Pac-Man was the inventor of the power-up. It set up the formula that power-ups across gaming still follow today: Power-ups are items found in set spots in the level, and when a power-up is eaten, the player has one or more new abilities that will help them progress in the game until they lose the power-up through one way or another.
Types[]
Power Pellets[]
The first power-up used by Pac-Man. It turns all ghosts blue for a limited time allowing Pac-Man to eat them. These were first available in the original Pac-Man and have been the main power-up in most other games.
Pac & Pal[]
After eating a power-up in Pac & Pal, Pac-Man will turn cyan and be able to perform an attack that stuns ghosts [1].
This power-up also has alternate skins for later levels, which are:
-Tractor Beam Attack, which allows Pac-Man to emit rays from his mouth that send ghosts spinning in place. This is represented by a Galaxian flower.
-Smoke Screen Attack, which allows Pac-Man to set oil smear traps. This is represented by a Rally-X Car.
-Trumpet Attack, which allow Pac-Man to dazzle ghosts with its notes. This is represented by a Trumpet.
-Ice Atack, which lets Pac-Man emit ice beams that chill ghosts solid. This is represented by a Snowman.
-Pac Man Attack, which let Pac-Man shoot little Pac-Men at ghosts. This is represented by Mini Pac-Men.
Blinky's abilities on Pac-Man World 3 may or may not have been in reference to this.
Trick Pellets[]
In the game Pac-Man Plus, when you eat a Power Pellet there is a chance it will be a trick pellet that, instead of turning the ghosts blue, turns the maze invisible making it difficult for Pac-Man to know where he's going. These pellets are indistinguishable from the real Power Pellets.
Super Pellets[]
In Super Pac-Man, two Super Pellets are in the maze. When eaten they allow Pac-Man to grow larger and fly above the maze, as well as giving him the option to use his speed boost button. They later appear in Pac-Mania, where they function like the Blinky Pill from Arrangement, and Super Smash Bros. from 4 onwards, where they get their original functionality back (minus the speed button) as part of Pac-Man's Final Smash.
Shockwave Pellets[]
These Power-Pellets appear in Pac-Man World.
Shockwave Power-Pellets are glowing Power-Pellets with red, yellow, and white sparkles constantly revolving around the white orb in the middle.
They are very rare, only appearing in a few levels. Once Pac-Man eats one, he begins to glow with a heavy amount of energy. When he Butt-Bounces, Pac-Man will create a enormous shockwave that wipes out every enemy nearby. This power-up can only be used once.
Shrink Ball Pellets[]
In Pac-Man World 2, a new power-up called the Shrink Ball Power Pellet was introduced.
It's a pink power pellet that constantly shrinks and grows, and it's quite rare to find, only being used in two levels.
When Pac-Man eats this, he'll shrink in size. He can use this to access areas that would prove too small for him to enter normally. However, Pac-Man is extremely vulnerable in this form, as he can't attack enemies while shrunken down. In addition, enemies can defeat him easily while he's mini-sized.
Ribbon Loop Power-Pellets[]
The Ribbon Loop Power-Pellet debuts in Pac-Man World 3.
These Power-Pellets are an orangish-pink with a outgoing energy wave.
When these pellets are eaten, Pac-Man will leave a pink trail behind him, and when one end of this trail meets the other, a ring will be created that squeezes together and explodes, instantly defeating enemies inside of the loop, and damaging nearby enemies. Ribbon Pellets also cause Pac-Man to temporarily get a running speed boost. Most enemies that are cut off by the trail will stand still and look around at it, making it easier to trap them.
Electro-Shock Power-Pellets[]
The Electo-Shock Power-Pellet debuts in Pac-Man World 3.
These Power-Pellets are blue with electric pulses emitting from them.
When eaten, this power-pellet will temporarily replace Pac-Man's punch attack with an electric attack. Once Pac-Man zaps an enemy, he must hold it for a while to fully defeat them. He can also use this power up to charge generators.
Super Stomp Power-Pellets[]
The Super Stomp Power-Pellet debuts in Pac-Man World 3.
These Power-Pellets are green with energy-emitting rings around them,
If this is eaten, then Pac-Man will temporarily have his Butt-Bounce replaced by a powerful stomp that releases a huge shockwave, damaging surrounding enemies.
Chrome Power-Pellets[]
The Chrome Power-Pellets (known as Steel Ball Power Up in Pac-Man World 2), is present in all of the Pac-Man World games.
Similar to Super Mario's 'Metal Mario', the allow Pac-Man to become invincible momentarily. This enables him to walk across dangerous terrain such as lava or spikes. He can also become heavy enough to walk underwater.