [under license from Namco], 1982)

The earliest of several very strange departures from the successful Pac-Man formula, Super Pac-Man was still a fun and, more often than not, fondly remembered game, even if it was ever so slightly baffling. Admittedly, even the mention above of Pac-Man flying is my own interpretation, based on the Pac-Man-cum-Superman artwork on the arcade cabinet. It's a bizarre little concept!

Another innovation in Super Pac-Man was a timed bonus screen, not unlike similar stages in Mappy and Galaga, in which the maze is cleared of any threats and your only object is to pig out on everything in sight before you run out of time.

Oddly enough, to the best of my knowledge, Super Pac-Man was skipped by the home video game market at the time; one would think that Atari would've snatched up the rights.

Rating:  Four quarters - a couple of minor irritants, but mostly a compelling and addictive game.

Reviewed by Earl Green
theLogBook.com editor/webmaster