Pac-Man is one of the most iconic video game characters in history. Instantly recognizable, Pac-Man shares a unique place in the colorful world of classic games alongside figures such as Mario and Sonic. The yellow character with the voracious appetite has starred in multiple video games, including the recently released Pac-Man World Re-Pac for Nintendo Switch.
While his fame and status as a video game icon are undeniable, Pac-Man's intricacies, including his backstory and overall trivia, aren't exactly well-known by non-ionate players who have followed the franchise throughout the years. Indeed, these trivia tidbits would be unknown by anyone other than Pac-Man's most staunchly loyal fans.
Pac-Man's Origins Are Unclear
Pac-Man has a unique form that makes him instantly memorable. His creator, Toru Iwatani, once claimed the idea came after seeing a pizza without a slice. However, he's also credited the Japanese symbol for "mouth," kuchi, as an inspiration for Pac-Man's iconic design.
Iwatani created Pac-Man to entice girls to play at the arcade. According to him, girls often talked about food, inspiring him to create a game about a character whose main concern was eating. He added the maze-like and ghost elements to give the game a more challenging feel, thus creating Pac-Man's basic structure.
Pac-Man's Original Name Was Puck-Man
Fans of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World might already know this, but Pac-Man's original name was "Puck-Man." Like Scott frantically says in the film, the character's name comes from the Japanese expression paku-paku, which can loosely be translated into "to gobble" something.
When localizing the game, the name was "Puck-Man," but the developers changed it when they realized how easy it would be to change the "P" for an "F," thus perverting the name.
Pac-Man Is A Teenager
It's hard to tell whether Pac-Man is an adult or not at first glance. He has no apparent features that might let fans know anything about his age. He's just a yellow ball. His face is his entire body, and his limbs and expressions are the closest humanoid traits he has.
Still, most games portray him as a teenager. Pac-Man World begins during his 20th birthday party, and the television show Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures depicts him as a 17-year-old attending high school. It's strange and somewhat confusing that he's already married at such a young age, but that's another matter entirely.
The Pac-Man Ghosts Each Have Names
The ghosts are as crucial to Pac-Man as the titular character. They are the game's main enemies, pursuing the voracious yellow ball throughout every maze. The ghosts are far more menacing than they seem, which makes them some of the most frustrating enemies in gaming history.
Although most fans might only know them as "the ghosts," each of the four original specters has an individual name. The orange one is Clyde, the red one is Blinky, the pink one is Pinky, and the cyan one is Inky. The ghosts might be mostly silent, but there's clearly more to them than meets the eye.
Ms. Pac-Man Is Pac-Man's Wife
Ms. Pac-Man is one of the all-time great female protagonists. She's a pioneer of the industry, starring in her own series in 1982 at a time when gaming was still an all-boys business. Ms. Pac-Man was originally a mod of the traditional Pac-Man, but its success led to the game's legitimization. It remains one of the most acclaimed arcade titles in history, with many considering it superior to the original.
In the Pac-Man universe, Ms. Pac-Man is the title character's wife. It might be easy to think of her as a female version of Pac-Man, but she's actually his romantic interest, proving that the character's lore is more complex than most fans think.
Pac-Man Appears In Several Series
There are numerous ways to play Pac-Man. The character has a remarkable versatility that allows him considerable gaming flexibility. However, he also has enough appeal to transition outside the gaming world.
Pac-Man has been the star of several television shows, starting with the 1982 cartoon of the same name. He returned to the small screen with 2013's Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures. Both shows feature Pac-Man protecting their city against the threat of the colorful ghosts. The yellow ball also appears in cameo roles in numerous shows like Pixels.
Pac-Man Is A Guest In Several Gaming Franchises
The Super Smash Bros. franchise has several great fighters on its roster, including some genuinely inspired choices. Pac-Man made his debut in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U and returned for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, acting as one of the best additions to the series.
Pac-Man has also appeared in other Nintendo titles, including Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario Maker. The yellow ball made an unforgettable appearance as a playable fighter in the crossover game Street Fighter X Tekken and the golfing game Everybody's Golf 6.
Pac-Man Is Shigeru Miyamoto's Favorite Video Game Character
Mario is easily the most iconic character in gaming history. The Italian plumber is instantly recognizable and influential, with his expansive series featuring everything from racing to sports entries. The Mario games are among the most addictive in the business, turning their creator, Shigeru Miyamoto, into a living legend.
Surprisingly, Miyamoto's favorite video game character isn't his own creation. Instead, he has repeatedly said that his favorite figure in the gaming industry is Pac-Man. In fact, it was Miyamoto who first suggested including Pac-Man in Super Smash Bros.
Pac-Man Inspired The Name For A Business Strategy
It's not uncommon for popular pop culture characters to have considerable influence outside their original franchises. Indeed, some of the most iconic video game characters, like Mario, Zelda, or Pikachu, have legacies that sur their original series.
Pac-Man's influence spread to the world of music and boxing, to name a few. However, his cultural impact also spread to the world of business and finance, inspiring a term in mergers and acquisitions, "the Pac-Man defense." The strategy refers to a company on the verge of a hostile takeover that instead attempts to buy the would-be acquirer, referencing Pac-Man's ability to eat the ghosts after consuming the Power Pellets.
Pac-Man World Changed The Character's Legacy
1999's Pac-Man World was instrumental in cementing the character's legacy as an institution in the gaming world. The plot follows Pac-Man as he sets out on a quest to rescue his family, who was kidnapped by the ghosts while on their way to his birthday party.
The game was a surprise hit, receiving critical acclaim and overperforming commercially. Furthermore, it proved that Pac-Man could exist outside the arcade business, starring in a classic gaming adventure like fellow characters such as Mario and Sonic. The game received a recent remake for the Nintendo Switch, although critics weren't so kind towards it.