Ms. Pac-Man: Special Color Edition

Ms. Pac-Man: Special Color Edition is Namco's 1999 Game Boy Color release of the arcade maze classic, published in North America by Namco Hometek. It packages Ms. Pac-Man with the 1982 arcade game Super Pac-Man, giving the cartridge two distinct takes on the series' score-chasing maze action. The European release was titled Ms. Pac-Man: Special Colour Edition and published by Acclaim Entertainment.

In Ms. Pac-Man, players guide the bow-wearing heroine through a maze, clearing every pellet while staying ahead of four ghosts. Power Pellets turn the ghosts blue for a short time, creating a chance to reverse the chase and earn escalating points. Bouncing bonus fruit adds another target to pursue, while changing maze layouts, warp tunnels and steadily faster rounds keep the route-planning tense.

The Game Boy Color version preserves the portable Ms. Pac-Man conversion in full color, including the arcade-style intermissions and an alternating two-player mode. One player takes Ms. Pac-Man and the other Pac-Man on separate turns, making it easy to pass the system back and forth for score competition. Players can also choose a full-screen view or a closer scrolling view to suit the Game Boy display.

Its maze selection goes beyond the four layouts associated with the original arcade Ms. Pac-Man: the underlying Game Boy port adds two extra maze designs. That makes this edition a color-enhanced handheld variant, not simply a straight arcade ROM, while the original arcade rules remain central: clear the board, use tunnels to escape pressure and time each Power Pellet for the greatest advantage.

Super Pac-Man is a full second game, not a small bonus stage. Instead of clearing ordinary dots across an open maze, Pac-Man collects keys to unlock gates concealing food, then eats the food to progress. Super Power Pellets let Pac-Man grow large enough to rush through gates, adding a different rhythm of keys, doors and temporary power to the familiar ghost pursuit.

Although marketed for Game Boy Color, the cartridge is also compatible with the original Game Boy and Super Game Boy, with Super Game Boy enhancements available. The color presentation and altered sound distinguish this release from Namco's earlier monochrome Game Boy Ms. Pac-Man, while the included Super Pac-Man sets it apart from 1999's separate Pac-Man: Special Color Edition cartridge, whose bonus game is Pac-Attack instead.