Pac-Man
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iPhone apps stats revealed, games dominate list
With game applications taking up nearly half the list (12 of 25), the rankings for iPhone apps released this week by internet information company comScore may be aimed at advertisers, but tells us a ton about the newest gaming platform. For instance, of the 15 million iPhone users in the US, 32 percent (nearly one in every three) have installed Tap Tap Revenge, making it the most popular application by an ice cold five percent. Furthermore, of the 12 game applications listed, 75 percent of them were developed by small startup companies or, in one case, a single individual. Actually, aside from Pac-Man, Hangman, Sudoku, and a version of Solitaire, all the games are original IP, with number one title Tap Tap Revenge serving as the prime example. We're starting to understand why the iPhone dominated the IGF this year and will likely continue to do so for years to come.
Namco releases downloadable arcade titles on Facebook
Do you ever find yourself with too much free time whilst trolling around on Facebook? Between writing ominous truths in our acquaintances' honesty boxes, and attempting to form La Résistance against the new new Facebook, our time is admittedly limited -- though we might try to pencil in a brief session with Namco's recently launched, Facebookified versions of Pac-Man and Dig Dug.The two games have some neat additional functionality, such as the ability to track stats and achievements on your Facebook profile. Sadly, the games can't be played in-browser -- it requires a small download to play. Even sadder: It's not free. Bumping the game up from a trial version to full version costs $9.99. We'll stick to our honesty box assaults -- anonymously hurting people's feelings is free, and far more satisfying.
New Pac-Man game on the way to celebrate 30th Pac-Manniversary
Hirokazu Yasuhara, who designed much of the original Sonic the Hedgehog at Sega and worked on Jak games and Uncharted for Naughty Dog, is now at Namco Bandai, and working on a new Pac-Man game, to celebrate the beloved circle's 30th anniversary in 2010.Namco Bandai America's Makoto Iwai told Gamasutra, "As a group, we feel like we should do something to make him come back. So, there's one project that we started working on, and [Yasuhara is] part of it." Iwai said that the new game design was "sort of meeting his wish 100 percent, in a sense," referring to an earlier statement by Yasuhara that he wanted to make a new character action game.Does Pac-Man's original maze-style gameplay count as "character action," or do we have a new Pac-Land sort of affair to look forward to? After the last Pac-Man game, we will eagerly devour whatever delicious fruit (by which we mean games) Namco Bandai sends out into the maze (by which we mean, um, the retail or downloadable market).
Speakal iBoo: when iPod docks and Pac-Man ghosts collide
You know, that's totally a recreation of Oikake up there holding that iPod, wouldn't you agree? In the spirit of Pac-man, Speakal has delivered the iBoo sound station, an iPod-friendly device that's cute enough for your kids and retro enough for you. For the low, low price of just $89.99, you too can join in the fun by grabbing one in red, blue or white. Specs wise, the device features an obligatory iPod dock, a 3.5 millimeter auxiliary input, touch volume control and music navigation, 15 watts of total power and a mini remote for controlling things from afar. Don't deny it, you're in love.
I Love Katamari in the App Store, optimization not included
Can't believe we didn't think to ask of this before Namco gave it to us, but here it is -- there is already an official version of I Love Katamari (otherwise known as Katamari Damacy) right there on the App Store and playable on the iPhone. What a perfect game to put on the iPhone -- it's casual, it's easy to pick up but tough to master, and the analog controls, while perfect for a pair of analog sticks, work great on a touchscreen as well. Unfortunately, it's not quite perfect yet -- the game slows down fast, and quickly becomes unplayable with all the stuff on the screen. But lots of people are hoping for an update from Namco, and while that hope might not quite be justified (is Namco really going to commit to making this game great, or are they just taking advantage of a hot property?), you never know. Pac Man has been a winner for the company for sure, so maybe they will make sure that Katamari plays as well as its console versions. As much as we appreciate original games on the iPhone, there's nothing wrong with quality ports of console gems as well, and if Namco can patch out the bugs to everyone's satisfaction, there's no question that's what this will be.
Pac-Man Mini handheld does boxy right
Console modder Sam Thornley actually built this Pac-Man Mini handheld way back in 2007, but he only recently shared it with the members of Ben Heck's forums, and we're sure glad he did. There's nothing too special at the heart of this one, just a Jakks Pacific Namco Arcade Classic system, but Sam hit all the right marks with the little details, from the red buttons that are just itching to be pressed to the old school flip switch to the bigger-than-it-has-to-be casing. If you think you're up to the task of building your own, you can find all the details you need an plenty of pics to guide you on your way by hitting up the read link below.[Via Technabob]
You've got to see Pac-Man: The (other) Movie
As Hollywood continues to deny us the Vin Diesel-starring Pac-Man feature film we all know is coming, amateurs have filled in the gap with their own takes on how gaming's pizza-shaped patriarch could make the leap to the big screen.We've already seen Pac-Man the action hero, now Tyler Russel and Stanley Wong bring us a much more honest, unflinching vision: Pac-Man unstoppable force of saffron terror. Watch what happens when four innocent ghosts are terrorized by the insatiable yellow menace, but be warned: It isn't pretty.
Home virtual arcade now includes Dig Dug, Galaga, Pac-Man, echochrome
If you're one of the few that's already in the Home beta, you may have already experienced the underwhelming virtual arcade, located in the Games Space within Home. The new version being released for Japan will expand the arcade offerings, and the new choices look yummy. Namco Bandai is offering seven games within Home, with four revealed already: Dig Dug, Galaga, Pac-Man and Xevious. Three more "secret" games will be revealed later. More intriguing, a 2D Home-exclusive version of echochrome can also be accessed from within Home. With more and more game offerings being added to the online service, we're confident that everyone will want to access the virtual world at least once -- if only to play these games. [Via Joystiq & Siliconera]
Japanese Home beta opens, adds Namco classics
Sony has begun accepting applications for the next beta phase of Home ... in Japan. PS3 users can put their names in the hat (from which 10,000 will be chosen) directly from a new option in the Japanese PlayStation Store. Successful applicants will be notified via email before the beta officially kicks off at the end of August.In related news, classic arcade games from Namco are showing up as virtual coin-ops in the Japanese Home client. Pac-Man, Dig Dug, Galaga, and Xevious have been rolled out so far, with three "secret" titles still on the way. It's interesting to note that Home users – at least in the beta – can play these games for free, whereas they are paid downloads on Xbox Live Arcade. We'll have to wait and see if this holds true for Home games from Namco and other publishers in the open beta (which is supposed to hit by year's end).Source – EngadgetSource – Siliconera
First video of Sony's The Last Guy
Okay, so Sony's upcoming PSN release, The Last Guy, isn't anything like what we speculated it might be. In fact, the game is incredibly simple looking, although, through an interesting twist, it has a grandiose scale. The game's creators have used Google Earth satellite imagery to build its stages, turning actual streets into Pac-Man like mazes where players will be chased by some monsters and headed off at intersections by others as they lead survivors to "escape zones." If Sony's clever, it's built the game to change over time as the real-world cityscape does – but that's just our hopefulness. If not, maybe it's saving that for a sequel prequel called The Next-to-Last Guy. While we dream, The Last Guy will hit the Japanese PlayStation Store on July 31 for 500 Yen (about $4.75). It looks like a totally bonkers romp that'd go over well in the West with some localized city maps. [Via Siliconera]
Remember Mario? He's back -- in button form!
What are these perfect for? Making a fabric-based stop-motion Mario animation, that's what. This latest batch of buttons from Etsy craftsman Spooon features easily movable characters and items, each faithfully recreated from original NES sprites. Why, nab a set of these handy control buttons, and you'll have hours of fun manually moving our plucky hero through all kinds of pinning adventures.Better yet, Spooon also whipped up a bunch of magnets featuring Space Invaders and Pac-man characters, so there's no real need to ever leave your kitchen. Sit by the fridge and enjoy! The sets are available in button ($8) or magnet ($10) form, so the choice of creating a retro fridge or bag is entirely up to you. The store is open for business, so take a crafty trip down nostalgia street.[Via technabob]
Pac-Man Roomba created with 448 LEDs
We were beginning to wonder if the Roomba hacking community had been sucked dry of ideas, but leave it to longjie0723 to give us hope yet. This Roomba hacker (yeah, he also rigged his up for Wiimote control) managed to solder 448 yellow LEDs onto a board and program said devices to move in such a way that a Pac-Man-type image is seen. C'mon, who hasn't dreamed of having that ghost-inhaler work his magic on those forsaken floors? Check the video after the jump.[Via Hack N Mod]
Castlevania, Pac-Man film adaptations (re)appear on radar
The Castlevania film adaptation is stepping back into the limelight, and it's bringing a rather bizarre friend with him. Crystal Sky Pictures has signed a "$200 million theatrical slate financing deal" with Grosvenor Park to produce five films, according to Variety, with two of those being Castlevania and -- no, really! -- Pac-Man.Originally penned by Paul W.S. "I didn't make Boogie Nights" Anderson (Resident Evil), Castlevania was put on hold during the writer's strike. The adaptation is still being co-produced by Rogue Pictures. Crystal Sky Pictures is also producing the Tekken film with Sony's Screen Gems.If anyone's curious, here's our pitch for Pac-Man: The Film:It's the year 2185. Human life has been all but eradicated, and sole survivors scramble to collect resources in a labyrinthine cave of unknown secrets. Using their spherical harvesting pods, each team takes a turn gathering. But something goes horribly wrong as one expedition team gets trapped and is forced to finish its mission while running away from haunting memories of the past...
iPhone SDK downloads exceed 100,000, upcoming games get outed
Just four days after Apple announced that the beta version of the iPhone SDK would be available to developers, some 100,000 downloads have taken place. 'Course, it's not like we're shocked by Cupertino's latest horn tooting, but we've all ideas that number pales in comparison to the amount of requests for unlocks. Nevertheless, the real news from the Apple camp is that companies such as Namco and PopCap are apparently on board to bring titles such as Pac-man, Galaga, Bejeweled, Zuma and Peggle to the iPod touch / iPhone via App Store. Furthermore, Six Apart's CEO admitted that it's already developing a "native iPhone application for TypePad," and the VP of THQ Wireless implied that we'd be seeing some of its wares surface here as well. As for release dates? Your guess is as good as ours.
Karmic retribution: Pac-Man gets eaten (DIY)
If you eat food, which is a given, and you aren't a vegan or lactose intolerant, you probably know that cheese is the best food ever. (The previous statement is a well-known fact, and is not up for debate.) Of course, cheese-based foods (well, all foods, for that matter) are always better when they relate to video games.Today's spotlight food relates to Pac-Man. No, we're not talking about Babybel cheese ... that would be too obvious. Instead, Jocelyn from Snack-or-Die found this neat recipe, which details how to make Pac-Man and pellet-shaped crackers. In case you're wondering what they taste like, think Goldfish snacks.If you have even the least bit of culinary skill and own the proper hardware, you owe it to yourself to make these crackers. The recipe makes the process seem pretty easy, and they look mighty tasty. Cooking Mama, eat your heart out.
Pac-Man CE nominated for 2008 GDCAs
Please, step back in time with us. Let's say it's February 2007, one year ago. A bedraggled, foul smelling man, wearing a sign that reads "The End is Nigh," approaches you and grabs you violently by the collar. He leans in close, his sour whisky breath burning your nostrils, and whispers, "One year from now, Pac-Man will be nominated for a Game Developers Choice Award!" The breath is so strong that you shut your eyes tight. Upon reopening them, the man is gone. You question your sanity, wondering if he was even real. A Pac-Man game nominated in 2008? Preposterous!Rest assured, he was real, and he was right. Namco Bandai Games have announced that Pac-Man Championship Edition, released in June 2007, has been nominated for Best Downloadable Game in the eighth annual Game Developers Choice Awards, which are set to take place during the Game Developers Conference later this month. Best Downloadable Game of 2009? Dig Dug. You heard it here first.
DS Phat mod pays homage to the N64
eBay user luckey92 knows what to do with an old DS Phat: mod it! The second part of auctioning it off online and donating 20% of the sale to Child's Play isn't something that we'd probably do ourselves, however. It's not that we're horrible people who don't care about good organizations that bring fun and hope to sick children all over, it's that we're horrible people who love the DS and would hold onto this sucker forever. We'd probably sit it next to our N64 and take pictures, then conduct a mock wedding between two N64s, with this DS being their offspring. We'd then name them the Pac-Mans.
Interlocking Pac-Man lights offer endless mazes, zero subtlety
Those intrigued by the idea of interlocking light blocks but disappointed by the subtlety of some of the current options available may want to take note of Remake Design's latest creation, which takes the idea to excessive new heights. As you can see, they've churned out a series of blocks to let you relive your past Pac-Man adventures on a grand scale, including blocks of dots, ghosts, and Pac-Man himself -- no power-ups though, it seems. No word on a price just yet, but given that the firm's standard set of four solid-colored lights costs $300, you'll likely have to part with a sizable stash of quarters if you want to add this particular retro touch to your living room
VC Monday Madness video wrap-up 1/14/08
This week's releases on the Virtual Console bring us two very distinct titles. If you like to beat your opponent silly with one hand and solve mind-teasers with the other, then the pair of offerings on tap this week are sure to satisfy your thirst. Hit up the video above and be sure to head past the break for more coverage.
Pac Attack and Riot Zone slump onto Virtual Console
If you saw our new release list this week, then you know that a torrent of mediocrity is forcing us to do things we don't want to do. First it was an American Idol take-off, which every media outlet from Semi Fan Bi-Monthly to Bi Fan Semi-Monthly has done before us. Now ... the hordes have forced us to post the above, semi-Pac-Man-related video just so this post has some entertainment value, and we couldn't be more sorry.Pac-Attack (Super NES, 1-2 players, 800 Wii Points): Though Pac-Man itself is a classic, we can't understand games that think the character identity of a soulless, yellow pizza is strong enough so that it can be transported to other games. In this case, it's a puzzler, both literally and figuratively.Riot Zone (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): From the intro of this side-scrolling beat 'em up: "The Bossman's still in the DragonZone! Whear's that warrant you promised?!" We assume your purchasing decision is now clear.
