What was Ms. Pac-Man called when it began as a modification kit?

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What was Ms. Pac-Man called when it began as a modification kit? Crazy Otto was its early name.

General Computer Corporation, or GCC, first developed the project as an enhancement kit for Pac-Man called Crazy Otto. Rather than being a brand-new arcade game from Namco, it began as a modification for existing Pac-Man cabinets, adding altered mazes, new movement and behavior, and a character with legs.

GCC’s earlier work on arcade enhancement kits led to legal complications with Atari. After settling a lawsuit connected to its Missile Command conversion kit, the company could not freely sell new kits without the original manufacturer’s consent. GCC therefore presented Crazy Otto to Midway, Pac-Man’s North American distributor. Midway acquired the rights and worked with GCC and Namco to reshape the project into an official Pac-Man follow-up.

The character, artwork, name, and other details changed during development. Crazy Otto eventually became Ms. Pac-Man, released in arcades in 1982. The name is sometimes confused with Super Pac-Man or Pac-Woman, which were other ideas or working directions rather than the original modification-kit title.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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