Ms. Pac-Man

Ms. Pac-Man is an arcade video game from the Golden Age. It was produced by Illinois-based Midway Manufacturing corporation, the North American licensee of Pac-Man. Ms. Pac-Man was released in North America January 13, 1982, one year after the release of Pac-Man, and became one of the most popular video games of all time. This popularity lead to its adoption as an official title by Namco, the creator of Pac-Man. The game introduced a female protagonist, new maze designs, and several other improved gameplay changes over the original title. It became the most successful American-produced arcade game, selling 115,000 arcade cabinets.

The gameplay of Ms. Pac-Man is largely identical to that of the original Pac-Man. The player earns points by eating pellets and avoiding ghosts (contact with one causes Ms. Pac-Man to lose a life). Eating an energizer (or 'power pellet') causes the ghosts to turn blue, allowing them to be eaten for extra points. Bonus fruits can be eaten for increasing point values, twice per round. As the rounds increase, the speed increases, and energizers generally lessen the extent of the ghosts' vulnerability, eventually stopping altogether. There are also some differences from the original Pac-Man: