Ms. Pac-Man (NES review)

Developer: Now Production
Publisher: Namco Hometek
Released: 1993

Ms. Pac-Man is a maze game that was originally released in the Arcade in 1982 as the sequel to Pac-Man (1980, Arcade).

+ Ghosts have unique behaviours and speeds, and their A.I. is incredible as you can actively watch them trying to flank you.

+ Bonus fruits return, but this time with the treacherous twist of bouncing around the playfield to raise the suspense.

+ Extra tunnels have been introduced to the mazes, which is a brilliant idea that gives you multiple ways to escape foes.

- Curious port that only has a small selection of mazes and none of the additions seen on the Sega Master System (1991).

- Likewise, while Sega's 8-bit port offered co-op and competitive multiplayer, this one is turn-based only.

- Controls are often infuriatingly sticky on maze corners and the game doesn't always respond to your d-pad presses.

- Difficulty is more akin to the Atari 5200 version (1983) and the immediate challenge might deter some players.