Pac-Man
| Pac-Man | |
|---|---|
 Artwork of Pac-Man from Mario Kart Arcade GP DX | |
| Species | Pac-Person |
| First appearance | Pac-Man (1980, Pac-Man franchise) Mario Kart Arcade GP (2005, Super Mario franchise) |
| Latest appearance | Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs (2024, Pac-Man franchise) Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (2018, Super Mario-related media) |
- “My favorite video game character isn't Mario, it's Pac-Man.”
- —Shigeru Miyamoto
Pac-Man (occasionally stylized as PAC-MAN or PAC-Man) is a famous video game character created by Bandai Namco Entertainment, who debuted in the arcade classic Pac-Man to great acclaim. He has since spun-off into other games and media, making crossover appearances with the Super Mario franchise in the Mario Kart Arcade games and the Super Smash Bros. series. Other icons from his debut title and games have appeared in the games, such as his wife, Ms. Pac-Man, and his arch-enemies, the ghosts: Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde.
History
Mario Kart series
Mario Kart Arcade GP
Pac-Man makes his first crossover appearance in a Super Mario game as a playable character in the Namco-developed game, Mario Kart Arcade GP in 2005. In this title, Pac-Man is an all-around type character who shares a rivalry with Mario in terms of stats. His special items are Pooka, Rally X, and Boss Galaga, which are all based on characters from Namco's early arcade titles. Other Pac-Man characters such as Blinky and Ms. Pac-Man also appear as playable. Race courses inspired by the Pac-Man series featured in the game include Pac Labyrinth and Pac Mountain.
Mario Kart Arcade GP 2
Two years later in 2007, Namco developed Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, where Pac-Man returns as a playable character. Ms. Pac-Man and Blinky return, as well as the race tracks Pac Labyrinth and Pac Mountain. He has his own kart based off of the spaceship in Xevious, another game made by Namco Bandai.
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Pac-Man returns as a playable character in Mario Kart Arcade GP DX. His appearance in this game reflects his design which first appeared in Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures. The Soul Varoon, from Mario Kart Arcade GP 2, returns as his personal kart. In the game, he is classified as a middleweight character, meaning all of his stats are average, and has no notable advantages or disadvantages.
Mario Kart 8 / Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
In Mario Kart 8 (from version 4.0 onwards) and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the Pac-Man amiibo can be scanned onto the Wii U GamePad and onto the right Nintendo Switch Joy-Con in order to access a racing outfit for the player's Mii, stylized after the character. Pac-Man's classic sprite also appears on the Mii costume.
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. Brawl
At one point in development of Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Shigeru Miyamoto requested Pac-Man to be a third-party guest character in Brawl, but this idea was later scrapped due to Masahiro Sakurai thinking that Pac-Man appearing in his famous pizza-shaped design would be "too far-fetched".[1]
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
 Pac-Man |
|
| Game appearances |
|---|
| Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Super Smash Bros. Ultimate (unlockable) |
| Special moves |
| Neutral: Bonus Fruit Side: Power Pellet Up: Pac-Jump Down: Fire Hydrant Final Smash: Super Pac-Man |
| Battle entrance |
| Pac-Man starts as a yellow ball, then transforms into 8-bit Pac-Man, then jumps up as Pac-Man World Pac-Man. |
- SmashWiki article: Pac-Man (SSB4)
- “PAC-MAN Hungers for Battle!”
- —Introduction, "Red, Blue, Yellow" Trailer
Pac-Man is a newcomer in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, using his classic design rather than the Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures appearance. Most of his attacks invoke various classic Pac-Man games.[2] Some of his attacks have him resembling his classic form, such as his dash attack and his up and side specials, and his smash attacks all involve him hitting opponents with the Ghosts. In addition, Pac-Man's grab involves him drawing in opponents with the Boss Galaga's beam, and his up taunt involves him holding out his hand and one of several random Namco characters (mostly arcade characters) appearing.
Pac-Man's standard special move is Bonus Fruit, which has Pac-Man charge up and cycle through the various bonus items from the original Pac-Man. His side special is Power Pellet, which has him create a trail of Pac-Dots ending in a Power Pellet and charging forward. His up special is Pac-Jump, in which Pac-Man leaps off a trampoline that can be used three times. His down special is the Fire Hydrant from Pac-Land, which has Pac-Man put down a fire hydrant that shoots water to push opponents back. Pac-Man's Final Smash is Super Pac-Man, which turns Pac-Man into a giant version of his original appearance in a nod to the game of the same name and its Super Pellet items. Alternatively, it may be a reference to the first cutscene in the original Pac-Man, in which Pac-Man was shown to be giant after eating a power pellet.
Pac-Man has average weight, being heavier than Ness, Lucas, Sonic, and Greninja, lighter than Wii Fit Trainer, Pit and Dark Pit, while weighing the same as Roy and Robin.
The 3DS version of the game features a stage based off the original Pac-Man arcade game and the Wii U version features a stage based off Pac-Land.
In his reveal poster, Mario, Bowser, Donkey Kong, and Princess Peach (or more accurately Princess Toadstool) appear as their NES selves in Pac-Maze, where they are, respectively, jumping up the northwest portion of the maze, using his fire breath on a power pellet-weakened ghost (presumably Clyde), throwing a barrel near the top, and trapped in the ghost area with Inky. In addition, his debut trailer, "Red, Blue, Yellow", has Mario representing red, and also has during the gameplay portions him beating up Mario, beating up Yoshi, dodging various ghosts with Diddy Kong, spraying Luigi with a fire hydrant, attacking Mario, Donkey Kong, and Yoshi on the Pac-Maze, using his classic form to beat Link and Donkey Kong, and also posed alongside Peach with an S-flag, as well as chasing Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man in his Final Smash form. The ending of the trailer has Mario and Donkey Kong slightly out of view as Pac Man and Mr. Game and Watch briefly argue while subtly referencing their debut game.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
- SmashWiki article: Pac-Man (SSBU)
Pac-Man reappears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as an unlockable playable character with an altered Final Smash, where he travels across the screen at a faster pace. Pac-Man's dash attack now is able to hit four times instead of three. In comparison to the previous installment, Pac-Man has received numerous improvements, such as increased mobility, decreased short hop timing, and decreased landing lag on his aerials, while many of his attacks are either faster, or deal more knockback. Pac-Man's tether grab is faster and has longer range, while his forward and down aerials deal more damage. However, Pac-Man's up tilt and standard attack's second hit deal less damage, while the former's hitbox is smaller. Pac-Man's standard aerial also deals less knockback.
Classic Mode route
| Ageless Classic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | Opponent(s) | Stage | Song | |
| 1 | Mario, Luigi, Donkey Kong (red costume) | 75 m (Battlefield) | PAC-MAN | |
| 2 | Duck Hunt | Duck Hunt | ||
| 3 | Ice Climbers, R.O.B. | Wrecking Crew (Battlefield) | Power-Up Music - Wrecking Crew | |
| 4 | Young Link, Samus, Pit, Simon | Hyrule Castle | Overworld Theme - The Legend of Zelda | |
| 5 | Little Mac, Mega Man, Snake | Boxing Ring | Mega Man Retro Medley | |
| 6 | Marth, Dr. Mario, Kirby | Dream Land GB | Kirby Retro Medley | |
| Final | Dracula | Dwelling of Doom | ||
Yoshi's Woolly World / Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
In Yoshi's Woolly World and Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World, the Pac-Man amiibo can be scanned onto the Wii U GamePad and the NFC for Nintendo 3DS to gain a Yarn Yoshi based off of him. Unlike the Mario Kart 8 Mii costume, this costume is based entirely on the character rather than the game.
Super Mario Maker
By tapping the Pac-Man amiibo to the Wii U gamepad in Super Mario Maker, the player will unlock a Mystery Mushroom that gives Mario a costume based on Pac-Man, as well as replace some sound effects with Pac-Man sound effects. His appearance is based off his sprite from the Japanese version of Pac-Land, albeit with the hat removed.
Other appearances
Pixels
Pac-Man, in a giant wedge form with eyes, appears as an antagonist in Pixels, eating anything that is in his sight.
Profiles and statistics
Super Smash Bros. series
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
| Trophy PAC-MAN | ||
3DS: Wii U: 
| ||
| Game(s): Both | ||
| Category: Fighter | ||
( ) Appears in:Arcade PAC-MAN (1980) Arcade PAC-LAND (1984) | ||
| () Trophy Box: 88: PAC-MAN
| ||
| The yellow, circular hero of the game PAC-MAN, which is recognized as the "Most Successful Coin-Operated Arcade Game" by Guinness World Records. In Smash Bros., he uses several moves inspired by the original PAC-MAN. Wakawaka your foes by charging up the Power Pellet move and aiming at them. (American English) | ||
| The yellow, circular hero of the game PAC-MAN, which is recognised as the "Most Successful Coin-Operated Arcade Game" by Guinness World Records. In this game, some of his attacks are based on the original PAC-MAN. Charge up his Power Pellet move, then aim it right at an opponent to wakawaka them extra hard. (British English) | ||
| Trophy PAC-MAN (Alt.) | ||
3DS: Wii U: 
| ||
| Game(s): Both | ||
| Category: Fighter | ||
| () Appears in: Arcade PAC-MAN (1980) Arcade PAC-LAND (1984) | ||
| () Trophy Box: 89: SUPER PAC-MAN & PAC-LAND
| ||
| PAC-MAN's Fire Hydrant down special pushes opponents away with blasts of water. You can drop the hydrant on top of your opponents to damage them, but they can also attack it to damage you if you're standing on it! His Pac-Jump up special spawns a trampoline he can jump on three times—the third jump is especially high! (American English) | ||
| PAC-MAN's Fire Hydrant down special pushes opponents away with blasts of water. You can drop the hydrant on top of your opponents to damage them, but they can also attack it and hit you with it to cause damage! His Pac-Jump up special spawns a trampoline he can jump on three times, and the third jump is especially high! (British English) | ||
| Trophy SUPER PAC-MAN | ||
| ||
| Game(s): Wii U only | ||
| Category: Final Smash | ||
| () Appears in: - | ||
| () Trophy Box: 89: SUPER PAC-MAN & PAC-LAND
| ||
| PAC-MAN's Final Smash turns him into this huge form that appeared in SUPER PAC-MAN. In this form, PAC-MAN eats his foes to deal damage to them and reduce them to just a pair of eyes. He can move freely in all four directions, loop around the screen, and... obtain a score of up to 7,650 points! (American English) | ||
| PAC-MAN's Final Smash turns him into this huge form that first appeared in the arcade game also called Super PAC-MAN. In this form, PAC-MAN can eat his foes to deal damage to them and reduce them to just a pair of eyes. He can move freely in all four directions, loop around the screen, and...obtain a score of up to 7,650 points! (British English) | ||
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
| Spirit #946 PAC-MAN | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Series/game | Pac-Man Series |
| Type | Fighter | |
| How to obtain | Clear Classic Mode as Pac-Man |
- Super Smash Blog bio: This fighter appears in both his classic form and his form with hands and legs. He has many unique special moves, such as using a trampoline or a fire hydrant. For his Final Smash, he grows into a giant Super PAC-MAN, chomping and launching his opponents!
- Palutena's Guidance
- Pit: Wakka wakka wakka wakka wakka.
- Palutena: Yes, that's PAC-MAN. He was born in 1980, which means he's one year older than Mario.
- Pit: Ohhh! Another industry veteran!
- Palutena: His most famous form is shaped like a pizza missing one slice. He has several attacks in this form.
- Pit: But the main thing is to avoid him taking a bite out of me.
- Palutena: Yes, especially with those wings of yours.
- Pit: What do you mean?
- Palutena: I bet they'd taste great with a little barbecue sauce.
- Pit: OK, enough about that!
amiibo
- PAC-MAN is a cultural icon whose popularity has crossed the globe for more than 30 years. The yellow, circular hero first starred in the game PAC-MAN, which is recognized as the “Most Successful Coin-Operated Arcade Game” by Guinness World Records. His journey through the maze of gaming infamy is far from over! Waka Waka!
Gallery
Mario Kart Arcade GP
Pac-Man's Kart
Mario Kart Arcade GP DX
Pac-Man's introduction in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Pac-Man's newcomer illustration for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U
Pac-Man's taunts in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
Bonus Fruit in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
The cherry
The strawberry
The orange
The apple
The melon
The Galaxian
The bell
The key
Power Pellet in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Pac-Jump in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Fire Hydrant in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Pac-Man in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U
Super Pac-Man in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS
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Names in other languages
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | パックマン[?] Pakkuman |
Pac-Man; derived from「パクパク」(pakupaku, a Japanese mimetic word for mouth movement); originally romanized as "PuckMan" | |
| Chinese | 吃豆人[?] Chīdòurén |
Bean-eater | |
| French | Pac-Man[?] | - | |
| German | Pac-Man[?] | - | |
| Italian | Pac-Man[?] | - | |
| Korean | 팩맨[?] Paegmaen |
- | |
| Russian | ПЭКМЕН[?] Pekmen |
Transliteration of the international name | |
| Spanish | Pac-Man[?] | - |
Trivia
- In small leaflets celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Super Mario franchise, there are pictures of box art from several recent Super Mario games decorating the edge; however, artwork of the NES Classics version of Pac-Man is also on there (this was the only non-Super Mario game to be shown on the leaflet).
External links
References
- ^ Hillier, Brenna (July 4, 2014). Thank Miyamoto for Pac-Man's appearance in Super Smash Bros. Wii U. VG247 (English). Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- ^ NintendoAmerica (June 10, 2014). Pac-Man has some interesting abilities like throwing fruit and eating power pellets #SmashBros. Twitter (American English). Retrieved June 29, 2024.
- Third-party characters
- Parents
- Married characters
- Mario Kart Arcade GP characters
- Mario Kart Arcade GP 2 characters
- Mario Kart Arcade GP DX characters
- Pac-Man series
- Super Mario Maker costumes
- Super Smash Bros. amiibo line
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS / Wii U fighters
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS trophies
- Super Smash Bros. for Wii U trophies
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate fighters
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate spirits
