1995 -Present: Pac-Man Goes Hi-Tech

1995: Pac-Man VR
Platform: Virtuality Solo, Duo, and Quattro Series 2000 SU Systems.
Developer: Virtuality
Publisher: Virtuality

Created in the late 1990s, Pac-Man VR was a proprietary title developed by the Virtuality Virtual Reality corporation to show off what the company's technology could do. The game never hit arcades in any concerted effort, mainly due to its being little more than a demonstration of cutting-edge technology. Pac-Man VR literally put you in Pac-Man's eyes. The 3D viewpoint was slightly claustrophobic, though the fact that the maze walls weren't completely encompassing did much to alleviate the tension. Still, a great sense of dread was created when ghosts appeared directly in front of you, as screenshot three shows all too well. If you've managed to play Pac-Man VR, then you can proudly say you know what it feels like to play the arcade classic from the inside.

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1999: Pac-Man/Ms. Pac-Man
Platforms: Nintendo Game Boy Color, PlayStation, Nintendo 64
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco

Just when you thought 2D mazes everywhere were free of ghosts, another group comes along to put you back to work. In addition to the PlayStation anniversary title, Namco is releasing versions of Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man for both the Game Boy Color and the N64 within the Namco Museum 64 compilation (they arrived for the PlayStation in the Namco Museum series, along with Super Pac-Man and Pac-Land). These versions are carbon copies of the originals that started the craze 20 years ago (though the screen will have to scroll on the Game Boy versions). Both versions for both systems will include secrets to be unlocked, like a complete working version of Super Pac-Man. The portable versions will be compatible with the Game Boy Pocket, the original Game Boy, and the Game Boy Color.

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1999: Neo Geo Pac-Man
Platform: Neo Geo Pocket Color
Developer: SNK
Publisher: Namco

Not surprisingly, Pac-Man is one of the first titles available for the new Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld. Though the new handheld

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is extremely hard to find these days, our sources tell us its powerful but small 16-bit CPU handles Pac-Man without any problems. You control the original Pac-Man and have a choice of two views: one where the screen is blown up and the maze has to scroll or one with smaller graphics but a complete maze at a glance. Switching views on the fly is possible, giving you the best of both worlds. Take a look at the accompanying screenshot to see the crystal-clear view of Pac-Man on the Neo Geo Pocket Color.

Pac-Man World: 20th Anniversary
Platform: PlayStation
Developer: Namco
Publisher: Namco

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There's still one more Pac-Game on our list, and it's Namco's 20th Anniversary celebratory title. Pac-Man World: 20th Anniversary is the latest and greatest collection of Pac-Games for all those hard-core munchers out there. It features the original Pac-Man (down to each individual line of code), 36 new 3D mazes, a Mario Bros.-type quest mode, and a hidden art gallery. The quest mode puts Pac on the trail of the evil Toc-Man, Pac-Man's metallic alter ego, who has kidnapped Pac's buddies. You can unlock secret mazes in the quest mode to be played later, or you can choose to forgo looking for extra mazes and instead focus on your rescue mission. The music to this title includes revamped, jazzed-up versions of the original introduction and cutscene music, which alone makes it worth the price of admission. Though the quest mode has been done before in other, more challenging games (it's almost impossible to die), hard-core Pac-Fans will want to find every hidden maze so they can unlock the hidden gallery of Pac-Art.