Pac-Maze

Pac-Maze
File:PacManSymbol.png
Universe	Pac-Man
Appears in	SSB4 (3DS)
Availability	Unlockable
Unlock criteria	Use Pac-Man's Final Smash.
Tracks available	PAC-MAN PAC-MAN (Club Mix) (Alternate)

Pac-Maze (パックメイズ, Pac-Maze), also stylized PAC-MAZE, is a stage in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

Layout

The stage appears to take place on 8-bit graphics similar to Mario Bros., 75m, and Balloon Fight. It depicts the traditional Pac-Man maze as several platforms. Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde appear to move around the stage in their 8-bit forms, and coming in contact with one causes damage. As such, players can toss opponents into the ghosts to perform combos.

Pac-Dots and Bonus Fruit appear on this stage and can be consumed for points. Pac-Dots do not disappear until consumed, and reappear fairly frequently and in large quantities; Bonus Fruit appear rarely and one-at-a-time, disappearing quickly if not consumed. Touching Pac-Dots and Bonus Fruits from the stage consumes them; Pac-Dots yield 1 point, while all Bonus Fruit yield 10. Collecting 100 points will make a Power Pellet appear somewhere on the stage that blinks between white and that player's color, with a pointer above them indicating the player it is for (this pointer disappears when that player generates another Power Pellet). A player can have many Power Pellets uncollected at once. Occasionally, a generic Power Pellet will appear on the stage that can be consumed by any player; these blink between white and black and do not have any pointer above them.

Consuming a Power Pellet provided by the stage makes the player flash in their color (which is based on player's colors even with CPUs), boosting that player's attack power and turns the ghosts blue for that player (akin to Pac-Man). Touching the ghosts under the effect of the Power Pellet will make them disappear, leaving only their eyes behind; if a ghost is eaten such that only its eyes remain, it will flee from the stage then return whole (although still under the effect of the Power Pellet for that player until it wears off, unlike in Pac-Man). Ghosts will only appear blue on the screen for whoever has the Power Pellet's effect; other players will still be damaged by the ghosts. When the player's Power Pellet is about to wear off, ghosts blink between blue and white. A player's Power Pellet can be destroyed by opponents' attacks, preventing them from obtaining it.

When a ghost is consumed, a point value appears like in Pac-Man; however, the point value appears to be aesthetic. Consuming the first ghost gives 200 points, then 400, then 800, then all subsequent eaten ghosts yield 1600.

Only Pac-Dots and Bonus Fruit provided by the stage can increase the player's stage points; Pac-Man's moves Power Pellet and Bonus Fruit, as well as points earned by eating other players with Super Pac-Man or eating ghosts from the stage with one of the stage's Power Pellets, do not contribute to the point total to create a Power Pellet. Likewise, the Power Pellet in Pac-Man's move Power Pellet has no effect on the ghosts unless Pac-Man is already under the effect of the stage's Power Pellet; despite involving Pac-Man eating a Power Pellet, using Super Pac-Man actually removes the effects of the stage's Power Pellet and makes the stage ghosts return to normal for that player. The stage's Power Pellet has no effect on ghosts summoned from an Assist Trophy.

Origin

The stage is, minus characters and items, in the same art style as the original Puck-Man for the arcade (later renamed Pac-Man when moved worldwide). The ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde appear in the stage, and just like the games, can be consumed except for their eyeballs when a Power Pellet is touched. In the original game's release, Pac-Dots and Power Pellets were known as cookies and super cookies, respectively, both of which appear in the stage. Incidentially they were the very first instance of power-ups in any video game. Cherries will also appear similar to this game.

The two main middle platforms are hard platforms based around the walls that Pac-Man must maneuver around, while the five other platforms are soft platforms based around the walls and "door" of the room that the ghosts spawn in.

The way the Pac-Dots respawn and the fluctuating neon colors are reminiscent of Pac-Man Championship Edition.

Trophy

The Pac-Maze trophy from Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS.

PAC-MAZE

A stage where you can collect Pac-Dots and defeat scared ghosts, just like in the original PAC-MAN! Eating enough Pac-Dots will nab you a Power Pellet, which boosts your abilities in all kinds of ways. Attacks in particular get about 1.7 times as strong! If an opponent earns a Power Pellet, you'd better destroy it before they grab it.

Gallery

• 

  The effects of obtaining a Power Pellet.

• 

  Mario and Pac-Man on the stage.

• 

  Kirby, Yoshi and Pac-Man fighting on the stage.

• 

  Ω form

• 

  The arcade version of Pac-Man, depicting the maze as it originally appeared.

Trivia

• There is a camera glitch involving the Ω form of Pac-Maze and either Kirby, Jigglypuff, or Pac-Man. If the training mode camera is zoomed in on Kirby, and he uses his down taunt, the front half of his body will pass the camera's near clipping plane and become invisible, resulting in the appearance of a round hole replacing his face. This also occurs with other animations, such as double jumping. It can be seen here.

• Interestingly, if Pac-Man uses his Power Pellet move and runs into the ghosts on this while radiating yellow from eating the Power Pellet, he can eat them, even if they aren't blue.

• If multiple people choose Pac-Man and proceed to spam Pac-Jump at the center of the stage below the hard platform, the game may crash.