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Pac-Man

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Pac-Man is one of the most famous video games ever made.

Pac-Man gameplay (1x pixel-perfect recreation)
Pac-Man gameplay (1x pixel-perfect recreation)

In this action maze game, you control a yellow character through a closed maze. Your main goal is to eat every single dot inside the maze. While you do this, you must avoid four colorful ghosts. These ghosts are Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. Each ghost has its own unique personality or artificial intelligence. Blinky the red ghost chases you directly. Pinky and Inky try to get in front of you to corner you. Clyde the orange ghost switches between chasing and running away. If a ghost catches you, you lose a life.

The Art of Video Games 2012 (6848237506)
The Art of Video Games 2012 (6848237506)

There are special ways to change the game while you play. Large flashing dots called "Power Pellets" are placed near the four corners of the maze. When Pac-Man eats one, the ghosts turn blue and look dizzied. During this time, the ghosts are vulnerable. You can actually eat the blue ghosts to earn bonus points! After eating a ghost, its eyes move back to the center of the maze to regenerate. You can also find fruit icons at the bottom of the screen. Eating certain amounts of dots makes a fruit appear for extra points. There are also warp tunnels on the sides of the maze. These let Pac-Man and the ghosts travel to the opposite side of the screen.

TOMY LSI PACMAN handheld electronic game
TOMY LSI PACMAN handheld electronic game

A designer named Toru Iwatani led a team of nine people to create this game. Development began in early 1979 at a company called Namco. Iwatani wanted to make a game that appealed to women and families. Most games at that time were about war or sports. He chose a cheerful theme centered on eating sweets. He even used bright pastel colors to make the game look attractive. The character's shape came from a pizza with a slice removed. It also came from rounding the Japanese character "kuchi," which means mouth.

Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man, at GDC 2011 (cropped to upper body)
Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man, at GDC 2011 (cropped to upper body)

The game had a very interesting journey to reach players. It was originally called "Puck Man" in Japan. It was released in Japan on May 22, 1980. When it came to North America, the name was changed to Pac-Man. This was done because leaders feared vandals would change the "P" to an "F." Midway Manufacturing released the game in North America in August 1980. The game was a huge commercial success around the world. It has earned more than $14 billion in revenue. It has also sold 43 million units in total sales.

Pac-Man has left a lasting mark on the world of culture. The character became the official mascot for Namco and Bandai Namco Entertainment. The game's popularity led to many sequels and even two television series. There was even a hit song called "Pac-Man Fever" by Buckner & Garcia. Many different versions of the game were made for home computers. One famous version was for the Atari 2600. Even though it was criticized for being inaccurate, it sold over seven million copies. Today, the game is still remembered as a great piece of history.

The Art of Video Games 2012 (6848237506)
The Art of Video Games 2012 (6848237506)
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🖼️ Images & Media (5)
File:Pac-Man gameplay (1x pixel-perfect recreation).png
Pac-Man gameplay (1x pixel-perfect recreation).png
File:Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man, at GDC 2011 (cropped to upper body).jpg
Toru Iwatani, creator of Pac-Man, at GDC...
File:TOMY LSI PACMAN handheld electronic game.jpg
TOMY LSI PACMAN handheld electronic game.jpg
File:Carrers guarnits Gràcia 2012 - Plaça Rovira, Recreatius Rovira 02.JPG
Carrers guarnits Gràcia 2012 - Plaça...
File:The_Art_of_Video_Games_2012_(6848237506).jpg
The_Art_of_Video_Games_2012_(6848237506).jpg
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