The Haunted Ms. Pac Man

Everyone knows that Ms. Pac Man is filled with ghosts, four of them to be specific. But a fifth ghost?

That’s what a Boston-area Craigslister claimed when he was contacted to ask why he was giving away a Ms. Pac Man cabinet for free.

Someone on ArcadeControls.com contacted the cabinet owner for the explanation, which involves poltergeist, a crying 3-year-old and a “dark figure”.

I sent a message to see if anyone had claimed it and if they had any pics. I got a response back saying that it was available but no pictures. I emailed back asking why they where getting rid of it for free. Here is the response I got.

“When I bought this machine the previous owner told me it was haunted. I laughed, didn’t believe him, because I didn’t believe in that sort of thing.

Got a bad feeling the day it was delivered. Game started on its own in the middle of the night several times, had a tech service the machine three times (very pricy housecalls), but he couldn’t find the problem.

Three-year old daughter started talking about the “man in the video machine”, didn’t think much of it, then my wife saw a dark figure move across the basement and into the machine. She ran out of the house, would not return until the machine was out of the house. I moved it to my business garage (two miles away), and several times I have opened the garage to find tools missing or scattered, things tipped over.

This is why I am giving away a $US 1000 machine for free.”

Other forum goers who emailed the man were told that he was giving it away because he’s a lucky man. So either he’s changing his story, or has decided ditching a haunted cabinet would be easier if people didn’t know the back story.

The Craigslist posting was still up when I checked this morning, so I emailed the owner, but haven’t heard back. Maybe he’s been sucked into the Ms. Pac Man.

Interesting Craigslist find [Arcade Controls, thanks Wesley]