Ms. Pac-Man Joins Beau on XBLA

Rehashed pseudo sequels have become quite common in the gaming industry over the years, and among the first and most popular of them all was Namco’s 1981 Pac-Man follow-up, Ms. Pac-Man. You see, she’s like Pac-Man, but with lipstick and a bow in her hair, and she’s joining her hungry hubby on the Xbox 360 this week as the Xbox Live Arcade Wednesday program returns from its week-long vacation.

Though nearly identical to its predecessor in the gameplay department, Ms. Pac-Man provided a few new additions, including colored stages, moving fruits, numerous “warp tunnels” and randomized ghost movement. The Xbox Live Arcade version will feature all 255 mazes from the original and 12 achievements for dedicated players to strive for.

Ms. Pac-Man is rated E for Everyone, and will be available for download on the Xbox Live Marketplace this Wednesday at 1 a.m. PST for 400 Microsoft points ($5), alongside a free demo featuring the first two stages of the game.