The Top Arcade Games of All Time

GameSpy has complied a list of the top 50 arcade games of all time. There is much I can't complain with. Yet, maybe I'd move a game here and there.

At the top, the number 1 arcade game of all time is Ms. Pac-Man. That I really can't complain with. Ms. Pac-Man is such a wonderful "casual" and "hardcore" game. It's accessible. It's fun and challenging.

The Ms. turns 30 this year. Yet, we haven't hard a peep from Namco-Bandai about any celebration. The Japanese video game manufacturer has pretty much denied her existence. You still can't purchase a copy of the game for the PlayStation 3. They maybe still ticked off about the whole "torrid" history of her development and deployment.

Ms. Pac-Man was an unauthorized sequel to Namco's arcade classic Pac-Man. Midway was the North American company who brought Pac-Man to western shores. When Pac-Man fever hit North American with an explosion. Midway demanded a sequel. Namco was slow to respond. Midway's first unofficial sequel was Pac-Man Plus, a hack of the original board which provided a more challenging game experience. When no sequel still didn't arrive from Namco, Midway rolled Ms. Pac-Man out the door.

Midway is responsible for the Pac-Man family. Something, Namco make disappear with Pac-Man's 30th anniversary last year.

North America and Midway saw Pac-Man as a family man, like Fred Flinstone. Thus, the existence of the 1980's Hanna-Barbera cartoon. More can be seen with their unauthorized sequels Ms. Pac-Man and Pac-Man Jr.

Japan and Namco saw Pac-Man as super hero teenager, like Spider-Man. Thus, the brand new 3-D Pac-Man animated series coming in 2012. This can be seen with Namco's official sequels Super Pac-Man and Pac & Pal.

The games. The history. The legacy of Mr. and Ms. Pac-Man is something I could write about forever. There is plenty to get into but I'll just leave it at that.

Happy 30th Ms. Pac-Man!