Pac-Man 256

For other uses of Pac-Man 256, see Pac-Man 256 (disambiguation).

"BEWARE OF THE GLITCH!" - Game tagline

Pac-Man 256 is a maze game in the Pac-Man series, developed by Hipster Whale and 3 Sprockets and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Originally released as a free-to-play game for iOS and Android devices, Pac-Man 256 takes inspiration from the infamous round 256 glitch from the original Pac-Man game, presenting Pac-Man maze gameplay in an endless format. The game was released on August 19, 2015 in commendation of Pac-Man's 35th anniversary.

Pac-Man 256+, an expanded re-release of the game, was released on Apple platforms via the Apple Arcade service on December 5, 2024.

Gameplay[]

Pac-Man 256 follows the traditional Pac-Man maze gameplay in an endless format. In Pac-Man 256, the player controls Pac-Man and guides him forward in an endless maze to score as many points as possible by eating Pac-Dots, Fruits and attacking ghosts. While also guiding Pac-Man to avoid collision with the familiar ghosts (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde, Sue, Funky, Spunky, and newcomer Glitchy), Pac-Man must also avoid entering the Glitch, a slowly advancing corrupting force that approaches from the bottom of the maze. The game ends if Pac-Man touches a ghost or is consumed by the Glitch.

Compared to other Pac-Man maze games, Pac-Man does not slow down upon eating Pac-Dots, but cannot sharply turn towards wall corners. Pac-Man can also gain a Pac-Dot chain upon eating consecutive numbers of Pac-Dots without approaching an empty Pac-Dot space or turning around to a space without Pac-Dots. Upon reaching 16, 32, 64 and 128 Pac-Dot chains, the player will gain a score bonus equating to the chain reached. If the chain reaches 256, the game will congratulate the player and all ghosts on screen are instantly defeated, though it will also negate any active power-ups.

Eating a Power Pellet will allow Pac-Man to temporarily eat ghosts, with consecutive point bonuses for each ghost eaten during the same effect; eating ghosts will also briefly extend the duration of the Power Pellet. When a Power Pellet or power-up is active, a timer showcasing the remaining duration of the power will appear on the top center of the screen. Pac-Man 256 also re-introduces Power-Ups, special items that spawn inside the maze

Upon first starting the game, the player will be introduced to Power-Ups, special items that spawn in the maze and will grant special powers to Pac-Man that can attack ghosts or boost his performance. These power-ups will last for a brief time period; though the duration can be extended by eating another panel of the same power-up or eating other power-ups (like Power Pellets, which turn into larger rotating Pac-Dots if the power-up is not the same as the active one). Fruits will also spawn in sporadic positions within the mazes, which will grant Pac-Man a temporary score multiplier when eaten. Depending on the fruit eaten, the multiplier can reach up to 5 times the base score (through a Melon). Across the maze, Coins also appear throughout the maze, either naturally or spawned into the maze; replacing a space. Coins can be gathered and used to continue an active game, upgrade power-ups or purchase visual skins.

Additionally, the player can complete missions by meeting the criteria of a task mentioned while starting a game. If the task is completed, the player will be awarded a gift that gives the player a randomized amount of bonus coins, which can be 16, 32, 64, 128, 512 or 1024 coins; the higher numbers appearing much more rarely.

The player initially begins the game in an area that resembles the original Pac-Man maze, but eventually generates new kinds of mazes interconnected between. As the game progresses, the amount of ghosts that appear will increase, and more aggressive ghosts such as Blinky and Glitchy will start appearing within the maze.

The game ends if Pac-Man is caught by a ghost or is consumed by the Glitch. In the mobile version, if a game over occurs, they will be able to continue their game by either watching an ad or by spending 64 coins, or choose to end the game. A game can only be continued once. When a game ends, the player can check their total statistics, or can check for any bonuses

Prior the the mobile version's 2.0 update, the game featured a credit system that would use one of the player's credits if they were to initiate a game with power-ups, or would continue a game upon getting a game over. If the player had no credits, they would not be able to perform either action unless extra credits were earned through advertisements, were purchased through microtransactions or purchasing Unlimited Credits. Following the 2.0 update, the credits system was removed, granting unlimited play with power-ups.

Multiplayer[]

The console and PC versions of Pac-Man 256 (as well as the version included in Pac-Man Museum+) features an exclusive multiplayer mode that is not seen in the mobile version of the game.

Gameplay in the multiplayer mode largely follows the same gameplay style as the single player mode, though the camera zooms out based on each player's positioning. If the players' vertical distance is too great, the Glitch will rapidly increase speed, forcing other players to continue moving forward to survive. If a player's Pac-Man is defeated, a revival item taking the appearance of that player's Pac-Man will appear in the maze, which will revive the defeated Pac-Men and place them back in the maze. The game ends when the last surviving player is defeated. Different skin styles of Pac-Man can be used for each player.

Power-Ups[]

Power-Ups are designed to give the player an advantage against fighting/escaping ghosts, collecting more pellets, or simply getting more points. In the mobile versions (prior to the 2.0 update), console and PC versions, Power-Ups are unlocked by eating a total specified amount of Pac-Dots. In mobile versions after the 2.0 update, one power-up is instead unlocked every 24 hours. Up to three power-ups can be selected in a game. By using coins, the player can also upgrade power-ups to extend their duration (in seconds) and point bonuses awarded. Power-ups can be upgraded to a maximum of 8 times (12 times in the mobile version after the 2.0 update), with the cost for coins increasing every upgrade (in the mobile version, the amount of coins needed to upgrade will not surpass 2,048 coins). Prior to the 2.0 update for mobile devices, upgrading a power-up would cause an upgrade period to occur, where the power-up would become unavailable for a specified period of time. Following the 2.0 update and in the console and PC versions, upgrading is instantaneous.

When a power up is collected, all other power up items are replaced with larger spinning Pac-Dots that slightly prolong the effect of the power up when eaten. These dots revert back to the power ups when the current effect fully wears out.

List of Power-Ups[]

The following table is a list of power-ups in unlocking order.

Power-Up	Effect	Duration (seconds)	Points per Ghost
Laser	Laser makes Pac-Man fire a single line laser that defeats ghosts that touch it. The laser will stop if it hits a wall.	6	10
Freeze	Freeze slows down all ghosts, but are still harmful in their frozen state.	6	N/A
Bomb	Bomb gives Pac-Man a single-use bomb that causes a large radius explosion when a ghost touches Pac-Man or the power-up's duration ends. If the former case occurs, the Bomb power-up ends prematurely.	6	10
Giant	Giant enlarges Pac-Man, allowing him to flatten ghosts. This power-up acts similar to the Power Pellet, though ghost behaviors are not altered.	6	10
Tornado	Tornado summons a whirling tornado that automatically chases ghosts.	6	10
Stealth	Stealth makes Pac-Man invisible, allowing him to pass through ghosts without them noticing.	6	N/A
Fire	Fire makes Pac-Man emit a trail of fire over any spaces he passes over, which will kill ghosts if touched. Pac-Man is immune to all fire spaces.	6	10
Trap	Trap spawns several single-use spikes around Pac-Man's current position in the maze, killing ghosts that touch them.	6	10
Magnet	Magnet creates a collecting range around Pac-Man that will collect coins, fruits, power-ups and Pac-Dots. As the power-up wears off, the collecting range will gradually shrink.	6	N/A
Pac-Men	Pac-Men summons smaller Pac-Men that can attack up to three ghosts. If the power-up is extended by eating another power-up, it will spawn another small Pac-Man.	6	10
Shatter	An alternate version of Freeze, Shatter slows down ghosts (though they can still harm Pac-Man) and creates icicles that Pac-Man can shatter for bonus points. Note: The "Points per Ghost" value for this entry applies for the icicles instead, since ghosts are not made defeatable by this power-up.	6	150/170
Pyro	An alternate version of Fire, Pyro gives Pac-Man a fire trail that can kill ghosts if touched. Compared to Fire, Pyro's flame trails will spread to adjacent halls, but will not fork or turn any further. The length of the fire is also slightly shorter compared to Fire.	6	10
Twinado	An upgraded version of Tornado, Twinado summons two whirling tornados that automatically chase ghosts.	6	10
Optics	An upgraded version of Laser, Optics makes Pac-Man fire a rebounding laser that defeats ghosts that touch it. The laser will rebound off one wall towards the right (or left if the right space is covered by a wall).	6	10
Boom	An alternate version of Bomb, Boom gives Pac-Man a set of two miniature explosions and one large explosion. Upon colliding with ghosts two times, Pac-Man will emit a mini explosion. Upon colliding with ghosts a third time or the power-up's duration runs out, a large explosion occurs similar to Bomb.	6	10
Regen	An upgraded version of Magnet, creates a collecting range around Pac-Man that will collect coins, fruits, power-ups and Pac-Dots. Any Pac-Dots collected through the collecting range will regenerate after 2 seconds, allowing the player to easily maintain Pac-Dot chains. As the power-up wears off, the collecting range will gradually shrink.	6	N/A
Radar	Radar gives Pac-Man a limited-radius laser that swings and circles around him, defeating any ghosts it hits. Pac-Man can also defeat ghosts by colliding with them in this state	4	10
Cherries	Cherries give Pac-Man a Cherry generating ring that transforms any ghosts that enter the radius into score-multiplying cherries.	6	N/A
Sonar	Sonar makes Pac-Man emit sonar pulses that repel ghosts that enter it. Pac-Man is also immune to ghost collision in this state.	6	N/A
Electric	Electric generates electricity around Pac-Man, which zaps one nearby ghost every second. Pac-Man can also zap ghosts by colliding into them.	6	10
Beam	Beam makes Pac-Man shoot a vertical beam that passes through walls, defeating any ghosts that touch it. This power-up was briefly available for a limited time in the mobile versions, while it is available as a standard unlockable power-up in the console & PC versions.	8	10

Ghosts[]

Compared to other traditional Pac-Man games, more than one of the same ghost can appear at once in Pac-Man 256. Each ghost has their own methods of pursuing Pac-Man.


Ghost	Name	Behavior
	Blinky	Blinky locks on to Pac-Man in direct pursuit upon approaching Pac-Man's range. Blinky moves at a slightly slower speed than Pac-Man, but is able to keep up in constant pursuit. If Blinky does not detect Pac-Man, he will circle across a maze wall, similar to Inky.
	Pinky	Pinky appears static until Pac-Man enters the same row or column as Pinky. If Pinky notices Pac-Man, she will charge down towards the direction she noticed Pac-Man. Pinky moves significantly faster compared to the other ghosts, making it difficult to avoid her especially in narrow paths.
	Spunky	Spunky spawns usually sleeping, but will wake and pursue Pac-Man directly (like Blinky) if Pac-Man gets near Spunky. When waking, Spunky will flash white before moving and will chase Pac-Man for 6 seconds before falling back to sleep.
	Clyde	Clyde always moves downwards, but will change directions based on Pac-Man's location. If Clyde goes down a path where he cannot move downwards, he will move upwards.
	Inky	Inky moves in a circle path among specific portions of the mazes. Inky's movements are not changed by Pac-Man's actions.
	Sue	Sue typically appears in groups of three. Sue moves slowly and only horizontally, but will move slowly towards Pac-Man's position in an attempt to block his path.
	Funky	Funky typically appears in groups of four, moving only horizontally in a formation that changes direction upon touching a wall. Funky's movements are not changed by Pac-Man's actions.
	Glitchy	A new ghost introduced in this game, Glitchy is a color-altering ghost that emits a glitch trail. Glitchy moves slightly slower than Pac-Man, but he chases him directly and can use glitch powers to teleport upwards in the maze, either far or close to Pac-Man. When teleporting, Glitchy will freeze in place and emit a glitch cloud in both their current position and the location Glitchy is about to teleport to.

Achievements[]

There are 10 achievements, one of which is only available on the console and PC versions.

Achievement	Description	Platforms
Dot Muncher	Eat 2048 Pac-Dots in singleplayer	Console, PC, Mobile
Ghost Hunter	Eat 64 Ghosts while using a Power Pellet in singleplayer	Console, PC, Mobile
Staying Healthy	Eat 64 Fruit pickups in singleplayer	Console, PC, Mobile
Mission Complete	Complete 16 missions (Ex: Eat 5 apples, Do a 128 Pac-Dot chain, Etc.)	Console, PC, Mobile
Multiplied Mayhem	Earn a x16 Power Pellet multiplier in singleplayer (Meaning eat 16 ghosts in a row with a Power Pellet without it running out)	Console, PC, Mobile
Maximum Power	Fully Upgrade a power-up	Console, PC, Mobile
All Powered Up	Unlock every powerup	Console, PC, Mobile
Game Over	Fully upgrade every powerup	Console, PC, Mobile
Super 256	Score a 256 Pac-Dot chain in singleplayer (Meaning eating 256 Pac-Dots without stopping)	Console, PC, Mobile
Wakka Wakka	Play a multiplayer game (Does not have to be online)	Console, PC

In-App Purchases (Mobile)[]

The following in-app purchases are available to the player:

Coin Doubler: A $4.99 USD purchase, Coin Doubler permanently doubles the amount of coins received from collecting regular and special red coins from one to two and two to four respectively. Upon first purchase, the player will also be granted a 2,048 coin bonus.
Themes: A $0.99 purchase for each theme, the player can also alternatively use real money to unlock themes instantly instead of paying 2,048 coins. (Classic 80's, The Grid, Robotz, CEDX, The Office, Go Karts, Garden, Pac-Mania, The Arcade, Moon Lander)

Prior to the 2.0 update for mobile devices, the game featured an in-app purchase known as Unlimited Credits, which would give the player unlimited game credits. Following the 2.0 update with the removal of the game credits system, any players who purchased Unlimited Credits would receive the exclusive Digital World game theme, and any themes not unlocked would be unlocked for free.

Purchasing an in-app purchase also disables advertisements that appear at the end of a game, though the player must watch ads to open coin boxes not obtained through missions.

Themes[]

The version 1.1 update for Pac-Man 256 introduced themes, which change the look of the game including the maze, ghosts, Pac-Man and other items. In the mobile version, all themes are locked at the start and are unlocked by spending 2,048 coins for each theme or paying real money ($0.99 USD) per theme to unlock instantly. The player is also granted one free use for each theme on first startup. In the console and PC versions however, all themes are unlocked and available upon first launch.

Pac-Man 256 (default)
Classic 80's
The Grid
Crossy Road
Robotz
CEDX (Championship Edition DX)
The Office
Go Karts
Garden
Pac-Mania
Digital World (On mobile, exclusive to players that purchased Unlimited Credits prior to the 2.0 update)
The Arcade
Moon Lander
Shuffle (Will change every run)

Pac-Man 256+[]

On November 14, 2024, Apple and Bandai Namco Entertainment announced via social media that an expanded version of the game, Pac-Man 256+, would release exclusively on the Apple Arcade subscription service on December 5, 2024, for iOS, iPadOS, macOS and Apple TV. ^[1]

Pac-Man 256+ features the regular gameplay of the original version, with various tweaks to the game presentation and new mechanics. Alongside tweaks to remove in-app purchases and advertisements, Pac-Man 256+ also makes notable changes to the gameplay of the game. Notable additions include the addition of a skill tree-structured mission system, alongside new gameplay upgrades which benefit Pac-Man outside of Power-Ups, such as being able to slow down the Glitch's speed.

Changes in Pac-Man 256+[]

Pac-Man 256+ removes all advertisements and in-app purchases from gameplay. Unlockables are now obtained solely through coins.
When achieving a 256 Pac-Dot chain, the bonus is changed to a small surrounding blast as opposed to a full screen wipe.
Power-Ups have new designs, enclosed in single color borderless cubes.
A level meter is added below the score, which increases as Pac-Man collects points.
Several themes are redesigned:
- The Pac-Mania theme is redesigned to more closely resemble Pac-Man and the ghosts' appearances in the original Pac-Mania, as opposed to using the stock art-inspired models seen in the original. The theme also introduces a new maze theme inspired by Pac-Man's Park.
- The CEDX theme is redesigned to emphasize the glowing outlines across the characters. The theme also introduces an alternate color scheme inspired by Pac-Man Championship Edition DX's alternate maze colors for Type C.

Home Ports[]

Pac-Man 256 was ported to PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC in 2016, as a $4.99 digital download. A similar version to this release was later included in Pac-Man Museum +. The console and PC versions feature unique differences from the mobile version such as:

Beam is available as a standard power-up permanently.
All game themes are available to use from the start of the game.
A multiplayer mode is available to play alongside the regular game mode.

Pac-Man 256 has also been released on several other platforms.

Amazon Fire TV
- Seemingly based on the Android version.
Android
Android TV
- Direct port of the Android version to a "smart television" operating system.
Apple TV
- Direct port of the iOS version to a "smart television" operating system.
iOS
- Alongside the original version, a special version of Pac-Man 256, known as Pac-Man 256+, will launch on the Apple Arcade streaming service on December 5, 2024.
Linux
macOS
- Alongside the original version, a special version of Pac-Man 256, known as Pac-Man 256+, will launch on the Apple Arcade streaming service on December 5, 2024.
Nintendo Switch
- Included in Pac-Man Museum +.
PlayStation 4
- Two versions were released: a standalone port in 2016, and the similar version included in Pac-Man Museum +.
Xbox One/Xbox Series
- Two versions were released: a standalone port in 2016, and the similar version included in Pac-Man Museum +.
Windows PC
- Two versions were released: a standalone port in 2016, and the similar version included in Pac-Man Museum +.

Trivia[]

The game was nominated for Best Handheld Game in The Game Awards 2015.
An unrelated hack of the original Pac-Man arcade game titled Pac-Man 256 - predating the mobile game - was released on the Pac-Man Connect & Play system in 2012. This game is a modified version of Pac-Man that starts at level 255, making it easier for players to experience the glitched level 256.
The mobile versions of the game originally featured Facebook integration; linking a Facebook account would cause blue coins to spawn within the maze, which grants two coins instead of one. Facebook integration and the blue coins were later removed in the 2.1.0 update released in 2024.
At Bandai Namco's own request, the concept for Pac-Man 256 was entirely formed by Matt Hall and Andy Sum (Founders of Hipster Whale). Namco asked the two developers to create a game about Pac-Man (seeing their prior success with Crossy Road), to which they came up with this game.^[2]
- "It wasn't long after the release of Crossy Road that [Japanese publishing giant] Bandai Namco called us up and asked us if we'd be interested in having a go at Pac-Man", Hall says.^[2]
- While only a small number of players are likely to purchase either of the permanent upgrades, Hall says the ability to unlock the game was designed for the type of old-school gamer who remembers Pac-Man from back in the day, "people who have played games their entire lives and have been a bit hostile to the change [toward micro-transactions]".^[2]

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Pac-Man 256[]

Pac-Man 256+[]

Artwork[]

External links[]

References[]

[v · e · ?]

Pac-Man Games
Maze Games	Pac-Man • Ms. Pac-Man • Pac-Man Plus • Super Pac-Man • Baby Pac-Man • Pac & Pal • Jr. Pac-Man • Pac-Mania • Arrangement (1996) • Pac-Man VR • Maze Madness • Adventures in Time • Quest for the Golden Maze • Pac-Man Vs. • Arrangement (2005) • Championship Edition • Championship Edition DX • Battle Royale • Pac-Man 256 • Championship Edition 2 • Party Royale • GEO • Mega Tunnel Battle (Chomp Champs)• Community • Pac-Man 99
Platformers	Pac-Land • Pac-In-Time • Pac-Man World (Re-Pac) • World 2 • Pac 'n Roll • World 3 • Pac-Man Tilt • Ghostly Adventures • Ghostly Adventures (3DS) • Ghostly Adventures 2 • Shadow Labyrinth
Others	Mr. & Mrs. Pac-Man • Professor Pac-Man • Carnival • Family Pinball • Puzzle Club • Pac-Attack • 2: The New Adventures • Pac 'N Party • All-Stars • Fever • Pac-Pix • Pinball Advance • World Rally • Pac-Motos • Party • Monsters • Pop! • Stories
More...	List of Pac-Man games • Mobile games • Redemption games • Namco Catalog IP games • Compilation releases • Clones and bootlegs

[1] ttps://x.com/bnei_pacman_jp/status/1856985436519887119?s=46

[256-interview-2] 2.0 ^2.1 ^2.2 https://www.smh.com.au/technology/with-10-million-under-their-belt-creators-of-popular-crossy-road-game-take-on-pacman-20150825-gj6y0x.html

[1]

[2]