Pac-Man (character) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pac-Man |
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| Pac-Man character | |
Pac-Man as he appears in the original Pac-Man (1980) (left) and promotional material (right)
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| First appearance | Pac-Man (1980) |
| Created by | Toru Iwatani |
| Designed by | Toru Iwatani Tadashi Yamashita |
| Voiced by |
Various
Pat McBride (Kid Stuff Records records) Duncan MacLaren (Pac-Man: Adventures in Time) Martin Sherman (Pac-Man World 3, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac) Debi Derryberry (Street Fighter X Tekken, Pac-Man Party) Erin Mathews (Ghostly Adventures series) Erica Mendez (Ghostly Adventures games) Yuka Terasaki (Ghostly Adventures series, Japan) |
Pac-Man is a super famous character from video games! He is the main hero of the Pac-Man games and movies, made by Bandai Namco Entertainment. A person named Toru Iwatani created Pac-Man. His first game was the arcade hit Pac-Man in 1980. Since then, Pac-Man has been in over 30 games and many other things. You can find him on toys, clothes, and even in TV shows! He is the official mascot for Bandai Namco Entertainment. Pac-Man's biggest rivals are the Ghost Gang: Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde. These ghosts always try to stop Pac-Man. Pac-Man loves to eat, and he can gobble up lots of food quickly. He can even eat the ghosts if he munches on a special "Power Pellet"!
The idea for Pac-Man came from a pizza with a slice missing! His creator, Toru Iwatani, also thought about the Japanese symbol for "mouth" (口, pronounced kuchi). Pac-Man was designed to be cute and colorful. This was to make the game fun for everyone, especially younger players. His name comes from the Japanese phrase paku paku taberu, which means "to gobble something up." When the game came to other countries, its name was changed from "Puck-Man" to "Pac-Man." This was done to make sure people wouldn't change the "P" to an "F" and make a rude word.
Pac-Man is one of the most recognized video game characters ever! He is a true icon in gaming and pop culture. Many people say he was the very first video game character to become a mascot and have lots of merchandise. You can also find Pac-Man as a special guest character in other games. He appears in the popular Super Smash Bros. fighting games and the Ridge Racer racing games.
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How Pac-Man Was Created
The story of how Pac-Man was created is very interesting! His creator, Toru Iwatani, got the idea from a pizza with one slice missing. He imagined a round character moving through a maze and eating everything. Iwatani also said that the design came from making the Japanese symbol for "mouth" (口, kuchi) round and simple. Some people think Pac-Man's simple look was also because of the computers back then. They weren't as powerful as today's!
Pac-Man's name comes from the Japanese sound paku-paku. This sound is used when someone is gobbling up food quickly. When the game first came to other countries, it was called "Puck-Man." But the company Namco changed it to "Pac-Man" for the United States. They were worried that people might change the letter "P" to an "F" and make a rude word.
Designing a Friendly Hero
When Toru Iwatani was making the game, he wanted all the characters to be friendly. He chose yellow for Pac-Man because he felt it was a neutral color. It didn't make Pac-Man look like a bad guy or a super-hero right away. As the game was almost finished, Iwatani showed Pac-Man to another artist named Tadashi Yamashita. Yamashita added a big mouth, arms, and legs to Pac-Man. He also gave him big eyes, which were like larger versions of Pac-Man's simple round shape. In a later game called Pac-Land (1984), Pac-Man even got a big nose!
Pac-Man's Adventures and Friends
Pac-Man is the star of the entire Pac-Man series. He first appeared in his original game in 1980. In that first game, we also met his main rivals: the Ghost Gang — Blinky, Inky, Pinky, and Clyde. These ghosts are always trying to catch Pac-Man!
In 1981, a new character joined the fun: Ms. Pac-Man! She was introduced in her own arcade game, Ms. Pac-Man. Later, she became known as Pac-Man's partner. Over the years, Pac-Man's family grew, and we even met their child, Baby Pac-Man.
Pac-Man in Video Games
Even though the first Pac-Man game was a huge hit, Pac-Man didn't star in another game until 1982. That's when Super Pac-Man came out in arcades. In this game, Pac-Man could become "Super Pac-Man," growing bigger and becoming invincible for a short time! Other arcade games followed, like Pac-Land, Pac-Mania, and Pac-Man Arrangement, which was a new version of the first game.
In 1999, Pac-Man World was released for the PlayStation. This game gave Pac-Man exciting new abilities, similar to what Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog could do. Pac-Man World was very important for the series. It led to two sequels, a spin-off game, and even a remake! In Pac-Man World 2, Pac-Man goes on an adventure to save his home, Pac-Land, from an old spirit named Spooky. Pac-Man World 3 came out in 2005 to celebrate Pac-Man's 25th birthday! In another game, Pac 'n Roll, we see a young Pac-Man learning from a wise teacher called Pac-Master.
Spin-Offs and Guest Appearances
Pac-Man has also appeared in many different types of games. For example, there's a racing game called Pac-Man World Rally. Midway Games also made a game called Ms. Pac-Man, which starred Pac-Man's wife.
Pac-Man has made fun guest appearances in other games too! He was a playable fighter in Street Fighter X Tekken, where he rode a giant robot. He also played golf in Everybody's Golf 6. You can find Pac-Man as a racer in the Mario Kart Arcade GP games and the Ridge Racer series.
Pac-Man is a playable character in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U. He uses his classic look from the original game's artwork. His moves in Super Smash Bros. are inspired by early Pac-Man games and other classic Namco arcade titles. For example, he can throw a Power Pellet and dash after it. He can also summon fire hydrants from Pac-Land or jump on a trampoline from Mappy. There's even an Amiibo figure of Pac-Man! This figure lets Pac-Man elements appear in compatible Nintendo games like Mario Kart 8 and Super Mario Maker. Pac-Man also returned as a playable character in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Other Appearances and Designs
Beyond video games, Pac-Man is the official mascot for Bandai Namco Entertainment.
In 1981, the first Pac-Man cartoon show came out. It ran until 1982. The show was about Pac-Man and his family dealing with the Ghost Gang. This was the very first animated TV series based on a video game! In 2013, a new animated series called Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures was released. This show was a fresh start for the Pac-Man world. In this series, Pac-Man got a new look, appearing as a young teenager. New friends were also created for the show, replacing his original family and friends. After the show came out, several video games were released to go along with it. These included the Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures video game and its sequel in 2014. The series ran for three seasons, from 2013 to 2015.
Pac-Man had a big role in the movie Pixels (2015). In this movie, aliens turn into video game characters and try to take over Earth. Pac-Man was also shown a lot in the movie's advertisements. In the film, Pac-Man goes wild in New York City. He even bites the hand of his creator, Iwatani (played by Denis Akiyama), when he tries to stop Pac-Man. The movie's heroes finally defeat Pac-Man using cars that act like the ghosts from the game. Pac-Man has also made guest appearances in other TV shows and movies. These include Wreck-It Ralph (2012) and its sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018). He also appeared in South Park (in "Imaginationland Episode III") and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). In August 2022, it was announced that a live-action Pac-Man movie was being made by Wayfarer Studios.
In December 2024, Pac-Man was featured in the video game anthology series, Secret Level. This series was created by Tim Miller and released on Amazon Prime Video. The episode was called "Circle." In it, the Pac-Man character was shown as Puck, a robot stuck in a "maze." Puck's voice was done by Emily Swallow. Puck later appeared again in Shadow Labyrinth (2025), which was a new take on the Pac-Man series.
