================================================================================ PAC-MARIO Neon 8-Bit Pac-Man Adventure
A fun mashup of classic Pac-Man gameplay with a Mario twist!
Guide Mario through a glowing neon maze, chomp coins, grab power stars to turn the ghosts into prey, and survive as long as you can.
-
Make sure Python is installed. Recommended on Windows: winget install Python.Python.3.12
Alternatives:
- scoop install python
- Or download from https://python.org (check "Add python.exe to PATH")
-
Install the required library: pip install pygame
-
Run the game: cd Desktop python PacMario.py
You can also double-click PacMario.py once pygame is installed.
Arrow Keys or WASD - Move Mario
P - Pause (returns to title screen)
SPACE - Start game / Restart after game over
ESC - Quit or return to title screen
- Eat all the coins to clear the level and advance.
- Power Stars (the big pulsing yellow ones) give you temporary "Star Power".
- While powered up, the ghosts turn vulnerable — run them down for big points!
- Ghosts have different personalities and colors (Boo, Goomba, Koopa, ShyGuy).
- 3 lives per game. Lose them all = Game Over.
- Score points for coins (10), Power Stars (50), and eating ghosts (200–1600).
- Difficulty increases each level (ghosts get faster).
High score is automatically saved to: pacmario_highscore.txt
- Eye-catching neon colors: bright cyan, magenta, lime green, hot pink, electric yellow, blue, red, and orange.
- 8-bit style character art for Mario (hat, mustache, overalls) and ghosts.
- Glowing neon effects on walls, characters, and power-ups.
- Classic Pac-Man maze layout with a Mario theme (coins instead of dots).
- Authentic 8-bit sound effects generated in real time: • Coin chomping beeps • Power star activation • Ghost stomps • Death jingle • Level up fanfare • Classic ghost siren
No external image or sound files required — everything is drawn and generated in pure Python + pygame.
- Use the power stars strategically — they are your best chance to rack up huge scores by eating multiple ghosts in a row.
- The ghosts get smarter and faster as levels progress. Learn their movement patterns.
- Mario moves on a grid — plan your turns in advance.
- Clear the coins in one area before moving on to avoid getting trapped.
- The center "ghost house" area is dangerous — be careful near it.
PacMario.py - The complete game (single file) PacMario_README.txt - This instruction file pacmario_highscore.txt - Your personal high score (created automatically)
- Built with Python + pygame (no external assets)
- All sounds are procedurally generated 8-bit style square/saw waves
- High score persists between sessions
- Runs at 60 FPS in an 800x620 window
- Works great on Windows (and should work on macOS/Linux too)
PacMario was created as a fun, self-contained retro game project.
Chomp those coins, stomp those ghosts, and chase that high score!
If you enjoy it, try beating your best score on higher levels.