Super Pac-Man, released in 1982, is the third in the Pac-Man series of games.
In this game, the gameplay mechanics have altered radically - instead of eating dots, the player is required to eat a keys to remove doors, which open up sections of the maze that contain some kind of food (or other prizes). Once all the food is eaten, the player advances to the next level. In eariler levels, keys unlock nearby doors, while as the player progresses through the levels, it is more common for keys to open faraway doors.
In addition to the original power-up which allows Pac Man to eat the ghosts, a second power-up has been introduced which turns Pac Man into Super Pac Man - in this form, he is twice as large, moves much faster and has the ability to eat his way through barriers without unlocking them. In this state, he is invulnerable to the ghosts, though he still can't eat them without the help of the original power-up.
The new gameplay mechanics were considered by many to be confusing, and too much of a change from the original two games. Ultimately, Super Pac Man proved to be the least successful game in the original series, being outsold that year by Pac-Man Plus, a slightly updated version of the original game.
In spite of this, the game's A.I. was celebrated as being one of the best of that era, and in the eyes of many fans, was the best out of any Pac Man game.
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