Pac-Man is assisted by a green-colored creature named Miru (also called Mil), the titular "Pal", who brings the items back to the center box.

When Super Pac-Man proved to be unsuccessful, Pac & Pal was created to refine many of its mechanics and build on its concept.

Retrospectively, it has received attention for its premise and differences compared to its predecessors and has been listed among the strangest games in the Pac-Man franchise.

Upon eating one of these, Pac-Man temporarily turns blue and grows larger; the player can now press the button to fire a beam that briefly stuns the ghosts.

Pac & Pal is largely based on Super Pac-Man, Namco's own sequel to the original, and retains a similar graphical style and many of its mechanics.

[1] With the Pac-Man brand increasing in popularity in Japan, Namco sought to produce a follow-up that matched its success.

Super Pac-Man was largely unsuccessful, so Pac & Pal was made to improve on its flaws and update its core features.

[5] Pac & Pal never saw a home release until 1998, where it was included in the Japan-exclusive arcade collection Namco History Vol.

[1] Retrospectively, Pac & Pal has gained attention for its many changes to the gameplay of its predecessors, and is seen among the stranger entries in the Pac-Man franchise.

[13] Writing for Paste, Preston Burt listed it among the weirdest Pac-Man sequels for the addition of a second player character and its premise, saying that: "If you have no idea what's happening in this game, you're not alone.

Parish also said that many of the game's additions, namely Miru and the power-up items, detracted from Pac-Man's more minimalist approach and appeal.

[1] Ultimately, Parish said that the new mechanics and difference in play made it a much more difficult and stressful game compared to its predecessors, feeling that players would have a hard time succumbing to its "strange" ideas and gameplay that had a more action-oriented pace to it.

[1] He concluded his review with: "While Namco clearly hoped to sustain Pac-Man's tremendous legacy with an inventive follow-up, Pac & Pal hastened the series' demise.