The iconic Pac-Man has long held its place as a cornerstone of video game history, earning its rightful induction into the inaugural class of the Strong Museum of Play’s World Video Game Hall of Fame. However, playing the original 1980 version today can often feel slow and repetitive, reflecting the evolution of game design and player expectations over the years.
Recently, I stumbled upon Pac-Man Superfast listed under the YouTube Playables section on Google’s widely-used video platform. My immediate question was, “Just how fast is ‘superfast’?” and my second thought was, “What exactly is YouTube Playables?”
Many might be unaware of YouTube Playables, as its official announcement last year went largely unnoticed. This feature offers a collection of free web-based games developed using standard rendering APIs. Positioning itself as a competitor to Netflix’s mobile gaming offerings, YouTube Playables is still described in official documentation as “an experimental feature rolled out to select users in eligible countries/regions,” indicating that Google’s commitment to this post-Stadia venture may not be robust.
A quick glance at the nearly 200 titles available reveals a mix of nostalgic mobile brands (such as Cut the Rope and Crossy Road) alongside a range of generic games you’d typically find in the “free” section of app stores, like 3D Bowling and 2048 Fusion. Amid these offerings is Pac-Man Superfast, an officially licensed spin-off that seemingly launched quietly last October. While gaming enthusiasts speculate that the game was created by RedFox Games, it doesn’t appear on the developer’s website for any mention.
Emphasizing Speed
Jump ahead to the later stages to see just how “Superfast” the game can get.
Despite its peculiar origins, Pac-Man Superfast delivers on its name, starting with gameplay at an “Easy” speed that aligns with the original arcade version. The game elevates the speed of both Pac-Man and the ghosts incrementally, with deaths temporarily decreasing the speed level. After a few minutes, players can experience a dramatic increase in pace, advancing to frenzied levels dubbed Crazy, Insane, Maniac, and ultimately a challenging stage referred to ominously as “Doom.”
Players who are familiar with the Pac-Man Championship Edition series will recognize the high-speed mechanics in this game. However, Pac-Man Superfast primarily focuses on the traditional maze design and the original four ghost characters. Classic strategies for manipulating ghost movements and executing successful patterns in narrow corridors still apply, but they require intense concentration and quick reflexes, particularly during the fastest segments. Although the game can technically accommodate swipe controls on mobile devices, achieving high scores generally necessitates the more precise control offered by a keyboard on a desktop or laptop (unfortunately, the game does not support USB controllers).
While the exhilarating speed of the gameplay is a highlight, some design choices detract from the overall experience. For instance, the game abruptly concludes after just 13 levels, eliminating the possibility of the extensive 256-level sessions that are synonymous with the Pac-Man legacy. It also grants an extra life for every 5,000 points accrued, which allows players to brute-force their way through to the end if they focus on collecting increasingly high-scoring items that pop up in each stage.
Nevertheless, the game lacks point rewards for unused extra lives or extended survival at accelerated speeds, which diminishes incentives for higher-level gameplay. Additionally, the absence of a built-in leaderboard makes comparing scores with friends or other players challenging.
Despite these limitations, I have thoroughly enjoyed revisiting Pac-Man Superfast, gradually inching my high score past 162,000 points during brief gaming sessions. If you’re a fan of classic arcade games, this title is certainly worth exploring before the “YouTube Playables” initiative potentially fades into obscurity alongside other discontinued Google projects.
