Pac-Man
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Microscopic Pac-Man installation makes a play for the smallest part of your heart
"Cute" doesn't even begin to accurately describe it. Kotoro "dotimpact" Tanaka, a Japanese design professor, has been credited with designing what may actually be the world's smallest game of Pac-Man. The microscopic installation was recently showcased at the 30th anniversary Pac-Man exhibition, utilizing original Pac-Man hardware, a projector and a microscope in order to blow up a minuscule game of cat and ghost for human eyes to recognize. We're told that it's able to reflect its image through a mirror in order to produce a 1cm square image at a resolution of 1439 pixels per inch (PPI), and users are highly encouraged to screw with the zoom and focus controls in order to heighten the level of difficulty. So, dotimpact... how's about an on sale date?
Pac-Man to appear on Japanese food pac-kages
In honor of Pac-Man's 30th anniversary, Namco Bandai has entered into a co-marketing partnership with Japan's Meiji food corporation to create some very cute packaging for snacks and beverages. Starting next month, cartons of Meiji's coffee and fruit drinks, as well as its line of puddings, will bear Pac-Man imagery. The enjoyment from these packages won't just be superficial. Each will come with a code allowing Japanese customers to download special Meiji/Pac-Man images for their cell phones. One on hand, we love this, but on the other hand, we can't help but think Namco Bandai's money would have been better spent on Pac-Man Battle Royale machines. For our office.
Pac-Man, Micro Machines, Air Hockey created in LittleBigPlanet 2 beta
We have no earthly way of knowing who YouTube user TheFinalBurst is, but we're pretty sure the mystery creator's series of videos from the LittleBigPlanet 2 beta could serve as more effective marketing for the game than any ad campaign Sony could put together. Over the past week, TheFinalBurst's managed to create some mind-bogglingly intricate games using LBP 2's tool set -- games like Pac-Man, Micro Machines, an air hockey mini-game and even a first-person shooter, which we're still trying to wrap our heads around. Check out a few of our favorite selections after the jump, or visit TheFinalBurst's YouTube page to check out all of this homebrew designer's brilliant creations. Those beta invites can't arrive soon enough. Update: A few of our commenters have pointed out that TheFinalBurst wasn't the author of all of the levels posted in his YouTube channel. We apologize to the original creators for not giving credit where credit was due.
Pac-Man reenacted by humans in stop motion masterpiece
What's it with Pac-Man and awesomeness these days? First Google, now this? As the story goes, PAC-MAN is the fifth video performance of the GAME OVER Project, put on by the French-Swiss artist Guillaume Reymond. The video -- which is embedded after the break -- shows a great many human bodies (111 to be exact) working together for over four hours in one of the most smile-inducing stop motion clips we've ever seen. Oh, and make sure your volume's up -- the experience just isn't complete without man made blips and bloops. [Thanks, Matt]
Video game characters need business cards too
Getting in touch with heroes can be difficult. Typically, they only bother to roll out of bed and show up when something goes really wrong.
Namco remakes arcade classics again in Wii's Namco Museum Megamix
The last time Namco Bandai released a Museum collection on Wii with updated versions of its classics ... it didn't really work out. Namco is trying again with Namco Museum Megamix -- sort of. In fact, many of the remixed games in this collection are the same as in the previous collection, judging from the materials released. The Galaga Remix seen in the screenshots is the same "defend Pac-Man" rail shooter seen in the 2007 game, and Pac-Motos and Pac-n-Roll Remix, described in the press release, was also present. That's right, Namco has now taken to re-releasing its remakes. The Megamix adds at least one new rearrangement: Grobda Remix, based on a shmup you're forgiven for now knowing about. It'll also feature original (read: good) versions of Pac-Man, Mappy, Rally-X, Galaga, and more. Megamix will be out in November.%Gallery-101314%
The Pac-Man Dossier just might cure your Pac-Man fever
Sure, you've played countless hours of Pac-Man and seen the game spawn endless products (official and otherwise), but have you ever taken the time to really think about Pac-Man? Jamey Pittman has -- a lot -- and the end result is The Pac-Man Dossier, which Pittman describes as "most complete and detailed study of the game." While the dossier has been around for a while, we feel we'd be remiss if we didn't do our part to help bring the scholarly work to a wider audience -- after all, where else can you not only learn about tricks like the ghost pass-through and secret 256th level, but literally have the game broken down pixel by pixel? Trust us, you'll never look at Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde the same way again.
Sequoia e-voting machine hacked to play Pac-Man (video)
Oh Sequoia, why are you so changeable? The thoroughly hacked electronic voting machine is back with another ignoble showing, courtesy of researchers from the universities of Michigan and, of course, Princeton. Picking up an AVC-Edge box that had seen live duty in collecting votes for the 2008 Virginia primaries, they quickly and all too easily managed to supplant the embedded psOS+ software with DOS, which was promptly followed by the installation of Pac-Man. Given that the underlying circuit boards were populated with such luminaries as a 486 processor and 32 megabytes of RAM, we find this a most appropriate match of hardware and software. As to that whole voting security thing, maybe next time we should let people do it with their BlackBerrys, eh? See the Pac do his thing on video after the break.
The Daily Grind: What Atari 2600 game would you like to see as an MMO?
For many of us old school gamers, the Atari 2600 was the first gaming console on which we cut our teeth -- literally. Mom said that chewing the wood panel sides would cause splinters, but oh! How good it did taste! Of course, there were games on the system to be enjoyed as well, and many of us have fond memories of plugging away at Space Invaders, jumping the crocodiles in Pitfall, running from Evil Otto in Berzerk, and assembling the phone in E.T. OK, I lied, nobody has fond memories of E.T. Still, Atari 2600 titles (and other games from that era) had a certain bizarre lunacy to them and a charm that couldn't be denied. Perhaps this is why they endure through retro gaming to this day. Engage with us on a flight of fancy, then, and tell us: What Atari 2600 game would make for a fine -- or, heck, interesting -- MMO? Would it be the thrilling vistas of Adventure? The heated PvP battlegrounds of Warlords? The fruit-stained corridors of Pac-Man? Or even the elegant simplicity of Combat?
Preview: Pac-Man Party
Did you know that, before the driving force of Pac-Man was named "pellets," the items were called "cookies?" I didn't either, but that's exactly what a Namco rep told me while showing off upcoming Wii minigame collection Pac-Man Party. She did this, you see, because that's what Pac-Man (and his nebulous cohorts) spend a lot of time chasing. Cookies. Also, not a single "power cookie" in sight. Madness! Unfortunately, Pac-Man Party isn't quite as exciting as that tidbit of trivia. In fact, it's downright awful (at least the bit I played of it was). At a recent press event in NYC, I played through some of the game's party mode with the aforementioned Namco rep. We were first asked which character from the Pac-Man universe we'd like to choose. Wait, there's a Pac-Man "universe?" Isn't it just ghosts and Mr./Ms. Pac-Man?%Gallery-97630%
Pac-Man iOS 4 wallpaper just a 'video' feature away from perfection
We won't say that this is on the same level as Google's own playable Pac-Man graphic, but it's darn close. Designed to fit onto the iPhone 4's Retina Display, this Pac-Man PNG wallpaper lines up exactly to give you a glimpse of retro on each and every home pane. The only problem? There's no motion in the background, which leaves Sir Pac physically incapable of chowing down on any extra dots. Android users: this is where you stifle your evil grin and pretend that you're sympathetic.
The past and future Pac-Man
Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani brought a rather incredible historical artifact to the recent NLGD Festival of Games in the Netherlands: a notebook full of sketches from the original design of Pac-Man. The thirty-year-old sketches show that Iwatani had a pretty good idea of how the mazes and Pac-Man sprite would work even in the pen-and-paper stage of the game design (although, note that the drafted maze lacks the warps at either side). You can also see how casual Iwatani is about carrying around a priceless, irreplaceable document. (See more pictures at Control.) After the break, for comparison, you can see what's new with Pac-Man. At last week's E3 party, Namco Bandai debuted the pilot for a new 3D computer-animated cartoon starring a child Pac-Man and an army of evil ghosts. GameTrailers recorded the footage from one of the party's TVs, so you can see it now. It's a bit blurry-looking due to the 3D effect. It also totally lacks Marty Ingels.
Preview: Pac-Man Battle Royale
Pac-Man Battle Royale is a delight and a danger. The Joystiq staff's encounter with the four-player arcade game, encapsulated in a classy cocktail cabinet standing at a comfortable height, threatened to derail our E3 coverage with its addictive mixture of nostalgia, playful rivalry and recognizable mechanics. We suspect that Namco Bandai's insistence on making this an arcade system stems from the fact that you can impulsively handcuff yourself to the machine. The shared, upward-facing screen in the table also makes it a very social experience. Surrounded by four joysticks (and, in our case, four Joystiqs), Pac-Man's maze becomes a playground for several differently colored and apparently cannibalistic Pac-people. Eating all the dots and food in a section of the maze will cause a new sequence to appear, and once this happens there's a mad rush for the new power pellets. It makes pathfinding and avoiding ghosts in the maze feel especially pressing. Once you've gobbled up a pellet (and you're rarely the only one to do so in any given moment) your Pac-protagonist grows to enormous size. You're able to eat ghosts as usual, but you can also devour any of your fellow players. The mega Pac-Man is slightly faster than the regular one, making your victim an easy snack if he can't quickly lose you in the maze. Giants can't eat each other, however, and bounce away when they come into contact. That sounds harmless, but there's a risk of getting bumped back into a ghost just as your invincible size wears off. Much like Pac-Man Championship Edition and Pac-Man Vs., Battle Royale is another clever, colorful twist on one of gaming's most comforting icons. It's going to be great fun in bars -- and if Namco Bandai doesn't release a home version on XBLA or PSN, people will start to think of us as hardcore alcoholics. Just one more round, please.
Pac-Man Championship Edition coming to PSP and PS3
The hypnotic charms of Pac-Man: Championship Edition are being packed into a downloadable Mini for PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 3. According to a Namco representative, the Mini should become available sometime this fall. Barring a delay, it would arrive alongside the new game in the series, Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX, which is slated for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network. We got a chance to play the PSP game at a Pac-Man 30th Anniversary event in Los Angeles and found it to be identical to the XBLA version, right down to the in-game trophies. The d-pad certainly gives this handheld version the edge, and the colorful visuals look great on the PSP's screen. It should be a perfect distraction during your dull train commute, provided you don't mind missing your stop. And the next one. And the next one. And just one more.
Pac-Man Championship Edition DX coming to XBLA, PSN this fall
The Pac-Man party continues as Namco Bandai has announced a followup to 2007's excellent Pac-Man Championship Edition: simply, Pac-Man Championship Edition DX. The so-called sequel will launch on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network this fall, adding new mazes, modes and enhancements to the CE formula. In fact, DX sounds seriously "deluxe," expanding the original Championship Edition's six mazes to "more than 100 varied and mind-boggling" courses, according to Namco Bandai. Additionally, new modes will include Time Attack Mode, an objective-based Mission Mode and the (devour) Ghost Mode. We'll look to gobble up more details at Namco Bandai's Pac-Man birthday event tonight. (Old Yellow's turning 30!)
Pac-Man Party partying on Wii this fall
We now know one of the things Namco Bandai is likely to announce at its Pac-Man party ... Pac-Man Party. USA Today revealed the new Wii game starring the yellow sphere and his incorporeal enemies: a minigame collection with over 45 assorted games, including curling, tennis and more Pac-Man-esque ghost-chasing games. Essentially, it's Mario Party with Pac-Man in Mario's place. Namco will also include -- as just as a little bonus -- the original Pac-Man, along with Galaga and Dig Dug. Pac-Man Party will be out this fall. [Thanks Zach!]
iPhone having a 'PAC-Match Party'
Yet another new Pac-Man game has been revealed to coincide with the yellow pellet-popper's 30th birthday, this one for iPhone / iPod Touch. PAC-Match Party is a match-three game (think: Bejeweled) that features a variety of ("exciting!") Pac-themed power-ups, as seen in the teaser video we've packed away after the break. No release date has been announced, but games typically arrive on the App Store soon after they're announced. While you're waiting, you can give a Flash version of the game a go at the official Pac-Man site.
Google Pac-Man made permanent
If you need a disconcerting reminder of Google's power, you need look no further than May 21, when the search giant got the entire planet excited to play Pac-Man using only its logo. If you never want to search for anything on the internet again without the potential for distraction, we've got great news (or bad news, if you're an employer): The Pac-themed logo has become a permanent fixture here. So as not to be left behind, we've enabled the Joystiq logo to play chess. Just set the board up in front of your screen and wait for its first move. Oh, don't let the wait fool you, it just needs a while to think. ... Should be just a moment or two more now. [Via Game Hunters]
