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How It Works • Games & Tech

Ms. Pac-Man

Ms.

Updated July 30, 20261 min readCited sources

Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 maze arcade video game and a sequel to Pac-Man, known for introducing a female lead character and gameplay improvements.

What it is

Ms. Pac-Man is a maze arcade game developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway Manufacturing in 1982. It is the first Pac-Man series game not made by Namco, and it features a female protagonist. The game retains the core pellet-eating and ghost-avoiding gameplay of the original, but adds new maze layouts, moving bonus items, and varied patterns.

Why it matters

Ms. Pac-Man is often described as a major improvement over the original Pac-Man and is notable for having one of the first prominent female protagonists in video game history. Its cultural impact extends across North America, including Canada, where it appears in retro game collections and discussions. The character became widely recognized in popular culture.

Key details

The game began as an unauthorized modification of Pac-Man by General Computer Corporation before becoming an official release. This led to a complicated rights history, with ownership and licensing issues affecting later appearances in the series. Ms. Pac-Man is commonly depicted as Pac-Man's wife.

In short

  • Sequel to Pac-Man released in 1982, developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway.
  • First Pac-Man game not made by Namco; features a female lead character.
  • Adds new maze layouts, moving bonus items, and varied patterns over the original.
  • Notable as an early example of a major female protagonist in video games.
Canadian angle

Ms. Pac-Man has appeared in arcade collections and retro game discussions familiar to Canadian players, and it remains part of broader North American video game history.

Quick questions

What is Ms. Pac-Man?
Ms. Pac-Man is a 1982 arcade maze video game and a sequel to Pac-Man, known for its female title character.
How is Ms. Pac-Man different from Pac-Man?
It uses similar gameplay but adds new maze layouts, moving bonus items, and a female protagonist instead of Pac-Man.
Who created Ms. Pac-Man?
It was developed by General Computer Corporation and published by Midway Manufacturing, starting as an enhancement project.

Sources

  1. Mental Floss — https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63019/11-fun-facts-about-ms-pac-man
    Supports: Origin as an enhancement kit by Kevin Curran and Doug Macrae at General Computer Corporation; name background.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ms._Pac-Man
    Supports: 1982 release, developer, publisher, sequel status, gameplay overview, female protagonist.
  3. The Strong National Museum of Play — https://www.museumofplay.org/games/ms-pacman/
    Supports: 1982 release, collaboration with Midway, female main character, cultural significance.
  4. Bitvint — https://bitvint.com/pages/10-fun-facts-about-ms-pac-man
    Supports: Unauthorized modification/Crazy Otto origin and legal history context.
  5. PBS NewsHour — https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/8-things-didnt-know-pac-man
    Supports: Ms. Pac-Man as an early female protagonist in video games.
  6. Official PAC-MAN site — https://pacman.com/en/history/
    Supports: Female PAC-MAN branding and gameplay differences such as maze design and warp tunnels.
  7. Super Mario Wiki — https://www.mariowiki.com/Ms._PAC-MAN
    Supports: Character identity as Pac-Man's wife and later series appearances.