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Pac-Attack

Sega Genesis

Sega Genesis

On a Tetris-like board the player drops blocks consisting of Ghosts, Blocks, Pac-Men, and one Fairy (if your Fairy Meter is full) to the ground. The objective is to not let the blocks overflow, let Pac-Man eat the ghosts, and make lines to shorten the amount of blocks on the board. When Pac-Man e...

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Developer
Namco

Released on
1993

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Sega Genesis

Requirements
Sega Genesis

Downloads
Puzzle

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

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Description

On a Tetris-like board the player drops blocks consisting of Ghosts, Blocks, Pac-Men, and one Fairy (if your Fairy Meter is full) to the ground. The objective is to not let the blocks overflow, let Pac-Man eat the ghosts, and make lines to shorten the amount of blocks on the board. When Pac-Man eats a ghost, the Fairy Meter goes up. Once full, a fairy will eventually be dropped. Once the fairy comes to a stop by landing on anything, it waves its wand and every ghost in the eight lines below it will disappear, often resulting in numerous lines being completed and simplifying the board. Once the fairy disappears, the score bonus is given, and gameplay continues.

Pac-Attack can also be played in 2-player mode. Player 1 must eat Blinky, while Player 2 must eat Sue, the purple ghost from Pac-Mania. As players eat ghosts and complete lines, they will drop ghosts on their opponent’s board, messing up their board and bringing them closer to the top. This game can even be played in puzzle mode. The object of this mode is to smash all 100 stages. If you get a Game Over, all the regular blocks appear with red crosses on them, while Blinky and Sue over backwards laughing silently. However, you can try the level again.

Pac-Attack

Overview & History

Released by Namco in 1993 for the Sega Genesis, Pac-Attack (originally known in Japan as Pac-Panic) is a clever fusion of classic block-dropping puzzle design and arcade-era character action. Capitalizing on the burgeoning popularity of falling-block puzzlers in the wake of Tetris and Dr. Mario, Namco infused the genre with its iconic yellow hero to combat a ghost invasion orchestrated by the mischievous witch Wieder. Across increasingly frantic stages set in spooky forests and haunted castles, players must clear a rising stack of polyomino blocks while devouring bothersome ghosts. The Genesis port stands out for its crisp, colorful sprite work, faithful sound effects, and a surprisingly robust puzzle mode that challenges players to solve brain-teasing scenarios using a limited number of moves, making it a distinct and beloved entry in the retro puzzle canon.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

At its core, Pac-Attack requires players to rotate and position tetramino-style blocks falling from the top of the screen to create solid horizontal lines, which causes them to vanish. However, the game introduces a signature gameplay loop centered around relentless, roaming ghosts—ranging from standard blue phantoms to troublesome pink ones. When ghosts land on the playfield, they pile up and block progress. The key to survival is dropping a Pac-Man block onto the grid. Upon landing, Pac-Man moves left and right across the stack, autonomously devouring any ghosts in his path until he hits a wall or falls off the edge. Clearing a string of ghosts awards massive chain bonuses and spawns special fairy blocks that can wipe entire rows. If the stack reaches the top of the screen, it is game over.