How to Play Pac-Man

How to Play Pac-Man the Ultimate Guide 

The game of Pac-Man is simple to pick up yet challenging to master. (like all classic games). You can get as many points as possible by consuming the little dots in the maze. 1 dot = 10 points (240 of them).

Eating one of the four large flashing dots (called “Energizers”), each of which is worth 50 points, is the key to scoring well in this labyrinth. Each level has a maximum score of 14,600, which may be increased by eating a few fruits. 

Starting with a modest 100 points for eating a cherry, the bonus increases to a maximum of 5,000 points for eating a Key fruit. All the creatures in the maze will turn blue and flee after you consume an energizer. 

You may now devour monsters to get experience and points, essentially increasing the points per monster from 200 to 1600. Blue monsters only survive as long as you keep eating them. 

If you devour a monster, you’ll only be left with its eyes until it regenerates, returns to the monster bull pin, and starts moving around the labyrinth again. Eating all the monsters in the Energizer phase is simple, but the phase will end sooner the more mazes you solve.

Eventually, the monsters get so quick that you can’t even see them turning blue, and ultimately, they don’t even reverse at all, so it’s a good thing that fruits are worth more points. 

The creatures in Pac-Man are loved and hated by every generation. You need to consume them to get experience, but you should put as much distance between yourself and them as possible.

Serious gamers will learn the quirks of each creature and exploit them accordingly. Take a few days after reading this Pac-Man play Guide to put what you’ve learned into practice. Then, have a Pac-Man game with your pals. Your proficiency will astound them.

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Get to know the maze

The power pellets: In the figure, they are represented by green dots. They temporarily provide Pac-Man the ability to consume ghosts for points. When the specters reach a fork in the road, they will be instructed to choose one of many possible outcomes randomly.

As soon as his eyes have digested a ghost, he will return to the ghost regenerator at the maze’s hub. Even if the other ghosts are blue, a regenerated ghost may kill you.

The length of time the ghosts remain blue decreases (in most cases) as the number of rounds increases. The ghosts stop becoming blue with time. (but will still reverse direction).

Tunnel: The light blue bar indicates the tunnel where Pac-Man and the ghosts can immediately warp between the maze’s sides.

Pac-Man moves at his normal speed through the tunnel while the ghosts move at half speed.

This a good opportunity for Pac-Man to distance himself from his pursuers but be careful not to get trapped by another ghost coming from the other direction.

Bonuses: Bonuses originally appear as fruit before changing into other goods. They consistently show up where the ghost regenerator is under the white dash.

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The first bonus will occur after eating 70 pellets, and the second bonus will show after eating 170 pellets. While they may aid the player in scoring better, they should only be used as an experiment, If you have a clear cost.

The Ghost Patrol: Each ghost moves to his designated location at the beginning of the round and scans the area before deciding to search for Pac-Man as a group.

They may sometimes return to patrolling briefly after pursuing him for a bit. The map shows each ghost’s patrol zone in the appropriate hue (Shadow/Blinky is red, Speedy/Pinky is pink, Bashful/Inky is cyan, and Pokey/Clyde is orange).

The “Blind Alleys”: There are particular areas in the diagram marked in purple. It is allowed for ghosts to travel down these alleyways but not up them.

Ghosts cannot follow you up a purple line above a ghost pen if you are being chased around a ghost pen.

Theories Based on Pac-man Patterns

You must create logical and repeatable patterns to progress through each level more quickly. The Cherry companion represents the first of three distinct logical patterns.

If these patterns are followed precisely, Pac-Man will safely outwit the creatures and collect most of the dots in the maze. 

After memorizing the ways, you will be able to play with ease and like a veteran. Many individuals can be seen dozing during the initial levels.

The most challenging aspect of running patterns is that you must advance Pac-Man according to a precise pattern. 

Failure to adhere to the pattern without hesitation can throw off the cadence to the point where the pattern is lost.

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Certain situations can appear fatal, so be courageous and take every corner at maximum speed.

To accomplish this, you must condition yourself to move the key in the desired direction a fractional second before the actual turn. The Pacman Pros cannot emphasize this enough.

The Cherry Pattern

How to Play Pac-Man - The Cherry Pattern
How to Play Pac-ManThe Cherry Pattern

(A) Make sure all the dots at the bottom of the row are clear. The Pac-Man Cherry Pattern begins by going left. If you do this quickly, you can avoid the dangerous area. A single missed dot will blow the entire pattern if it has to be returned. 

(B) Here, three monsters will attack you. Be as quick as possible when making the pattern. (C) Eat your EnergizerEnergizer, then kill the three monsters running away. On the bottom screen, you’ll see a fourth monster running. Get 1600 points by chasing him while he is still blue.

(D) After reaching this area, you’re on your own. As soon as the monsters stop following you, clear as many dots on the top part of the screen and head to the top left. Once the monsters close in, you can eat the EnergizerEnergizer and kill them.

The Mid-Fruit Pattern

Mid-Fruit Pac-Man Pattern is the second mid-fruit design, and the speed quickens a little bit. With the next three displays, this trend holds true. One will contain a strawberry, while the other will have peaches.

In contrast to the previous design, the monsters don’t remain blue for as long. Fruit consumption will get you more points. As the speeds rise here, the tunnels become more efficient. Return to the left and start moving. 

How to Play Pac-Man - The Mid-fruit Pattern
How to Play Pac-ManThe Mid-fruit Pattern

(A) Retrace your steps on the bottom row of dots after clearing the bottom row of dots once again. 

(B) Once again, making this turn is crucial. Don’t think twice. The creatures are moving more quickly than in the first maze. You’ll survive if you’re cunning. 

(C) Consume this energy drink to eliminate the three demons. One will try to escape, get him before he enters the tunnel because someone will attempt to escape via it. Get the fourth monster for 1600 points by going to the bottom before they revert back to blue. 

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(D) Now that you’re here, you’re back alone. Again, the approach is similar. Eat the top right EnergizerEnergizer to kill the monster if it continues to pursue you. If the monsters flee, go over to the top left of the screen by eating the dots at the top.

The Apple Pattern

Apple Pac-Man Pattern is the third and last Pacman pattern. Before you consume any monsters or energizers, if the instructions are carefully followed while hesitating, you’ll successfully consume most of the little dots on the screen. 

Play these corners whatever you choose, but remember that the monsters are now only blue for a very little period of time.

Before they flip around, you may only be able to consume one or two. Avoid being too greedy while eating monsters; instead, focus on eating the two fruits you can receive at every level, thanks to this pattern.

How to Play Pac-Man the Ultimate Guide 
How to Play Pac-ManThe Apple Pattern

(A) Unlike the prior two patterns, you advance up first and only clear half of the bottom row of dots. (B) You have passed through here at this point, so direct your Pacman to this corner before doing a U-turn. This ruse will allow the monsters to pass right past you. You continue the procedure once the area is safe to travel. 

(C) Two dots will stay here. Grab these dots swiftly, and we do mean rapidly, turn around and continue climbing. You may not be able to connect these dots if you fall behind earlier in the plan. If you succeed, a pleasant, tidy maze will be left behind.

(D) If a monster charges you at this precise moment, pause and let the monster pass below you. Do not overtake the monster as you follow him down the tunnel. Simply carry out the strategy as outlined if there are no monsters in sight. 

Pass through the tunnel, and now nearly 80% of the maze will be free of dots at this time. The only dots left will be conveniently located next to the energizers. Play every round in your own unique way. To draw the monsters into the energizer trap, shake the joystick.

The monsters remain blue for a longer period of time on certain screens throughout different stages. If you’re going after them, make sure you leave yourself enough time to kill the creatures while they’re still blue.

Variations in Pac-man Patterns

People began learning routines and gaining significant scores while tying up the machines for hours when Pacman gained a devoted following in arcades.

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Arcade owners requested that Midway change the ROMS; thus, the company threw off the patterns so the old hacks wouldn’t function. 

It became clear that Midway had merely reversed the original pattern sequences. This, in addition to the availability of pirated ROMs, led to widespread confusion over which version of a game was being played.

You should check the version number of the Midway game you currently use. This may be accomplished by first observing the creatures’ actions.

If the light blue monster “bashful” remains in the monster bull pin at the beginning of the first maze, you are on a 1-2-5 machine.

The first maze uses the cherry design, the second, third, and fourth screens use the Mid-fruit pattern, and screens five forward utilize the apple pattern till your arm falls off. 

If “Bashful” exits the monstrous bull pin and descends stair-like to the bottom right corner of the screen, you’re playing a 1-3 design type game, which uses the mid-fruit pattern on screens 1 and 2, then the apple pattern on screens 3 and beyond until you’re ejected from the arcade.

If “Bashful” doesn’t act in any of these ways, you’re probably using a non-standard, non-Midway machine, such as a variation or a bootleg. 

You may attempt to come up with your own blueprints, but this website was primarily designed for Midway Original consoles.

The Psychology of Ghosts

Behavior of ghosts

Knowing the mental processes of your opponents is a crucial survival skill. Believe it or not, each ghost has a unique “personality” or AI. (programmed by Hideyuki Mokajima).

Individuals use somewhat different criteria to choose where to go next as they navigate the labyrinth.

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When your life hangs in the balance between two ghostly adversaries, understanding how each will respond to your presence might be the difference between life and death.

See the illustration at the top of this paragraph. The colorful circles in this circumstance represent the locations that each ghost is trying to go to.

Blinky aspires to approach Pac-Man’s status. (the red circle). However, he cannot approach Pac-Man since he is forbidden from entering the blind alley he is in. 

Pinky wants to go four grid squares ahead of Pac-Man toward the pink circle on the bottom of the ghost regenerator. Pinky will circle the ghost regenerator indefinitely since he will never be able to enter it until Pac-Man moves.

Inky’s reasoning is a little convoluted. The blue square represents the area of two grid squares distant from Pac-Man’s current position. 

The destination that Inky seeks to reach is situated exactly halfway between Blinky’s position and the square. (marked by the cyan circle). Since Blinky will never be able to get to the ghost regenerator, he, too, will circle about him until Pac-Man moves. 

Simple is Clyde. When Clyde is distant from Pac-Man, he prefers to go to the red circle, and when he is near, he prefers to go to the bottom left corner (the orange circle). As a result, Pac-Man is secure where he is right now.

Bug in AI

Apparently, a glitch in the coding causes Pinky’s target spot to be four spaces above and four spaces to the left of Pac-Man when Pac-Man is facing up.

Similarly, Pac-Man is two up and two to the left of Inky’s desired location on the cyan square. Inky’s true goal is now four spaces to the left of what is seen in the image. Overflow errors are to blame for this.

Bug involving pass-through

Each of Pac-Man’s and the ghosts’ cells is checked to see whether there will be a collision. Pac-Man may safely navigate the maze if he and a ghost simultaneously swap tiles.

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The corners of the house

The ghosts also enter phases when they must briefly return to their “home corners,” in addition to their preprogrammed habits. When the ghosts follow you closely one second and then abruptly change course the next, they are heading back to their familiar corners. 

They won’t aggressively pursue you for the next several seconds, and you may follow them without fear of being hurt. However, you should remember that this home-corner behavior only lasts for a brief period before they turn around and begin actively pursuing you once more.

As a result, you should make the most of this time by clearing out areas of the maze that would otherwise be too dangerous to do, such as the lowest row with its lengthy stretches and limited escape routes.

Keep an eye on Blinky and Pinky

Blinky and Pinky are, ultimately, the two most deadly of the four spirits. Blinky attempts to assault you by following the quickest route to Pac-Man’s current location.

On the other hand, Pinky attempts to ambush you by approaching the direction you appear to be heading. Compared to these two, Inky and Clyde lack this “killer instinct.”

Inky will not pursue you aggressively unless Blinky is present and Clyde seems to be living in his universe.

As Pinky approaches Pac-Man’s four squares in front of the point, Pinky can be tricked into turning away. Taking a quick reversal at an intersection with Pinky hot on your heels will distract him into moving in the wrong direction – but this won’t always work.

Pac-Man’s survival generally depends on keeping further away from Blinky and Pinky, even if that means moving closer to Inky and Clyde. Eat Blinky and Pinky for an extended duration before snatching a power particle if you have the chance.

Bring the ghosts out to play

Sometimes it can be advantageous to lure spirits closer to Pac-Man. You may wish for them to congregate around you prior to consuming a power pellet in order to maximize your point-earning potential.

Or you may want to slow them down by luring them into the tunnel so that you can take advantage of the additional time you’ll gain while they struggle to traverse the tunnel.

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One of the crucial ways to achieve this is to jiggle the joystick back and forth so that Pac-Man moves back and forth. The more spirits that see you, the more likely it is that they will approach you.

Before attempting to lure ghosts, you must ensure that they are not in the “home corner” phase of their behavior, during which they will not actively pursue you.

The earning of points

Make sure you save a few pellets for the last

It’s preferable to save the power pellets for last since, later in the round, the ghosts are more likely to group and pursue Pac-Man. Eating a power pellet as the final pellet in the round is one of the worst wastes of any scoring potential.

You won’t get to eat a blue ghost for points, even if one is standing next to you. If you store a few pellets next to one of the power pellets and use that power pellet last, you may rapidly complete the round by ingesting the pellets you saved for the end after eating as many ghosts as you can nearby.

Make sure the ghosts are as near to you as possible before you consume a power pellet to avoid having to pursue them. Remember that the ghosts will quickly reverse their path after you eat a power pellet.

Bonus fruits

Once you’ve consumed 70 pellets and once you’ve consumed 170 pellets, bonus fruits will emerge immediately underneath the ghost pen. And although eating a 100-point pair of cherries in the first round is fun, it’s nothing in comparison to the 5000-point keys you’ll come across later in the game. 

If you want to get to those extremely important bonus goods, don’t risk your life trying to harvest the lower-value fruits. The extra fruits are just point possibilities for beginners, but to experts, they are a sign of the precise nature of the game you are playing. 

The bonus fruits often provide information on the blue time of the ghosts for that round after you’ve reached the oranges (Rounds 3 and 4). The blue time is usually longer in the second occurrence of fruit than the first, with the exception of grapes (Rounds 7 and 8).

Blue ghost time

In addition to the previously stated point, the blue time for the ghosts often becomes shorter as you go through the rounds. This indicates that scoring 3000 points for all four ghosts with a single power pellet early on in the game is significantly simpler than afterward. 

You must pay close attention when the ghosts flicker and flash white throughout the game. As a result, the ghosts will only be startled for a brief period of time before returning to pursuing you.

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When you realize this, stop chasing a ghost still far away. He may be able to kill you before you get to him. Instead, use this opportunity to go toward the nearest labyrinth area that must be cleaned.

The perfect score

3,333,360 points are required to complete the game perfectly; thus, you must consume every bonus fruit, eliminate every power pellet, and complete all 255 rounds.

Only at the blue time for the ghosts (see above) in the round do you have to consume the ghosts. 

Because you have to remember the patterns and destroy all four ghosts, even if they are only blue for a little while, this may be pretty challenging.

Only if you opt to begin the game with five lives will this function, and you will also need to consume all of the hidden pellets on each split-screen round in order for it to work.

Because the score display in early Namco 8-bit games rolls over at 1,000,000, only 333,360 is shown on the screen.

Conclusion

Lastly, ensure that you take your time. There is no limitation of time for completing a maze, and despite what you may hear in the game, the creatures still need to become wiser and quicker. 

Assume that you have an infinite amount of time to wander around the maze in an illogical pattern of directions. You will play significantly better if you keep this in mind.

Make the most of the initial levels. Obtain as many monsters as possible using the energizers; however, as the game progresses, this becomes exceedingly difficult as the monsters only remain blue for a short time. 

Wait to consume the concluding dot next to the EnergizerEnergizer. Wait for the creatures, consume the EnergizerEnergizer, slay the monsters, and then return to collect the final dot.

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But only after they have returned to blue. It appears that you want to complete the labyrinth and move on to the next level, but there are a few simple points near the end of the level.

We hope you will now learn how to play Pac-Man and score higher than your friends by reading this Pac-Man Play Guide.

Sources:

http://www.classicgaming.cc/classics/pac-man/play-guide

https://strategywiki.org/wiki/Pac-Man/Tips