Nothing captures the spirit of the early 1980s quite like Pac-Man Puffy stickers. The fact that these have googly eyes adds greatly to their trade value.
The Pac-Man arcade game was created by Namco Ltd. of Japan, and debuted in 1980. Pac-Man is among the first Anime characters to become a sensation in the United States (where the characters were licensed to Bally-Midway).
In the early 1980s, Pac-Man characters appeared on anything and everything you could think of. This image from my childhood Pac-Man lunchbox could also be found on a special drinking glass sold at Arby's (and many other places).
When I was in elementary school, lunchboxes were made out of metal.
In those days, things were different. Not better, just different. For example, underpants were made out of sandpaper. Ouch!
You've probably heard about "The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon." You know, how actor Kevin Bacon is somehow connected to every actor in Hollywood.
Well, forget about Kevin Bacon. Pac-Man has some sort of connection to everyone on the planet.
In 1982, Bally-Midway/General Computer Corporation launched the successful Ms. Pac-Man arcade game.
The Pac-Man characters got a new animated look to decorate the Ms. Pac-Man machines.
Quite a bit of merchandise was inspired by the Ms. Pac-Man game, including PVC figures from Coleco.
The Pac-Man characters were introduced to Six Flags theme parks in 1982, since both properties were controlled by Bally-Midway at that time.
Hanna Barbera produced a Pac-Man cartoon for the 1982 ABC TV Saturday Morning schedule. Once again, the characters got a new look.
The Pac-Man animated series took viewers to Pac-Land, where Pac-Man (voiced by Marty Ingels) lives with his wife Pepper (Barbara Minkus) and their Pac-Baby (a character based on the 1982 Bally-Midway "Baby Pac-Man" pinball game).
Thanks to references on "Family Guy" I guess there are people under the age of 38 who have heard of the TV show "The Electric Company."
The Electric Company was a show aimed at "Graduates of Sesame Street" and like that series, it was created by the Children's Television Workshop.
The Electric Company Magazine featured stories tied to whatever was popular at the time, including a special Pac-Man Christmas.
Marvel's Spider-Man starred in live-action "Spidey Super Stories" on episodes of The Electric Company.
Hanna Barbera's 1982 "Christmas Comes to Pac-Land" special has been airing on TV for years on Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
Pac-Baby was voiced by Russi Taylor, who is famous for her work as Minnie Mouse, Baby Gonzo in Muppet Babies, Donald Duck's Nephews on "DuckTales", Strawberry Shortcake, and Martin on "The Simpsons".
Pac-Man's Dog is Chomp-Chomp, and his unique barks were provided by voice-over legend Frank Welker. If you've seen a movie or TV show with an animal in it, chances are good that Frank Welker did the voice.
The Pac Family Cat is Sour Puss, voiced by Peter Cullen (well known for his role as Optimus Prime in "Transformers").
Pac-Man was constantly chased by the Ghost Monsters. Clyde the orange ghost (Neil Ross, from the animated G.I. Joe series) bossed around his spirited gang. They included Sue the purple ghost (Susan Silo, who was also one of the CopyCats on "Kidd Video"), Inky the blue ghost (Barry Gordon, voice of the Nestle Quik Bunny and Donatello on "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"), Blinky the red ghost and Pinky (both voiced by Chuck McCann, a Disney veteran known for his work on "DuckTales" and EPCOT Center's Dreamfinder character).
The Ghost Monsters worked for a villain named Mezmaron (Allan Lurie) who looks quite a bit like a cross between Toy Story's Emperor Zurg and Darth Vader.
Even a popular character like Pac-Man was not immune from having a network tinker with his TV show.
By the second season, Pac-Man welcomed a cool Fonzie-type character named Poochie. I mean P.J.
Pac-Man's teenage nephew P.J. (played by Darryl Hickman, voice of Waggs in Hanna Barbera's Smurfs-inspired dog cartoon "The Biskitts") was loosely based on Bally-Midway's 1983 "Jr. Pac-Man" game.
Another new character was Super-Pac (based on Namco's "Super Pac-Man" arcade game from 1982). Super-Pac was voiced by Lorenzo Music, probably best known for his role as Garfield the cat for many years.
As part of The Electric Company Magazine's "Pactivities," Pac-Man lampoons Porky Pig, Batman, Woody Woodpecker, Count Dracula, Pocahontas and the Wolf Man.
Pac-Man even goes Sci-Fi, sending up Star Wars as Dot Vader in "The Empire Strikes Pac."
Who would have guessed that a character that looks like a cut piece of pie would be such a phenomenon?
In 1982, Pac-Man inspired "Pac-Man Fever", a catchy song from Buckner & Garcia that was a huge hit and drove people crazy.
Here are the Cheat Codes for The Electric Company Magazine's Pac-Man Games and Puzzles.
There's also answers to other games and puzzles. One in particular makes me laugh.
By 1983, Pac-Man characters were comfortable in their role as mascots in Six Flags theme parks across the United States. Wearing a big top hat, Pac-Man even performed in a Magic Show.
This brochure mentions many things that no longer exist. The Stars Hall of Fame was a Six Flags property in Orlando. It did not last long. Six Flags sold the Movieland Wax Museum in Buena Park, California. Astroworld in Houston closed down years ago. Free Fall is no longer operating at Six Flags Over Georgia. And the dolphin show has been closed for many years. Sorry to rain on your parade.
Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man got their own Pac-Man Play Fort at Six Flags Over Georgia in 1983. Similar Play Forts opened up at other Six Flags parks, too.
By 1985, Bally-Midway no longer owned Six Flags, and the Warner Brothers Looney Tunes kicked out Pac-Man. Ironically, the Hanna Barbera empire (including the Pac-Man animated series) was eventually swallowed up by Warner Brothers via a merger with Turner Entertainment.
By 1991, Pac-Man rebooted his career with another new look.
The basic Pac-Man vs. Ghost Monsters concept remained, but the characters were given new situations to explore.
Pac-Man game ads were frequently featured in Disney Adventures Magazine during the 1990s.
In 2012, Pac-Man and the Ghost Monsters appeared in Disney's "Wreck It Ralph" animated feature. It was awesome to see Pac-Man and the Ghost Monsters on the big screen.
Ms. Pac-Man is often thought to be a better game than the original Pac-Man.
When Ms. Pac-Man originally debuted, the orange ghost known as Clyde was re-named Sue.
Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man learned to adapt to new game systems.
A new generation could become addicted to Pac-Man. Thanks to Game-Gear, they could play it at school, on the bus, at Grama's house, or at a funeral.
As new Pac-Man games were released, Disney Adventures Magazine offered tips for gamers.
In 1994's "Pac-Man 2", the characters looked and moved like cartoon characters. They were quite different from the original "cut-pie" Pac-Man.
As more advanced game systems were introduced, the arcades mentioned in the "Pac-Man Fever" song were quickly becoming a thing of the past.
In 2003, Pac-Man and the Ghost Monsters began to materialize in the 1980s section of Disney's Pop Century Resort at Walt Disney World in Florida.
In "The One Where Joey Dates Rachel" 2002 episode of the TV show "Friends", Monica and Chandler are given a Ms. Pac-Man arcade game by Phoebe.
When the highly competitive Monica loses the game, she tells Ms. Pac-Man, "Well, you're just a little b**ch, aren't you?"
Pac-Man's look has changed many times over the years. The pie eyed (or Pac-Man eyed) version of the character is charming as a hand drawn character or as a computer animated one.
A brand new CGI animated Pac-Man TV series is slated to debut in 2013 on the Disney XD channel.
It's time for Pac-Man to celebrate another holiday!
It's St. Patrick's Day, Pac-Man! Instead of a pinch, how about a byte?
FAQs
Why was Puck Man changed to Pac-Man? ›
The biggest of these was the game's title; executives at Namco were worried that vandals would change the “P” in Puck Man to an “F”, forming an obscene name. Masaya Nakamura chose to rename it to Pac-Man, as he felt it was closer to the game's original Japanese title of Pakkuman.
What is Pac-Man supposed to be? ›Character design
Pac-Man's origins are debated. According to the character's creator Toru Iwatani, the inspiration was pizza without a slice, which gave him a vision of "an animated pizza, racing through a maze and eating things with its absent-slice mouth".
The original Japanese name was Puckman, which evolved from the Japanese word paku, meaning "chomp." Given the closeness to a certain explicit four-letter English word, a lot of arcade operators at the time were worried that vandals would alter the letter P. Eventually, "Pac" was suggested as an alternate name.
Does Pac-Man have a story? ›Pac-Man's first adventure chronologically took place in Pac-Man, wherein he had to fight off a group of Ghosts consisting of Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde, while eating all of the Pellets scattered around a maze. Many other titles in the franchise follow the same basic plot, including: Super Pac-Man. Pac-Man Plus.
Who was that guy that cheated at Pac-Man? ›William James Mitchell Jr.
(born July 16, 1965) is an American video game player and restaurateur. He achieved fame throughout the 1980s and 1990s through claiming numerous records on classic video games, including a perfect score on Pac-Man.
Ghost Gang
The group is comprised of four ghosts named Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. In some appearances, they are joined by a fifth member named Sue, who originated from Ms. Pac-Man in place of Clyde.
In Pac-Man World Rally, Cherries are used to open access to shortcuts in races, similar to how fruits open doors in Pac-Man World: 20th Anniversary and its remake. There are 7 shortcuts that requires having cherries to be accessible.
Why do the ghosts chase Pac-Man? ›History. In the original Pac-Man, the Ghosts chase Pac-Man around a maze to keep him from eating all of the dots. It was the player's objective to avoid the ghosts and collect all of the dots. Power Pellets are the ghosts' ultimate weakness.
Who is Pac-Man's wife? ›Pac-Man (ミズ・パックマン Mizu Pakkuman), also known as Pepper in the animated series or Pac-Girl (パックガール Pakkugāru) prior to her relationship with Pac-Man, is the deuteragonist of the Pac-Man series. She is Pac-Man's wife and sidekick, and is the mother of Jr.
Who is older Pac-Man or Mario? ›Palutena: Yes, that's PAC-MAN. He was born in 1980, which means he's one year older than Mario.
What is the smartest ghost in Pac-Man? ›
In Pac-Man Party and Ghostly Adventures, Inky has little to no resemblance to his original design; he is very skinny, has twirly hair, and teeth. He is also a darker shade of blue, and is portrayed as being the smartest of the four ghosts.
Is baby Pac Man a girl? ›Gender. In most of Baby Pac-Man's appearances, no gender is explicitly stated, but the character is generally thought of to be a girl, with her gender being stated a few times. The most prominent example is in 1994's Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, where Pac-Baby is referred to as a "she" in the opening intro.
Did Pac-Man have a kid? ›Jr. Pac-Man (Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man's first child; also known as "Pac-Jr.")
Did Pac-Man ever find his parents? ›President Spheros is throwing a party and Pac wishes his parents are there. Betrayus plans an attack on Indepacdence Day. Pac decides to see Sir Cumference and he makes a super-fast vehicle that ends up taking them back in time. He meets his parents and himself as a baby.
What does Pac-Man say? ›It supports two languages: English and Wakanese, PAC-MAN's native language. That means saying “waka”, “wiki”, “waki” and “wika” to move around!
Who is the villain in Pac-Man? ›Blinky, Pinky, Inky and Clyde, collectively known as the Ghost Gang, are a quartet of characters from the Pac-Man video game franchise. Created by Toru Iwatani, they first appear in the 1980 arcade game Pac-Man as the main antagonists.
How old is Pac-Man's girlfriend? ›Cylindria (voiced by Andrea Libman) is a 14 year old pink Pac-Girl with glasses who is over 3'5" tall, over 4'0" including hair.
Who cheated on Donkey Kong? ›New evidence has been uncovered that suggests Billy Mitchell did indeed cheat to attain his record-breaking Donkey Kong scores — the ones which Twin Galaxies removed from its record boards because they were allegedly achieved via emulation rather than original arcade hardware, and for which Mitchell is suing the record ...
Is there a purple Pac-Man ghost? ›Sue (スー Suu) is a female ghost from the Pac-Man series, commonly shown as being purple (but is orange in some other appearances).
Who is the most aggressive ghost in Pac-Man? ›Blinky is the most persistent of the original four; he is the most aggressive ghost in the arcade games, and is always directly targeting Pac-Man when in "chase" mode (thus his nickname, Shadow, as in he "shadows" or follows Pac-Man).
Who is the strongest ghost in Pac-Man? ›
Blinky is perhaps the leader of what's known as the Ghost Gang; he's definitely the most deadly ghost – and almost certainly the most likely to catch our little yellow hero.
What gender is pinky Pac-Man? ›In the 1982 animated series, Pinky appears alongside Blinky, Inky, Clyde, and Sue. In the cartoon, Pinky was male rather than female, having the deepest voice of the ghosts.
What is the highest fruit in Pac-Man? ›- Cherry = 100 Pts.
- Strawberry = 300 Pts.
- Orange = 500 Pts.
- Apple = 700 Pts.
- Melon = 1000 Pts.
- Galaxian = 2000 Pts.
- Bell = 3000 Pts.
- Key = 5000 Pts.
Cylindria (also known as Cyli) is one of Pac's best friends.
Are the ghosts in Pac-Man evil? ›The Ghosts in Pac-Man have always been portrayed as villains, but they are victims. Pac-Man has always been the hero, but he is a monster.
What happens when you eat a ghost in Pac-Man? ›Information. While the ghost is blue, Pac-Man is able to eat them, in which case their eyes will pop out; they will regenerate after entering the Ghost Home in the center of the Maze. The blue effect will wear off rather quickly, and will start to flash white when it is about to.
What is the black ghost in Pac-Man? ›Spunky. Spunky is a gray/black ghost from the Pac-Man series.
What happens to Pac-Man's parents? ›Sunny is Pac's mother and Zac's wife. She disappeared along with her husband on the last day of the war, leaving the orphaned Pac to be raised by Sunny's sister Spheria.
What is the oldest Pac-Man? ›In 1980 the Japanese arcade game manufacturer Namco Limited introduced the world to Pac-Man. The lead designer was Iwatani Tohru, who intended to create a game that did not emphasize violence.
Does Pac-Man have a mom? ›Pac-Master (ミズ パックマスター Mizu Pakkumasutā), also referred to as Pac-Master's Wife, is the mother of Ms. Pac-Man and "Pac-Baby", and the wife of Pac-Master.
Who is older Luigi? ›
Luigi () is Mario's younger, taller, and thinner twin brother. He made his debut in the Game & Watch game Mario Bros., subsequently appearing in the original arcade game Mario Bros. game as the second player. Since then, he, alongside his older twin brother Mario, have been considered the major mascots of Nintendo.
Is Mario 45 years old? ›Back in 2016, The Independent unearthed an interview from 2005 with Shigeru Miyamoto. In this discussion, Mario's creator made a pretty definitive statement on the issue of how old Mario is — "he's about 24-25 years old", Miyamoto responded.
Who is the oldest game character? ›What is the oldest video game character? Technically, Pac-Man is the oldest video game character. Screenrant reports that this pellet-eating arcade creature, born in 1980, is the grandfather of all video game characters. Not far behind is Mario, introduced in 1981 in arcade form.
Who is the green ghost in Pac-Man? ›Funky (ファンキー Fankii) is a green Common ghost from Pac-Mania. Like the rest of the ghosts, they are an enemy to Pac-Man. They are also partners with Spunky, who is stated to be their cousin.
What is the fastest ghost in Pac-Man? ›Speedy can outrun even the fastest player in the game, Pac-Man, as long as she is the fastest ghost. Pinky is programmed to always be ahead of Pac-Man, so when she chases you, it is usually because she is aware that you are approaching her.
Who is Pac-Man father? ›Masaya Nakamura, the man who founded Namco and was known as the "Father of Pac-Man," has died. He was 91 years old. Nakamura founded Namco as Nakamura Manufacturing in 1955.
How was Pac-Man born? ›While drawing up ideas for a game based around food, Iwatani grabbed a slice of pizza from a box and had an epiphany: The remaining pizza slices formed Pac-Man's shape, and the rest was history (or so the story goes, according to Iwatani). Game designer named Toru Iwatani created "Pac-Man" in 1980.
Who is Pac-Man's aunt? ›Spheria is Pac-Man's aunt with a southern accent in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures. She served in the Pac-World War as a commando, while serving beside Pac-Man's parents.
When did Pac-Man get legs? ›Then, in 1984, Namco created the biggest departure of the series so far. In Pac-Land, the famed maze is finally banished as Pac-Man gains legs, arms and a cheeky grin, bouncing his way across five colourful levels that mix the character with elements of the fashionable scrolling platform genre.
Did Pac-Man have an end? ›One of the most well-known accidental endings in gaming, Pac-Man descends into chaos after 256 levels, when an overflowing 8-bit level register causes half the screen to be filled with random symbols and become unbeatable.
Why did Pac-Man Jones go to jail? ›
When Pacman was approached about the alleged incident, he became angry and got into an altercation with casino staff and officers present at the scene. Pacman spent 10 days in jail as a result of the incident alone. He was charged with felony intimidation and felony battery against an officer.
What does the strawberry mean in Pac-Man? ›The Strawberry is a fruit from the Pac-Man video games that appears in the second levels in several maze games. In classic Pac-Man, it is worth 300 points. In Ms. Pac-Man, can be eaten for 200 points. It even appeared in Pac-Mania for 2,000 points and the Pac-Man Championship Edition games for 1,200 points.
What does 765 mean in Pac-Man? ›The Pac-Man icons start showing up when you reach 765 kills with the aircraft, with the maximum displayed being 999.
What is the fear of Pac-Man called? ›Ducentosoquinquagintaphobia | Phobia Wiki | Fandom. Try FanCentral Games Movies TV Video.
Why was ms pac-man replaced? ›Pac-Man no longer seemed viable as Bandai Namco still had to pay AtGames. As a result, Pac-Mom was born. The change in character was initially introduced in an Arcade Archives port of Pac Land which showed Ms. Pac-Man and Baby Pac replaced with Pac-Mom and a new child.
Did you know the original name for Pac-Man was Puck Man? ›Did you know that the original name for Pac-Man was Puck-Man? You'd think it was because he looks like a hockey puck but it actually comes from the Japanese phrase 'Paku-Paku,' which means to flap one's mouth open and closed.
Why was Pac-Man banned? ›The arcade game became an issue after Frank Falkstein, a single father of three, made a plea to elected officials that the video games popping up in stores and restaurants were teaching young people to gamble and leading some to steal from their parents.
Why was Pac-Man created? ›According to Japanese game designer Toru Iwatani, Pac-Man was conceived as an antidote to the overwhelming number of games with violent themes, such as Asteroids, Space Invaders, Tail Gunner, and Galaxian.
Is Pac-Man's Mom Pac Mom? ›Pac-Master (ミズ パックマスター Mizu Pakkumasutā), also referred to as Pac-Master's Wife, is the mother of Ms. Pac-Man and "Pac-Baby", and the wife of Pac-Master.
Is baby Pac-Man A Boy or Girl? ›Gender. In most of Baby Pac-Man's appearances, no gender is explicitly stated, but the character is generally thought of to be a girl, with her gender being stated a few times. The most prominent example is in 1994's Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures, where Pac-Baby is referred to as a "she" in the opening intro.
What is the blue Pac-Man called? ›
Ultimate, Clyde reprises his roles as a part of Pac-Man's moveset and Assist Trophy. He also appears as a part of Ghosts spirit, which represents original four ghosts. In the Ghosts Spirit Battle, Clyde is represented by Pac-Man with yellow palette.
Can you ever beat Pac-Man? ›Children of all generations are familiar with it and after decades of playing one man and one man only had finally beat the game. Billy Mitchell is the only person to ever beat the game. When you beat a game you might expect some kind of congratulations or winning message, that isn't the case with Pac Man.
What language is Pac-Man written? ›Pacman Source Code C++
The original Pac-Man code was written in assembly language. However, there are many unofficial ports of the game that have been written in C++.
While drawing up ideas for a game based around food, Iwatani grabbed a slice of pizza from a box and had an epiphany: The remaining pizza slices formed Pac-Man's shape, and the rest was history (or so the story goes, according to Iwatani). Game designer named Toru Iwatani created "Pac-Man" in 1980.
Was Pac-Man inspired by pizza? ›Who would have even imagined that a slice of pizza can inspire one of the most-loved video game characters ever? Well, turns out, it did. As it happened, Iwatani conceived the main character Pac-Man while he was eating pizza.