Halloween is upon us, and Google is serving up a blast from the arcade past with a special 45th anniversary edition of Pac-Man. The game is fully playable right on the homepage, with our yellow hero having traded his usual neon maze for something a bit spookier: Eight eerie levels, including four haunted houses that each mirror the personality of their ghostly resident.
When Pac-Man first hit Japanese arcades in 1980, it was an instant cultural phenomenon. Designed by Toru Iwatani and inspired by a pizza missing a slice, the game stood out in an era dominated by space shooters. Its simple premise--gobble dots, dodge ghosts, and clear mazes--quickly became addictive fun that crossed borders and generations. The ghosts even had their own personalities and names (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde), setting a new standard for character design in gaming.
Last Halloween, Google took mascot Momo the cat on a space adventure where you had to take on ghosts and even a haunted sun. Google's interactive Doodles already has an impressive lineup, from the cricket match Doodle from 2017, where you play as a cricket, to the Coding for Carrots game that let kids learn programming basics through a hopping bunny. Now, Pac-Man gets to join them in his tricky treat adventure.
You don't need a console or a quarter to play, just head to Google's homepage and click on the Doodle banner, then press start. The special Pac-Man Doodle will be live for 48 hours only, so grab your virtual candy bag and get ready to chase (or be chased by) some ghosts. You can also learn about past Doodles here.
Source
When Pac-Man first hit Japanese arcades in 1980, it was an instant cultural phenomenon. Designed by Toru Iwatani and inspired by a pizza missing a slice, the game stood out in an era dominated by space shooters. Its simple premise--gobble dots, dodge ghosts, and clear mazes--quickly became addictive fun that crossed borders and generations. The ghosts even had their own personalities and names (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde), setting a new standard for character design in gaming.
Last Halloween, Google took mascot Momo the cat on a space adventure where you had to take on ghosts and even a haunted sun. Google's interactive Doodles already has an impressive lineup, from the cricket match Doodle from 2017, where you play as a cricket, to the Coding for Carrots game that let kids learn programming basics through a hopping bunny. Now, Pac-Man gets to join them in his tricky treat adventure.
You don't need a console or a quarter to play, just head to Google's homepage and click on the Doodle banner, then press start. The special Pac-Man Doodle will be live for 48 hours only, so grab your virtual candy bag and get ready to chase (or be chased by) some ghosts. You can also learn about past Doodles here.
Source