Pac-Man
One of the most popular and influential games of the 1980's, Pac-Man stars a little, yellow dot-muncher who works his way around to clear a maze of the various dots and fruit which inhabit the board. Pac-Man's…
Pac-Man is an arcade developed by Namco, released 31 December 1984 on MSX.
What Pac-Man is
Pac-Man is an arcade game developed by Namco and released in 1984. It was published by Bug-Byte Software. It is available on MSX only.
The premise, in the publisher's words
One of the most popular and influential games of the 1980's, Pac-Man stars a little, yellow dot-muncher who works his way around to clear a maze of the various dots and fruit which inhabit the board. Pac-Man's goal is continually challenged by four ghosts: The shy blue ghost Bashful (Inky), the trailing red ghost Shadow (Blinky), the fast pink ghost Speedy (Pinky), and the forgetful orange ghost Pokey (Clyde). One touch from any of these ghosts means a loss of life for Pac-Man. Pac-Man can turn the tables on his pursuers by eating of the four Energizers located within the maze. During this time, the ghosts turn blue, and Pac-Man can eat them for bonus points. This only lasts for a limited…
How it plays
It is played from a bird view / isometric perspective. Its themes are action and fantasy. It is a single-player game with no multiplayer component.
Where it sits in the Pac-Man series
Pac-Man is the 36th of 282 entries we hold in the Pac-Man series. The next entry was Pac-Man in 1984.
What it launched against
Pac-Man launched on 31 December 1984, within three weeks of Impossible Mission, Jet Set Willy, 3D Starstrike and Bomb Jack.
Released around the same time: Impossible Mission, Jet Set Willy, 3D Starstrike, Bomb Jack.
Official trailer
Sourced from the publisher’s YouTube channel.
Screenshots
All media
Parents
Quick answers
Pac-Man — frequently asked questions
When did Pac-Man come out?
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