How to keep playing Google Pac-Man for free

Sure, the Google Pac-Man doodle has disappeared. But that doesn't mean you can't still play Pac-Man for free on Google.

Google Pac-Man is dead. Long live Google Pac-Man.

Last week, Google replaced its traditional logo with an interactive Pac-Man doodle. For video gamers, this was entertainment of the highest order. For others, the Pac-Man doodle was just a distraction, plain and simple. So Google being Google – and Google not being Facebook, which seems to have a tough time listening to its users – the company today unveiled a permanent Pac-Man site, which is fun and addictive and entirely optional.

"We've been overwhelmed — but not surprised :) — by the success of our 30th anniversary Pac-Man doodle," VP Marissa Mayer blogged today, before pointing users to google.com/pacman. At that URL, Pac-Man fans will be able steer their little yellow avatar around that small arena until their eyeballs detach from their heads. You wanted to play Pac-Man forever? You can now play Pac-Man forever.

The Pac-Man doodle was among the most popular that Google has ever produced. Still, not everyone was impressed by Mr. Pac-Man. "How do I stop it?" a Monitor reader complained. "The noise in the background follows me through every website! I don't wanna play it anymore!!"

Others were so jazzed to play Pac-Man that when Google finally removed the doodle from the homepage over the weekend, they hit up iTunes, to download the Apple iPhone version of the game. Pac-Man and Ms. Pacman, which had been available on iTunes for months, were suddenly among the most popular apps in the App Store.

We'd be remiss at this point if we didn't mention a pet project of ours. On Friday, as Pac-Man mania hit its frenzied peak, we rattled off a few video games we'd love to see made into Pac-Man doodles. We came up with a short list that included Asteroids, Space Invaders, and several more. Want to weigh in? Click through our story and then send in your ideas. There's still time.