The yellow circular hero with an over-eating disorder, Pac-Man, is constantly hogging the spotlight as one of the world's most popular video game characters, but it's about time for the other stars to get their due, namely the Ghost Monsters. Part undead spirits, part obsessive compulsives, the Ghost Monsters have only one goal, putting the hurt on the chomping champ. Not only are these second-bananas some of the most identifiable gaming enemies, but they have actually been featured in more games than Pac-Man himself. This is the history of video gamedoms most famous ghosts and monster, the Ghost Monsters!
Pac-Attack – Super Nintendo – 1993
While other arcade stars such as Mario Bros. and Frogger were getting all-new console games with elaborate, multi-level adventures, Pac-Man didn't get his own made-for-console title until the Super Nintendo system with this Tetris-like Puzzle Game. The Ghost Monsters take the roll of edible obstacles as the player drops blocks, Ghosts and Pac-Mans. If the Ghosts line up together they turn blue, allowing a fresh dropped Pac-Man to chomp them and collapse the blocks they are obstructing. Here it is impossible for the Ghost Monsters to hurt the yellow hero in this very un-Pacy game.Pac-Man VR – Coin-Op Arcade – 1996
Not exactly an arcade game, but more of a Virtual Reality attraction, Pac-Man VR was a short lived event game created by the now defunct Virtuality. In Pac-Man VR the players take the roll of Pac-Man in a first person perspective and must avoid the Ghost Monsters who searched them out in the maze. In this Virtual World the four original Ghost Monsters are life sized 3D renders with 2D cartoon eyes and mouths.Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures – Super Nintendo / SEGA Genesis – 1994
The most un-Pac-Man like game ever. PM2 is more of a point and click adventure as you help Pac-Man on various missions using a slingshot to shoot (aka click) objects on the screen. The original four Ghost Monsters are more pests than a menace, but when you click a Power Pellet into his mouth he turns into a Super Pac-Man and chomps them. Here the Ghost Monsters are working for the evil Ghost Witch of Netor who has been sending the GMs out to collect gum from the residence of Pac-Land to use for her menacing Gum Monster.Pac-In-Time – Super Nintendo, Game Boy, SEGA Genesis, PC and Mac – 1995
Pac-Man's second platforming adventure, gives him more of a roly-poly feel and is far more vertical and deep in gameplay than the first platformer Pac-Land. The Ghost Monsters aren't as plentiful in this adventure as they have been in past, but his arch nemesis here is known as the Ghost Witch, who he battles as the final boss of the game.Pac-Man Arrangement – Coin-Op Arcade – 1996
Another 3D isometric Pac-Man game, this time with the entire maze contained on the screen. The original four Ghost Monsters are present, except Clyde and Blinky have switched colors, but no sign of Sue. Instead we are introduced to a new ghost named Kinky (Yellow). Unlike her Pac pursuing counterparts, Kinky can be chomped at any time. Kinky's other weakness is, once chomped, she acts as a Power Pellet making her fellow GMs venerable. Why do they keep Kinky around? Because if she merges with any of the other GMs, they become a Big Ghost with special abilities depending on which one she merges with.The ghosts also have their own special weapon in the final level, a giant robot Ghost Monster Pac-Man battles by flinging dots at it.
