Pacman

Ah, Pacman, the arcade classic as evergreen as 80s music hits. Upon entering the game on Play123, you will be greeted by a sweet dose of retro glory. The premise is simple yet addicting, munching dots and dodging quirky ghosts, and I didn’t realize I needed to scratch that itch until all of a sudden I was. But although some commenters from the gamer community have bemoaned the absence of joystick coverage (resulting in a few twitch-fingered mystical scroll-quests half-clicked through), the game does prove to be All That and—upon mastering the arrow keys—something extra as well. The extra feature of being able to play as Mrs. Pacman, or the Cookie Monster, just adds to the flavor!

When leading the yellow muncher through that neon-lit maze, hitting high scores felt twice as rewarding and I had come across a gem. It’s clear why this game has wheeled itself successfully into the digital age, and why it retains a spot in the heart of many. From the excitement of getting the jump on those colorful spooks to snagging the elusive cherries, it was apparent that the fun I was having aligned nicely with the 3.8 gamerate I saw online. And for those seeking scores, the online leaderboard promises bragging rights. Ready. Set. Chomp!