How to pass through ghosts - PAC-MAN 99

Published , by Sam Chandler

Unlike ghosts in real life, ghosts in PAC-MAN 99 cannot be walked through. These things will either kill PAC-MAN as soon as he touches them, or if he’s eaten a Power Pellet, will be killed and returned to ghost jail. However, there is a way to pass through ghosts in PAC-MAN 99, and it’s all thanks to a helpful mechanic that can be easy to miss if you don’t know how to do it.

How to pass through or dodge ghosts

If done correctly, you will see a flash around PAC-MAN and you won't die after passing through a ghost.

An interesting mechanic in PAC-MAN 99 is the ability to pass through ghosts by dodging them. To do this, you must hold the direction before a turn. If a ghost was on the corner or close by, you will “drift” through the ghost, bypassing the damage it would have dealt to PAC-MAN.

You can see this drifting effect in action even if there are no ghosts nearby. As you approach a turn, begin holding the direction you want to go, and as you go around the corner, you will see little lines come off of PAC-MAN – this indicates you have successfully drifted.

Drifting around corners shows a little sparking animation. It's good to drift around each corner in case you accidentally lose track of a ghost and slam into it.

The challenging part, then, is ensuring that the ghost is in the correct spot. If the ghost is too far from the corner you will simply connect with the ghost as normal, killing PAC-MAN. There are also rumors going around that using the drift can let you dodge Red Jammer PAC-MAN units. This might be a useful strategy if you’re trying to kill the Red Jammers but can’t get to the right spot in time.

While passing through ghosts using the drift mechanic might not be the best strategy for avoiding them, it’s at least a good idea to drift around all the corners, just in case you accidentally run into a ghost. Be sure to check out the Shacknews PAC-MAN 99 page for more guides to help you get that PAC-ONE score!