Go to any arcade and you are sure to find classics such as Donkey Kong, Galaga and Space Innovators. However, if you want to play the best arcade game of all time, look no further than Pac-Man.

Pac-Man was a staple in arcades in the 90s and has survived all these years.

Pac-Man started in Japan by a man who wanted an alternative to games that contained violence. What makes Pac-Man great is that it challenges your mind to do two things at the same time- avoid the ghosts and collect all the dots. Each level, although the game layout looks the same, the game play grows harder and ghosts get smarter and faster. With 256 levels, few can actually claim they finished and mastered the game.

In a scientific study, scientists performed a series of tests on children who played the game compared those who didn’t. Results of the study claimed that children who played Pac-Man showed faster reaction times and displayed better critical thinking skills than children who did not play the game.

This is in direct contradiction to what many adults think about video games- that they can make gamers dumber and more violent. However, clean and strategic games like Pac-Man can help in skill development and learning. It can also be a fun and relaxing way to spend time.

The makers of Pac-Man should expand of the success of this classic game and make it appealing for gamers in the 2020’s. They should make an online version where players can play with friends and beat levels together. They could also add team play, where gamers share lives and win or lose together.