Here at PadGadget, we love classic arcade games and retro-inspired apps. Maybe it’s because we are all a bunch of old fogies. Maybe it’s because we long for the simpler times, when games only had one view and four buttons. What ever the reason, we love all manner of pixilated play. To honor our childhood memories, we are spotlighting some of our favorite old school games and apps.
In our first installment of Flashback Friday, we thought we’d start with arguably the most popular video game ever made. PAC-MAN chomped his way in to the hearts of young arcade game patrons in October of 1980. The fruit-eating phenomenon was the first to pique boys and girls interest in the same game. When Ms. PAC-MAN made its way into pop culture, the War of the Sexes was on.
PAC-MAN for iPad launched in the App Store only a few months after Apple’s tablet hit store shelves. It, of course, was an instant hit. The game stays true to the NAMCO original with just a few tweaks for iOS. You can play the game with traditional joystick controls using the virtual joystick, or swipe the screen in the direction you want to go using Swipe Mode. You’ll be gobbling strawberries and chasing down Pinky, Inky, and Clyde just like you did as a kid, only you don’t have to ask your mom for a fist full of quarters before you leave the house.
The best part is that PAC-MAN for iPad is compatible with the iCade, so you can play your iPad with a real, physical joystick.
PAC-MAN for iPad is available in the App Store for $4.99. If you feel funny about paying such a heafty price for a 33-year-old game, you can always check out PAC-MAN Lite for free. You can play the first stage of the game until your fingers fall off in the lite version. I have a feeling you’ll be dropping the five bucks on the full version minutes after you start playing.
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