Pac-Man Celebrates 25th With a New Game
Headline sure to send millions of gamers thinking back longingly to smoke-filled arcades from the early '80s.
Back in 1980, Toru Iwatani, a young game designer at Namco, took inspiration from a pizza with a slice missing and created one of the most instantly recognisable characters in the industry. Twenty-five years on and Pac-Man is still going strong. Namco has announced that the loveable yellow twentysomething will be celebrating his birthday this year by appearing in a new game - Pac-Man World 3.
Over the years, certain aspects of Pac-Man have undergone necessary changes, but at his core he's still the same character.
"Like all of us, Pac-Man has evolved over the years, changing with the times," said Iwatani. "People love Pac-Man because he's simple and cute and most importantly fun."
Part of the enduring appeal of the Pac-Man games is the strong sense of history, which is bolstered in Pac-Man World 3 by the presence of some age-old friends and gameplay devices. Players will be able to take control of not only Pac-Man himself but also two of the original ghosts - Pinky and Clyde.
Pac-Man World 3 will be released later this year for PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, PC and PSP.
Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games
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