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For other uses of Pac-Man, see Pac-Man (disambiguation).

Pac-Man (パックマン Pakkuman), originally known as Puckman in Japan, is the initial game in the Pac-Man series. It was created by Toru Iwatani and released by Namco in 1980, and it was published by Bally Midway for U.S. distribution. The game would go on to become a cultural icon worldwide.

Gameplay[]

The player guides the titular Pac-Man through a maze to eat Pac-Dots; when all dots are eaten, Pac-Man is taken to the next stage. Four ghosts, Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde roam the maze, trying to catch Pac-Man - if a ghost touches him, a life is lost. When all lives have been lost, the game ends.

Near the corners of the maze are four larger, flashing dots known as Power Pellets, provide Pac-Man with the temporary ability to eat the ghosts. The ghosts turn deep blue, reverse direction, and move slower when Pac-Man eats one. When a ghost is eaten, its eyes return to the ghost home where it is regenerated in its normal color. Blue ghosts flash white before they become dangerous again.

The amount of time the ghosts remain vulnerable varies from one round to the next, but the time period generally becomes shorter as the game progresses. In later stages, the ghosts do not change colors at all, but they still reverse direction when a power pellet is eaten.

In addition to Pac-Dots and Power Pellets, bonus items, usually referred to as Fruits (though not all items are fruits) appear near the center of the maze. These items score extra bonus points when eaten. The items change and bonus values increase throughout the game.

A series of intermissions (also referred to as as Coffee Breaks) play after certain levels toward the beginning of the game, showing a humorous set of interactions. There are three total, appearing after levels 2, 5, and 9. The third intermission appears several times afterward on later levels.

Pac-Man is awarded a single bonus life at 10,000 points by default. However, DIP switches inside the machine can change the required points (15,000 or 20,000) or disable the bonus life altogether.

PacMaze

The original maze.

Scoring System[]

Fruits Points

All of the fruits and their point values

Ghosts[]

The four ghosts, formerly known as "monsters", are the enemies in the original arcade game. They cycle through different "modes" of behavior, colloquially known as "scatter"–where they retreat to the four corners of the maze–and "chase"–where their A.I. kicks in. Each ghost has unique A.I., programmed so that the game would not get impossibly difficult or boring.

There are certain one-way areas on the maze–namely, the two "T" formations located directly above and below the Ghost Home (the box in the center of the stage)–that the ghosts can travel down through, but cannot go up through. There are also two entrances to a tunnel on either side of the maze that Pac-Man can travel through and come out the opposite side of the screen on, which will slow the ghosts down if they enter it. Yet another advantage Pac-Man has over the quartet is that he can turn slightly faster. Once each ghosts' mannerisms are fully learned, they can be easily manipulated by the player to get a very high score. Here is a breakdown of each ghosts' behavior when in chase mode, generally speaking:

  • The red ghost, Blinky, doggedly pursues Pac-Man.
  • The pink ghost, Pinky, tries to ambush Pac-Man by moving parallel to him.
  • The cyan ghost, Inky, tries to get Pac-Man in between Blinky and himself.
  • The orange ghost, Clyde, pursues Pac-Man when far from him, but usually wanders away when he gets close.

Here is a set of all of the ghosts' character names (hinting at their behavior), and nicknames. (The alternate names for Puck Man are triggered through a DIP switch.)

Color Puck Man Pac-Man
Character Nickname Alternate
character
Alternate
nickname
Character Nickname
Red Oikake Akabei Urchin Macky Shadow Blinky
Pink Machibuse Pinky Romp Micky Speedy Pinky
Cyan Kimagure Aosuke Stylist Mucky Bashful Inky
Orange Otoboke Guzuta Crybaby Mocky Pokey Clyde
PACMAN lastLevel 01

Split-screen level[]

Main Article: Map 256 Glitch

When the player gets to the 256th level, while the left side of the maze is fine, the right side becomes a garbled mess of code, therefore making the level impossible. The right side has some Pac-Dots too, but only 9, and some are inedible. The right side of the screen also traps the ghosts and can make Pac-Man go off the screen. If one uses a hack to skip the level, then the game goes back to the first level. Because of this bug, a perfect game only counts the first 255 levels. This is more commonly known as a kill screen.

This level later inspired its own separate game, called Pac-Man 256.

Achievements[]

There are 2 lines of achievements, From the Arcade Game Series line or the Xbox 360 port.

Arcade Game Series (PC, PS4, Xbox One)[]

Icon Name Description
Cherry Cherry Eat the Cherry that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 1!
Round 2 Cleared Round 2 Cleared Clear round 2!
Strawberry Strawberry Eat the Strawberry that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 2!
Orange Orange Eat the Orange that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 3 or 4!
Apple Apple Eat the Apple that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 5 or 6!
Round 5 Cleared Round 5 Cleared Clear round 5!
Melon Melon Eat the Melon that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 7 or 8!
Round 9 Cleared Round 9 Cleared Clear round 9!
Galboss Galboss Eat the Galboss that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 9 or 10!
Bell Bell Eat the Bell that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 11 or 12!
Round 13 Cleared Round 13 Cleared Clear round 13!
Key (2) Key Eat the Key that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots after Round 13!
Round 17 Cleared Round 17 Cleared Clear round 17!
Picky Eater Picky Eater Clear 3 Rounds in a row without eating a single ghost and without losing a life!
Fruit Basket Fruit Basket Eat all 5 fruits (Cherry, Strawberry, Orange, Apple, Melon) in one playthrough!
All Ghosts All Ghosts Eat all ghosts in succession after eating a Power Pellet!
Om Nom Nom x2 Om Nom Nom x2 Eat all four ghosts in succession twice in a single round!
Om Nom Nom x3 Om Nom Nom x3 Eat all four ghosts in succession three times in a single round!
Om Nom Nom x4 Om Nom Nom x4 Eat all four ghosts in succession four times in a single round!
Om Nom Nom Om Nom Nom Eat 2 fruits and all four ghosts in succession four times in a single round!

Xbox 360[]

Icon Name Description Gamerscore Points
Perfect Perfect Eat all ghosts four times within a stage! 🅖30
Cherry (2) Cherry Eat the Cherries that appear after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 1! 🅖5
Strawberry (2) Strawberry Eat the Strawberry that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 2! 🅖5
Orange (2) Orange Eat the Orange that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 3 or 4! 🅖10
Apple (2) Apple Eat the Apple that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 5 or 6! 🅖10
All Ghosts (2) All Ghosts Eat all ghosts in succession after eating a Power Pellet! 🅖10
Clear Round 5 (2) Clear Round 5 Clear the beginner level by completing the first 5 rounds! 🅖15
Melon (2) Melon Eat the Melon that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 7 or 8! 🅖15
Galboss (2) Galboss Eat the Galboss that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 9 or 10! 🅖15
Bell (2) Bell Eat the Bell that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots in Round 11 or 12! 🅖20
Key (3) Key Eat the Key that appears after eating a set number of Pac-Dots after Round 13! 🅖25
Clear Round 21 Clear Round 21 Clear the advanced level by completing the first 21 rounds! 🅖40

Name Change[]

Pac-Man was originally released under the English name "Puckman". The game's katakana was actually closer to "Pack Man", meaning the original name was likely translated incorrectly. Upon its release in the U.S., Bally Midway wanted to change the game's title due to fear of vandalism of the "P" in "Puck" being changed into an "F", to be changed to a curse word. Midway sent a list of ten potential new names to Namco; all of them were denied, with Namco requesting it to be renamed to "Pac-Man" instead, presumably due to it being the actual intended name.[1] The Pac-Man name would be used worldwide for all subsequent sequels and re-releases.

Home Ports[]

Pac-Man first appeared on home consoles in 1981, and has appeared on nearly every system since. The game has been released for the following systems and devices in some way, shape or form.

  • Amstrad CPC
    • Possibly bootleg in origin, or an unreleased prototype.
    • Nearly identical to the Atari 400/800/XL/XE version.
  • Android
    • Delisted from the Google Play Store and replaced with Pac-Man + Tournaments in 2013.
    • This version was notably the first game ever released on the Android platform.[2]
  • Antstream
    • Streaming service available on various platforms. Based on the original arcade version.
  • Apple II
    • Rebranded version of Taxman, a bootleg Pac-Man port released in 1981. Atari purchased the rights to Taxman from developer H.A.L. Labs, and Atarisoft released it as a licensed Pac-Man port in 1983.
    • Blinky and Inky's names are swapped in this version.
  • Arcade1UP Machines
    • Many Arcade1UPs featuring Pac-Man have been released (see this page for full list).
  • Atari 400/800/XL/XE
    • Two versions were released: one published by Atari in cartridge format, and a later revision by Datasoft on floppy disc. Both versions are nearly identical, though the Datasoft release adds the "character/nickname" screen and the intermissions.
    • The source code to the Datasoft version was published online in 2019.
  • Atari 2600
    • The most infamous port of the game, with many differences from the original (see this page for more information).
  • Atari 5200
    • Effectively the same as the Atari 400/800 version; this port features the intermissions (as seen in the Datasoft release) but lacks the "character/nickname" screen.
  • Bally Astrocade
    • A semi-official port of the game by Bally Midway, which was renamed "Muncher" due to fear of legal action from Atari.
    • Pac-Man stops in place when the joystick is let go of, rather than continuing to move like in all other versions.
  • BlackBerry
  • Classics Games Pass
    • A Japan-only service available on iOS and Android, which runs through an AU Smartpass subscription. Based on the Famicom/NES version.
  • ColecoVision
    • A canceled port from Atarisoft, which was planned for a 1983 release. Its cancellation was due to being arguably superior to the Atari 5200 version, with Atari believing that releasing the game would have effected sales of their own console(s). A prototype version has been dumped.[3]
      • The "arcade-perfect" Pac-Man being exclusive to the 5200 was also extensively used in marketing by Atari against Coleco, even insulting their own 2600 version in the process.
  • Commodore 64
  • Commodore VIC-20
    • Two versions were released, with a very complicated history. A licensed Japanese port was released in 1981 by HAL Laboratory, which was very arcade-accurate for the time period. In North America, it was published without license by Commodore themselves under the name Jelly Monsters; Atari quickly took legal action against this port, and it was removed from stores. Atari released their own unique port of Pac-Man for the VIC-20 in 1983, which was not nearly as accurate as HAL's version.
      • Atari's port features a different maze compared to other versions of Pac-Man.
  • Evercade
  • Facebook
    • Various ports of Pac-Man have been released on the social media platform Facebook; these releases were based on varying forms of web technology, and none of them use direct emulation.
      • A version of Pac-Man was sold on Facebook in 2009; however, this was merely a Windows executable of the Namco All-Stars version.
      • In 2010, Facebook added a browser-based port of Pac-Man to the website, alongside a special variant of the game titled Pac-Man S. The game(s) were taken off of Facebook in 2012.
      • In 2016, Pac-Man was added to Facebook "Instant Games", alongside Galaga; there is only one level, and the player is only given one life. This port was delisted at an unknown date.
      • The original Pac-Man was included as an additional mode in the now-defunct Pac-Man Community from 2021.
  • Famicom/NES
    • Developed and published by Namco for the Famicom in 1984. The game was released by Tengen for the NES overseas in 1987, in two different cartridge variants; one release was licensed by Nintendo, while the other was not. A Namco-published NES version was released in 1993, which was released under Nintendo's authorization.
    • Tengen also licensed the game to several manufacturers overseas, none of which were licensed by Nintendo; these include H.E.S. in Australia, Gradiente in Brazil (for the Phantom System), and possibly Daou Infosys in Korea (unconfirmed).
  • Famicom Disk System
    • Direct port of the Famicom cartridge release.
  • FM-7
    • Maze is turned on its side.
  • FM-77
    • Maze is turned on its side.
  • Game Boy
  • While featuring a rather accurate maze layout, the pellets that are on top of the ghost pen are missing.
  • The third cutscene appears after completing level 8 instead of level 9.
  • Game Boy Color
    • Released as Pac-Man: Special Color Edition, which also included Pac-Attack.
    • Same port as the original Game Boy version, only colorized.
  • Game Boy Advance
    • Three versions were released. The arcade version was included in Pac-Man Collection and Namco Museum 50th Anniversary; the former uses a recreation based on the Namco Museum Vol. 1 port, while the latter appears to use a loose form of proper emulation. The Famicom/NES port of Pac-Man was released as a standalone Game Boy Advance cartridge as part of the Classic NES Series/Famicom Mini line.
  • GameCube
  • Game Gear
  • Gametap
    • A long-defunct streaming service for home computers. Based on the original arcade version.
  • Handheld LCD Games
    • Many different handheld LCD games have been released (see this page for full list), the earliest being the Tomy LSI Game from 1981.
    • The ports included greatly vary between units. The majority of earlier systems took creative liberties when porting the game, and feature many differences when compared to the original. Later consoles (such as the MGA "Classic Arcade" version) are much more accurate conversions.
    • Most Pac-Man LCD games are in black-and-white, but a handful were in color.
  • HTML5
    • Released on the official, albeit obscure, "bandainamcoent.fun" website in 2017, under the name Pac-Man Mini. Despite the unique name, it features little to no differences from the original Pac-Man. The game is available at this link, though currently provides an error claiming it is locked behind a paywall (?).
    • Additionally, many of the promotional games featuring Pac-Man are effectively loose ports of the arcade game.
  • IBM PC
    • Colors are very off due to the limitations of the hardware.
  • Intellivision
    • Features a different maze compared to other versions of Pac-Man.
  • iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc.)
    • As part of a "Pac-Man Pink Ribbon Campaign" in October 2014, a special maze was added as a $0.99 (USD) download; all proceeds from the purchase would be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
    • Delisted from the App Store and replaced with Pac-Man + Tournaments in 2013.
  • iPod Classic
  • Mobile
  • MSX
  • MZ-700
    • Maze is turned on its side.
    • Features very basic, blocky graphics. If an external PCG chip was installed to the PC, the graphics appear more accurate to the original.
  • MZ-1500
    • Maze is turned on its side.
  • MZ-2000
    • Maze is turned on its side.
  • NABU
    • An obscure computer system produced in 1983, most notable for featuring an early equivalent of internet connectivity. A port of Pac-Man (among numerous other games) is built-in to the computer itself.
    • Unlike most overseas ports from this time period, the game appears to be licensed solely through Midway/Namco, rather than through Atari.
  • Nelsonic Digital Watch
    • Watches featuring an LCD-based conversion of Pac-Man.
    • Two watches were released. One features the Tomy LSI Game version of Pac-Man, and is controlled by four directional buttons. The other features a modified version of Tomy Watchman: Monster Hero, and is controlled using a small joystick.
      • The latter model came with four joystick tops colored after the four ghosts.
  • Neo Geo Pocket Color
  • Nintendo 64
  • Nintendo DS
    • Three versions were released. The game was included as an unlockable bonus game in Pac 'n Roll and Pac-Man World 3. It was later featured in Namco Museum DS.
  • Nintendo 3DS
    • Four versions were released. There were two Virtual Console versions: Pac-Man for Game Boy and Pac-Man for Famicom/NES. The original arcade version was included in Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions and Pac-Man Party 3D.
    • Additionally, the 3DS version of Pac-Man Museum was going to feature the arcade game, but this port was canceled alongside the Wii U version.
  • Nintendo Switch
    • Several versions were released. The arcade original was included in Namco Museum and Pac-Man Museum +, as well as being released stand-alone as part of the Arcade Archives line of games. It is also included as an unlockable bonus in Pac-Man World Re-Pac. The Famicom/NES version was included in Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 and the cartridge release of Namcot Collection; for the downloadable version of the latter, it was sold as DLC instead.
  • PC-6001
  • PC-8001
    • Maze is turned on its side.
  • PC-88
    • Maze is turned on its side.
  • PC-98
  • PlayStation
  • PlayStation 2
    • Four versions were released. The game was included in Namco Museum and Namco Museum 50th Anniversary, and was featured as a bonus game in Pac-Man World 2 and Pac-Man World 3.
  • PlayStation 3
    • Four versions were released. The game was included in Namco Museum Essentials and Pac-Man Museum. There were two PS one Classics versions: Namco Museum Vol. 1 and Pac-Man World, both of which feature the original game.
  • PlayStation 4
    • Five versions were released. There were two standalone digital releases, Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man and the Arcade Archives release. The game was also featured in Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1, Pac-Man Museum +, and as an unlockable bonus in Pac-Man World Re-Pac.
  • PlayStation 5
    • Included in Pac-Man World Re-Pac as an unlockable bonus.
  • PlayStation Portable
    • Three versions were released. The game was included in Namco Museum Battle Collection (Namco Museum 1 in Japan and South Korea). There were two PS one Classics versions: Namco Museum Vol. 1 and Pac-Man World, both of which feature the original game.
  • PlayStation Vita
    • Two versions were released via PS one Classics: Namco Museum Vol. 1 and Pac-Man World, both of which feature the original game.
  • Plug & Play TV Games
    • Many different Plug & Plays featuring Pac-Man have been released (see this page for full list), the earliest being Namco Arcade Classics from 2003.
    • The original systems were released by Jakks Pacific, and featured a port very close to the arcade version. Consoles from the 2010s onward were from different manufacturers, and often feature the Famicom/NES version.
  • Pocket Player (My Arcade)
    • Included in the Pac-Man Pocket Player; uses the Sega Genesis clone hardware port in horizontal resolution.
  • Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
    • Included as a bonus game in Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures; was never released in a standalone form.
    • Similar to the Famicom/NES version, but features slightly updated graphics and a high-score table.
  • Sega Genesis clone hardware
    • Several newer Pac-Man handheld releases (from the late 2010s onward) feature an original port of the game running on “Firecore” Genesis clone hardware. This port is credited to Piko Interactive in its ROM header, and was reportedly developed by Shiru.[4] The game seems to have considerable slowdown if running on standard Genesis hardware.
    • The port features three video modes, one of which has the screen rotated on its side (creating an arcade-perfect pixel layout). Different consoles will utilize one of the three modes depending on its form factor.
  • Sega Dreamcast
  • Sharp X1
  • Sharp X68000
    • Included as a bonus game bundled with the X68000 port of Pac-Mania.
    • The ghost AI is very off, with the ghosts rarely attacking Pac-Man.
  • Super Famicom/SNES
    • Included as a bonus game in Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures/Hello, Pac-Man!; was never released in a standalone form.
    • Similar to the Famicom/NES version, but features slightly updated graphics and a high-score table.
  • Tabletop Arcade Machines
    • Many different tabletop arcade machines have been released, the earliest being the Coleco Tabletop from 1981.
    • The majority of units from the 1980s to the 2000s ran on handheld LCD technology. More recent consoles often either feature the Famicom/NES version (ex: Pac-Man Micro Player) or use a custom port loosely resembling the arcade version (ex: Stranger Things Palace Arcade).
    • The Namco Museum Mini Player is the only tabletop to feature the actual arcade version.
  • TI-99/4A
  • VR Headset (Oculus)
    • Included in Oculus Arcade.
    • Says Puckman on the title screen, making it the only post-1980s port to do so.
    • Sound is very high-pitched.
  • Wii
    • Three versions were released. The first of these was for the Virtual Console, which was the Famicom/NES version. The other two were included in Namco Museum Megamix and Pac-Man Party, both of which use the arcade original.
  • Wii U
    • Two versions were released, both for the Virtual Console: Pac-Man for the Famicom/NES and Pac-Man Collection for the Game Boy Advance.
    • Additionally, the Wii U version of Pac-Man Museum was going to feature the arcade game, but this port was canceled alongside the Nintendo 3DS version.
  • Windows PC
    • Numerous conversions of Pac-Man were released for Windows platforms, from Windows 95 to Windows 10. The earliest of these was a port featured in Microsoft Return of Arcade from 1996; other notable compilation releases include Namco History Vol. 3, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary, and Pac-Man Museum +.
    • While the game is most commonly seen in compilations, several standalone releases of Pac-Man have also been published for Windows. These include Ultra 2000 Series: Pac-Man, Namco All-Stars: Pac-Man, and Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man, among others.
    • Due to the more powerful architecture of computers compared to consoles at the time, the majority of PC ports were straight emulations of the arcade version, with little to no differences; there are exceptions to this, however (such as the Namco All-Stars release, and the bonus version included in Pac-Man World 2).
  • Windows Phone
  • Xbox
    • Four versions were released. The game was included in Namco Museum and Namco Museum 50th Anniversary, and was featured as a bonus game in Pac-Man World 2 and Pac-Man World 3.
  • Xbox 360
    • Three versions were released. The game was released as a standalone digital release through the Xbox Live service. It was also included in Namco Museum Virtual Arcade (in which it is the same as the Xbox Live version) and Pac-Man Museum.
    • The Namco Museum Virtual Arcade and the Xbox Live versions fixes the 256th Maze killscreen to not feature a garbled line of code, and this allows the player to continue beyond level 256 without hacking.
    • A "picture pack" for the Xbox 360 (acting as profile pictures for Xbox Live) was released alongside the Xbox 360 Pac-Man port.
  • Xbox One/Xbox Series
    • Four versions were released. There was a standalone digital release titled Arcade Game Series: Pac-Man. The game was also featured in Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1, Pac-Man Museum +, and as an unlockable bonus in Pac-Man World Re-Pac.
  • ZX Spectrum
    • Rebranded and slightly altered version of Z-Man, a bootleg Pac-Man port released in 1983.
PAC-MAN Picture Pack

Xbox 360 "Picture Pack"

Several homebrew versions of Pac-Man have also been released for consoles such as the Atari 7800 and Fairchild Channel F; alongside countless "improved" versions of Pac-Man for the Atari 2600 (one of which, Pac-Man 4K, has been utilized in official Pac-Man products).

Additionally, a few Pac-Man ports (mainly from the 2000s onward) do not easily fit into a singular "system" for categorization. This includes Pac-Man games built into vehicles, namely airplane or car passenger seats; as well as other proprietary technology, such as cable boxes and projectors. Several artificial intelligence experiments have also been conducted on Pac-Man, resulting in loosely-official "ports" of Pac-Man using AI technology.

Other versions[]

There are many variations of Pac-Man that are fundamentally the same as the original game, but feature several differences that make them stand out. These games include:

In other games[]

The first Pac-Man is also featured in some newer games in the series. The following Pac-Man games contain the original arcade version.

Namco Museum port[]

This version of the game, introduced in Namco Museum Vol. 1 (1995), is notable for being perhaps the most frequently rereleased "official" version of Pac-Man from 1995 to 2005. This version of the game often featured a border based on the classic Puckman artwork surrounding it. Being based off the original's source code, it is mostly faithful to the arcade version, but a few things were altered in gameplay:

  • Pinky always aims exactly four spaces in front of Pac-Man when in chase mode (in the original, this became four spaces up and four spaces to the left when Pac-Man was facing up, due to a glitch).
  • Inky's behavior has been considerably altered; he exclusively aims for Blinky's position in chase mode.
  • The ghosts' eyes will not travel up through the one-way paths when returning to regenerate.
  • When a ghost is sent back to the Ghost Home to regenerate, they will always come back out instantly, even if Pac-Man lost a life on the current round. (Incidentally, this fixes a glitch that can occur in the original where Pac-Man can trap Pinky, Inky, and Clyde in the Ghost Home.)
  • Ghosts will exit the Ghost Home to the right if their target position happens to be there. In the original game, they will only exit to the right if the behavior mode (i.e. scatter, chase, frightened) changes while they are in the Ghost Home.
  • If a bonus fruit appears and Pac-Man eats a ghost, the timer that controls how long the fruit stays onscreen halts with everything else. This makes it impossible for fruit to disappear while Pac-Man is eating a ghost.
  • While not applying to the gameplay itself, in some releases of this port, the background siren sound always remains at the same pitch. In the arcade original, the siren's pitch increases as more Pac-Dots are eaten.

Most releases of Pac-Man after 2005 are either completely accurate recreations of the arcade version or the original ROM (both cases with references to Midway removed); as such, the ghosts all behave as they originally did, and any patterns applicable to the original version will work on these. The Namco Museum 50th Anniversary and Xbox Live Arcade versions were among of the first of them. The latter featured an updated screen border using artwork from Pac-Man World instead of being based on the original Puckman design.

Play Online[]

These versions of Pac-Man are either listed in the public domain or are considered abandonware. Clicking the game title will lead you to a playable online version of it from archive.org (mobile compatibility may vary).

Trivia[]

Google Pac-man

Google's Pac-Man game as their logo to celebrate Pac-Man's 30th anniversary.

  • For the game's 30th anniversary, Google briefly updated their homepage on May 21, 2010 for 48 hours to allow players to play a version of Pac-Man in a maze based off of the Google Logo. This version plays exactly like the original (including Ghost A.I.), but with the following differences:
    • If "Insert Coin" is clicked after the game has started, the Ms. Pac-Man theme plays and two players may then play cooperatively as Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man. The two play exactly the same except for sound effects made when eating dots.
    • The maze, as aforementioned, is derived from the Google logo, and is no longer symmetrical.
    • There are five power pellets instead of four.
    • The Google version of Pac-Man has been made permanently available here.
  • According to Toru Iwatani, Namco initially told him to make the ghosts all the same color - red. Toru refused the order, and on questionnaires to the game testers asking if they would want only red-colored ghosts, none of them did.[5]
  • The game features a rare glitch where Pac-Man can walk through a ghost. This is, however, very difficult to pull off, as the player needs to have pixel perfect timing.
  • In the original arcade version's code, two unused features can be seen in the graphics data: an explosion effect (referred to as "Blast" in Namco Museum Vol. 1), and a medium-sized type of dots.[6] Both of these concepts were later incorporated into Jr. Pac-Man, with near-identical graphics.
  • Some early design documents for the Puckman logo feature the game under an alternate title: "Snapper". It is possible that Snapper was a considered name for overseas releases before the "Pac-Man" name was decided.
    • A handful of early European arcade machines are known to use the Snapper name. Limited information is known about these machines, however, and they are often (possibly incorrectly) identified as "bootlegs".
  • Pac-Man, Pac-Man Plus, and Pac-Man Arrangement (1996) are the only games in the series to formally feature the ghosts' "character" names.
  • The Namco Classic Collection Vol. 2 version of Pac-Man featured a mix of the Puck Man alternate character names and the Pac-Man nicknames as the new default for international audiences. This is the only version of the game to do so, as any other versions either port over the Pac-Man or Puck Man default names (for worldwide and Japan, respectively).
  • The Xbox Live Arcade version of Pac-Man features an arcade cabinet in the background of its title screen. It is quite clearly based off of the Puck Man cabinet, but taking a closer look at it will show that all instances of "Puck Man" are replaced with "Pac-Man", and all of the art of Pac-Man on the cabinet has a shorter nose (not unlike the Namco Museum screen border).
  • Pac 'n Roll reveals that the game takes place on the Pac-Moon.
  • The maximum score in the arcade version is 3,333,360 points, as a result of the glitched screen at Level 256.
  • In the original U.S. arcade cabinets of the game, Pac-Man and the Ghosts' artwork was radically different.
    • It is presumed that Bally Midway may had changed the artwork cabinet designs for the characters to be based on what the characters appear during gameplay, complete with an exaggerated appearance on the characters' cabinet artwork.
  • In Jakks Pacific's port of the game featured in 2003 Namco Arcade Classics, Blinky's AI is changed to have him circle across the Ghost Pen during "scatter mode". Then when he has entered Cruise Elroy state, he will go to his original "scatter mode" corner while Pinky would take over his role on circling across the Ghost Pen.
  • While there were three Bally Midway Pac-Man arcade machine models released (standard, cabaret, and cocktail), a fourth machine model was also planned. This unreleased model was in a countertop format, and was planned to be sold in high-end store catalogues.[7]
  • While the most commonly known (and well-documented) Pac-Man arcade machine models are those produced in the U.S. and Japan, there are a number of additional models from different regions:
    • In West Germany, NSM produced machines under the Puckman name; these were produced either before or concurrent with Bally Midway's American cabinets (dated November of 1980 in the operators' manual), leading to them not using the Pac-Man name.[8] Ironically, arcade machines are classified as "gambling devices" in most of Germany (both at the time and today), leading to the game having low distribution in Germany; though NSM reportedly distributed the machine in neighboring countries as well (e.g. Switzerland).
    • Kenphone Electronics of Taiwan released a machine featuring the Tadashi Yamashita "microphone" artwork of Pac-Man; this model was seemingly licensed by Namco. Oddly, this machine uses the Puckman name despite reportedly releasing in 1983.
    • A large number of "recreational" machines (or "recreativas") were produced in various Spanish countries (e.g. Spain); some of these are licensed while others are not.[9] One company operating under official license, IRECSA, based their Pac-Man machines on the Bally Midway design(s), but all artwork was redrawn in a friendlier style; IRECSA would also release a "sequel" titled Pac-Man II, the details of which are currently unknown.
  • Two custom-built Pac-Man machines were only produced for the now-defunct Level 257 arcade in Schaumburg, IL (later known as Pac-Man Entertainment):
    • A machine labeled Pac-Man: Level 255; the game started on level 255, leading to the Map 256 Glitch. Similar in coding to the Pac-Man 256 game seen on the Bandai "Connect & Play".
    • An original Pac-Man machine with one of its sides being replaced with a transparent piece; allowing the circuitry, coin box, and instruction manual to be viewed from the outside.

Gallery[]

Screenshots[]

Machine and Box Art[]

Character Artwork[]

Concept Artwork and Unreleased Material[]

External links[]

References[]

  1. "Cash Box" (December 17, 1983), pg 36 https://twitter.com/GameResearch_E/status/1229424254841769984
  2. "Google's Android operating system launched yesterday with a decidedly underwhelming games line-up of, er, just Pac-Man." https://kotaku.com/gameloft-glu-announce-android-games-452594236
  3. https://atariage.com/forums/topic/182946-atarisoft-coleco-titles/?do=findComment&comment=2369557
  4. "Pac-Man - Genesis, New Wave Toys - a close arcade port for a commercial handheld toy" https://shiru.untergrund.net/aboutme.shtml#gamedev
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20110307134412/http://blog.games.yahoo.com/blog/443-five-things-you-never-knew-about-pac-man
  6. https://tcrf.net/Pac-Man_(Arcade)
  7. "Counter Top [...] It was an attempt to pitch selling home machines through high end catalog stores that never came together." https://lawnmowerman.rotheblog.com/
  8. https://www.gamegeschiedenis.nl/2018/05/not-just-in-japan-pac-man-initially-released-as-puck-man-in-west-germany/
  9. Resource with information on Spanish "recreational" machines: https://www.recreativas.org
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