Although we don’t know of any Pac-Man 256 cheats, the following tips and tricks will help you eat more pac-dots to achieve a big-time combo, upgrade all of the power-ups and devour those pesky ghosts. The best part? You won’t have to spend money on in-app purchases to become better at Pac-Man 256 and climb the online leaderboard.
Know Your Ghosts
In Pac-Man 256, not all ghosts are created equal. You’ll recognize the famous foursome of Blinky, Inky, Pinky and Clyde, but also additional pests floating around the infinite board. Your ability to recognize these enemies and their signature abilities will oftentimes save Pac-Man’s life.
Pinky, for example, will follow Pac-Man in one direction as soon as the ghost spots our hero. Easily outwit this foe by quickly changing direction, and whatever you do, avoid a footrace. Pinky is faster than Pac-Man and will quickly catch up to him.
Then we have the gray ghost, Spunky. Similar to Pinky, he’ll go after Pac-Man upon first sight, but will give chase around corners, making him trickier to lose.
Glitchy, on the other hand, first appears as a bunch of letters on the maze before materializing into his final form. Unless you ate a power pellet, keep your distance.
The other ghosts are predictable. Some move randomly around the maze, while groups of four simply travel back and forth.
Tip: There’s more to worry about than ghosts. A huge glitch slowly rises from the bottom of the screen, forcing you to constantly move up through the maze. Think twice before backtracking.
Credits Versus Play for Free
Pac-Man 256 is a free-to-play video game with a catch. In order to play with power-ups you need to spend one credit, but you only have six credits to start, and must wait for credits to refill over time. Run out and you have the following options:
- Wait for the game to replenish lost credits.
- Spend $0.99 for 12 credits or $7.99 for unlimited credits.
- Play for free without power-ups.
We already coughed up $0.99 for 12 credits. While not expensive, it’s best to wait 10 minutes for more.
Tip: While chomping pac-dots, make a point to eat as many coins as possible. This virtual currency lets you upgrade power-ups. If you want an edge, Bandai Namco sells a coin doubler for $4.99, but simply playing the game will give you enough loot without opening your wallet.
Pick Your Power-ups
Pac-Man 256 comes with 15 unique power-ups to give you an edge. Among them…
- Laser: Pac-Man fires a laser from his mouth for a limited time.
- Freeze: Temporarily freezes ghosts in place.
- Giant: Pac-Man grows in size and gains invincibility. Simply charge through ghosts in his path.
- Stealth: Move unseen like Metal Gear’s Solid Snake, but without the cardboard box.
Upgrading power-ups usually makes these items last longer, but you won’t be able to use a power-up while upgrading it. Thankfully, the game lets you know how long the upgrading process will take, and since you can have a maximum of three active at once, you’re free to swap them at will.
Tip: The more you upgrade a power-up, the more expensive the process becomes. Better save those coins!
Earn Rewards
Watching brief videos is a decent way to earn free coins, but you’ll add plenty more by completing in-game missions. The list includes destroying a certain number of ghosts with the Laser power-up and eating a specific type of fruit, among other tasks. Always know the current mission and make a point to complete it, then later, tap the box to earn the reward.
More Pac-Man 256 Tips
Eat 256 consecutive pac-dots and ghosts in the surrounding area will disappear. Doing this is much tougher than it sounds. Not only must you avoid ghosts, but also sections of the board without pac-dots. Once you break the chain, you must start over again. If you see numbers trailing Pac-Man, the chain is still active; this is the only way to monitor your progress, but watch out for hazards along the way.
Know when to end your game. Pac-Man 256 lets you continue for one credit upon death, but we think it’s a better idea to restart if you don’t have a lot of points. Don’t waste credits.
After eating a power pellet, go after as many ghosts as possible for even more points. Don’t worry if they start to flash. You still have a few seconds before they return to their original colors. On the other hand, don’t be greedy.
See arrows on the board pointing in one direction? Pac-Man will move slower if you force him to go the opposite way.
Remain in the center of the maze as much as possible. This gives you the maximum number of chances to escape ghosts and continue the pac-dot chain. Getting trapped on one of the edges is an easy way to die.
Warp paths (Pac-Man disappears on one side of the screen and then reappears on the other) may seem like a good idea, but remember ghosts use these as well, and may suddenly appear right before Pac-Man enters one. Most of the time this is a great way to lose enemies.
Unlike other Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man video games, you don’t have as much wiggle room to dodge ghosts at close range. Several times we attempted to quickly turn left or right, under the assumption Pac-Man would slip by his pursuers by the slimmest distance, only to fall victim to a hungry ghost.
Always think at least two moves ahead. This is essential for eating 256 consecutive pac-dots and staying alive.
Interested in playing this game? Download Pac-Man 256 for iPhone (iPad also supported) or Android. The game is also available from the Amazon App Store.
If you play Pac-Man 256, share your favorite tips in the comments section below!
