Introduction

Ms. Pac-Man is one of the most famous arcade games of all time, but there’s a lot more to its history than meets the eye. From its unexpected origins to legal battles and cultural impact, here are 10 fun facts about Ms. Pac-Man that might surprise you!

10. The Name "Ms. Pac-Man" Was a Last-Minute Change

As the game was nearing production, the developers struggled with what to name it. Initially, they planned to call it Pac-Woman, but this was met with objections from female employees at Midway. The name was then changed to Miss Pac-Man, but as the team prepared for launch, they realized an issue: in the game's intermissions, Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man have a baby. Concerned about the optics of them having a child out of wedlock, they scrambled to rename her Mrs. Pac-Man, and eventually settled on "Ms." as a compromise.

"We originally burnt the ROMs for production under the name Pac-Woman, but as we were getting ready to go into production, several females inside of Midway objected, saying, 'That's kind of an inappropriate name' and that we should put a surname in front of it. [...] We scrambled and came up with Mrs., then changed it to a fifth name, Ms., because we were trying to make everyone in life happy, and all of this happened in the final 72 hours before the production line was supposed to start up." – Doug Macrae, co-founder of GCC (The Ultimate History of Video Games, p. 172).

9. Bally Had No Official Pac-Man Follow-Up Planned

At the time, Namco and Bally (Midway’s parent company) had no immediate plans for a Pac-Man sequel. Recognizing an opportunity, Midway decided to take matters into their own hands and release Ms. Pac-Man.

"It turned out Bally had no follow-up planned for Pac-Man, so company executives countered by suggesting they make the game a real sequel and not an add-in board." (Attract Mode, p. 182).

This decision played a huge role in making Ms. Pac-Man a success and cemented Midway’s role in the arcade industry.

8. Ms. Pac-Man Is No Longer in Modern Pac-Man Games

Due to ongoing licensing disputes, Bandai Namco does not fully own Ms. Pac-Man. Because of this, they have replaced her with Pac-Mom in newer games, such as Pac-Man Museum+.

7. The Character’s Design Was a Last-Minute Decision

To give the game its own identity, Midway decided to create a female version of Pac-Man. They added a red bow, lipstick, and beauty mark to the character to make her visually distinct.

"We had thought that the Ms. Pac-Man image gave the game its own identity. We changed the artwork and changed the speed and presented it to Mr. Nakamura (president of Namco). After going back and forth for a while, we introduced it to the marketplace." – David Marofske, Midway (The Ultimate History of Video Games, p. 172).

6. Ms. Pac-Man Moves Faster Than Pac-Man

In the original Pac-Man, the character's speed remained consistent throughout the game. However, in Ms. Pac-Man, the protagonist gradually speeds up as the game progresses, adding an extra layer of difficulty.

5. It Introduced Smarter Ghost AI

One of the biggest changes in Ms. Pac-Man compared to Pac-Man was the introduction of randomized ghost behavior. In the original Pac-Man, the ghosts followed predictable movement patterns, but in Ms. Pac-Man, their paths were less predictable, making the game more challenging and replayable.

4. The Game Was Nearly Shut Down Due to Legal Issues

Because GCC originally modified Pac-Man without permission, they faced legal trouble from Atari, who had previously sued them over a Missile Command enhancement kit. The lawsuit resulted in a settlement that required GCC to get permission before making any future modifications.

"The lawsuit resulted in a settlement that required GCC to work for Atari and obtain permission for any future modifications." (High Score, Episode 2: "Comeback Kid," Netflix, 2020).

Midway later helped legitimize Ms. Pac-Man by working out a deal with Namco, ensuring its place in arcade history.

3. Midway Released Ms. Pac-Man Without Namco’s Approval

Midway, Namco’s U.S. distributor, was eager for a Pac-Man sequel and decided to release Ms. Pac-Man without Namco’s direct involvement. While Namco was not happy about it initially, they later accepted the game’s success and made it an official part of the franchise.

2. It Was One of the Best-Selling Arcade Games Ever

Ms. Pac-Man was an instant success, selling over 115,000 arcade cabinets and becoming one of the highest-grossing arcade games of all time. It was even more profitable than the original Pac-Man in some arcades.

1. Ms. Pac-Man Started as an Unauthorized Hack

Unlike the original Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man was not created by Namco. Instead, it started as an unauthorized modification called Crazy Otto, developed by a group of MIT students at General Computer Corporation (GCC). The group designed it as an enhancement kit to make Pac-Man more challenging and dynamic.

"We disassembled the code, documented it all and how it worked, etc., and then looked at how to make modifications to make it a little more difficult and a little more interesting." – Doug Macrae, co-founder of GCC (The Ultimate History of Video Games, p. 169).

Conclusion

From its unexpected origins as a fan-made modification to becoming one of the most legendary arcade games, Ms. Pac-Man has had an unforgettable journey. With smarter AI, faster gameplay, and legal twists, it remains a fascinating chapter in gaming history.

Sources & Further Reading

• Kent, Steven L. The Ultimate History of Video Games: The Story Behind the Craze That Touched Our Lives and Changed the World. Three Rivers Press, 2001.
• Lendino, Jamie. Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games. Steel Gear Press, 2020.
• High Score (Netflix Documentary, 2020).

Related Pages

• Pac-Man: Dive into the game that defined the maze genre and inspired countless others.
• Dig Dug: Discover another classic that combines digging with strategy.
• The Untold Story of Ms. Pac-Man. Everything you want to know how this classic was created.