Joystiq

Easter egg: Pac-Man is on Pac-Man in Street Fighter x Tekken

David Hinkle — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:30:00 EST

You may not have noticed during the frenzy of battle, but Pac-Man's got something interesting going on with his battle bot in Street Fighter X Tekken. On the back, there's an animated classic Pac-Man game board where Pac's chasing down his next ghastly snack!

Too bad nobody will be able to notice the intricate Easter egg mid-fight. Instead, you'll probably want to check it out in the customization screen - or, by simply hitting the play button on the video above.

[Thanks, Robert.]

Easter egg: Pac-Man is on Pac-Man in Street Fighter x Tekken originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 24 Apr 2012 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Decorate your own maze with Pac-Man wind-up toys

JC Fletcher — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 22:00:00 EST

Two incredible surprises await: the first surprise is that there apparently weren't already wind-up Pac-Man and Ghost Monster toys, and the second is that there are totally wind-up Pac-Man and Ghost Monster toys now.

Retailer Entertainment Earth (where Tomopop discovered the toys) lists them for release next month, at a $9.99 price point. However, Amazon has it right now through a third party seller, which means we could be re-enacting Pac-Man with our cats as unwitting participants in just days.

Decorate your own maze with Pac-Man wind-up toys originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'Pac-Man Smash' trademarked in Europe

JC Fletcher — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST

Namco Bandai filed a European trademark (number 010786341) for something called "Pac-Man Smash!" suggesting that, finally, Namco is making a spinoff game based on Pac-Man.

All right, maybe there's not enough information in the trademark listing to do much other than joke about the ubiquity of games starring Pac-Man, but the trademark does at least specify that it's for a video game (or card game, toy, or "gymnastic and sporting articles.)

The majority of Pac-Man-themed games end up on mobile or iOS these days (Pac-Man Arcade Golf, Pac-Man Kart Rally, Pac-Chain, etc.) so that's a likely destination for whatever this turns out to be. We're attempting to corner Namco now to ask about it, before the publisher can find a Power Pellet and turn on us.

'Pac-Man Smash' trademarked in Europe originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SoulCalibur 5's upcoming DLC has maid costumes, more swimsuits

Jordan Mallory — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST

So, remember how SoulCalibur 5 is getting monthly costume DLC starting next month, and how we were absolutely positive it wouldn't be what we were expecting? Well, turns out this first pack is actually exactly what we expected, in that it's mostly random goofiness and fanservice.

The new array of costumes will be available for purchase through the "Cepheus Store," which will presumably be added during the game's March 21 system/balance update. The store is divided into categories, the ones listed in the video being "Classic Headgears," "SCV Character Equipment," "Maid Costumes," "Active Wear," Ancient Armor" and "Modern Costumes."No word yet on pricing, or whether the costumes will be sold as complete outfits or individual pieces.

The above trailer also teases costumes and accessories coming in future updates, which appear to include fishing regalia, flight attendant outfits, the equipment needed to make King from Tekken, and ... a Pac Man head?

SoulCalibur 5's upcoming DLC has maid costumes, more swimsuits originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 18 Mar 2012 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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These games inspired Cliff Bleszinski, John Romero, Will Wright, and Sid Meier

Kat Bailey — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST

Everyone in the industry has a story about their formative experiences with video games, but Jon-Paul Dyson, the director of the International Center for the History of Electronic Games, was a bit more blunt than most.

"Great artists don't borrow. They steal," Dyson said, borrowing a quote from Pablo Picasso as he introduced Wil Wright, Sid Meier, John Romero, and Cliff Bleszinski. Speaking in front of a packed house at GDC, the four industry luminaries shared the games that inspired them as creators, and continue to influence them today.

Continue reading These games inspired Cliff Bleszinski, John Romero, Will Wright, and Sid Meier

These games inspired Cliff Bleszinski, John Romero, Will Wright, and Sid Meier originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Street Fighter X Tekken's Pac-Man and Mega Man hit PS3s on March 13

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST

As we learned a few months ago, the PS3 and Vita versions of Street Fighter X Tekken will include the two best/worst characters ever to grace a fighting game: Original Box-Art Mega Man, and Mecha-Mokujin Pac Man.

These characters won't be available out of the box, however; both hilarious callbacks will be released as free DLC on March 13, one week from SFxT's North American release on March 6, according to Capcom Unity. We're alright with this, because it means we'll at least get one week of fighting regular characters online. As soon as Mega/Pac-Man are available, we don't expect to see anyone else, ever again.

Street Fighter X Tekken's Pac-Man and Mega Man hit PS3s on March 13 originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 03 Mar 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A waka waka down memory lane: the 1982 Pac-Man cartoon

JC Fletcher — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST

With a new Pac-Man cartoon on the way to television, there's no more opportune time to go back and re-examine the last Pac-Man cartoon, produced by Hanna-Barbera in 1982 and 1983. If you were too young to enjoy this stuff when it was fresh, get a very small bowl of popcorn and take in the five-minute clip above.

That's from the first episode, which I recently watched on the Pac-Man: The Complete First Season DVD. Warner Bros. released this to the Warner Archive at the end of January, and it's now available on Amazon. I took the opportunity to go back through this pilot, taking notes on what was going on.

As a kid, I just took the absolutely nonsensical plotline at face value. Now, after 30 years and, not to brag, a lot of Pac-Man, I can see that Hanna-Barbera was doing some really freaky stuff, both in the name of tying into the near-nonexistent plot of the arcade game and just because.

Continue reading A waka waka down memory lane: the 1982 Pac-Man cartoon

A waka waka down memory lane: the 1982 Pac-Man cartoon originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man's 'Adventure Begins' next year in new animated series

JC Fletcher — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST

At its E3 2010 party -- a 30th anniversary celebration for Pac-Man -- Namco Bandai showed the pilot for a 3D animated series, produced by former Marvel exec Avi Arad. The show disappeared like a ghost monster's body until today, when Namco Bandai announced a deal for the show to appear on Disney XD in fall 2013.

Called "Pac-Man -- The Adventure Begins," this will finally be your opportunity to learn how Pac-Man started his long career of wandering around a maze trying not to starve.

Gallery: Pac-Man: The Adventure Begins

Continue reading Pac-Man's 'Adventure Begins' next year in new animated series

Pac-Man's 'Adventure Begins' next year in new animated series originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Street Fighter X Tekken trailer reveals new characters, teases ... Pac-Man in Vita version

JC Fletcher — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST

Capcom released a new Street Fighter X Tekken trailer, showing new characters for the crossover fighter, including Balrog, Juri, Vega, Paul, Law, and Xiaoyu. But that's not important right now.

What is important is a tease for the Vita version at the end of the trailer, which shows silhouettes of what is clearly Pac-Man, and what appears to be some kind of Mega Man variant. Mega Man in a fighting game is relatively common (and still welcome), but Pac-Man? We now live in a time in which a yellow sphere from a 1980 arcade game can beat up on the guy from Infamous. Wondrous!

Continue reading Street Fighter X Tekken trailer reveals new characters, teases ... Pac-Man in Vita version

Street Fighter X Tekken trailer reveals new characters, teases ... Pac-Man in Vita version originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The most adorable game of real-life Pac-Man you'll see today

Jordan Mallory — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST

As further proof that geek Dads are the very best Dads, YouTube user nglemb demonstrates that all you need to forge a lasting Father-son memory with your progeny is painter's tape, mini-marshmallows and a little imagination.

Continue reading The most adorable game of real-life Pac-Man you'll see today

The most adorable game of real-life Pac-Man you'll see today originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man: The Musical is great, made of clay

Richard Mitchell — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 02:00:00 EST

When you think of Pac-Man, you probably think of the yellow legend gobbling up ghosts. But what about Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde? Turns out they've been trying to eat Pac-Man this whole time too. Who knew?

Pac-Man: The Musical is great, made of clay originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 08 Oct 2011 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NintendoWare Weekly: Pac-Man, Trenches Generals

JC Fletcher — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:35:00 EST

In case you missed it yesterday, the Nintendo 3DS Ambassador Program has officially launched. Those who signed up to the eShop before August 11 can now download ten NES games from the eShop, though it's an annoying process.

If you can't get into the 3DS Embassy, it's a much less exciting week. The Game Boy version of Pac-Man awaits 3DS owners, and a House, MD game is up on DSiWare. There's a bit of intrigue, however, in a WiiWare tower defense game called Trenches Generals.

Continue reading NintendoWare Weekly: Pac-Man, Trenches Generals

NintendoWare Weekly: Pac-Man, Trenches Generals originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man and Galaga 3DS save data can be erased after all

David Hinkle — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST

It turns out there is a (previously undocumented) way to erase save data in Pac-Man and Galaga Dimensions on the 3DS, despite reports to the contrary last week. It's a bit more complicated than simply diving into the options menu. Upon start-up, players can input the command "ABXYLR," which will wipe the save data from the cartridge.

"There has been a miscommunication at our level," a Namco Bandai representative told Eurogamer today. "Thanks for your understanding." The rep then shouted "Aye bee ex why el arrr" and vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Pac-Man and Galaga 3DS save data can be erased after all originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man reimagined with Kinect and Unity3D

JC Fletcher — Tue, 10 May 2011 03:05:00 EST

YouTube user buptkangbo used the Unity3D game engine to develop a sort of 3D version of Pac-Man -- or, at least, a game roughly equivalent to what someone who has never seen Pac-Man would imagine if you had just described it to them. A yellow sphere walks around through a grassy field, collecting mushrooms and throwing them at ghost monsters. That's cool; the "official" Pac-Man platformers took lots of liberties, too.

What makes this particular version unique is that it's controlled with Kinect, played dolphin-style -- by which we mean the player leans into the camera as if swimming underwater. See for yourself after the break. If the demo actually becomes available for download and you then decide to try it, we suggest having plenty of snack foods handy for the full Pac-Man experience.

Continue reading Pac-Man reimagined with Kinect and Unity3D

Pac-Man reimagined with Kinect and Unity3D originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 10 May 2011 03:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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'World's Biggest Pac-Man' connects user-created mazes in your browser

JC Fletcher — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST

Yesterday at the MIX11 conference, Microsoft revealed a project undertaken with Soap Creative and Namco Bandai: The World's Biggest Pac-Man, an HTML 5 version of the iconic arcade game with user-created levels. Every maze is connected, allowing players to use the "exits" on the side of a maze to enter another one -- even if it feels really wrong to leave a maze partially completed (so wrong). The rapidly expanding continent of Pac-Man mazes currently includes 1420 separate screens.

The app requires users to sign into Facebook before creating new mazes, but no login is required to explore the growing selection of levels. It should run on any browser (despite being released as promotion for Internet Explorer 9), but based on our experience iOS devices aren't compatible.

'World's Biggest Pac-Man' connects user-created mazes in your browser originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions packs in Championship Edition, Legions

Randy Nelson — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST

Though still not announced for release in North America, Namco Bandai's first (of what will likely be many) iterations of Pac-Man and Galaga on 3DS has already gotten more attractive. The latest issue of Famitsu reports that, in addition to newfangled gyroscope-controlled versions of the two classics, Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions will include Pac-Man Championship Edition and Galaga Legions, plus the original arcade versions of Pac-Man and Galaga.

The arcade ports will make use of the 3DS's autostereoscopic effect to create the illusion of looking down on the original coin-op machines -- though purists can always turn down the 3D slider, we assume. Players will also be able to choose between multiple cabinet variants. Of course, this will all seem quaint when we're writing about the seventh repackaging of Pac-Man and Galaga for 3DS four years from now.

Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions packs in Championship Edition, Legions originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We're gonna need a video game death montage

David Hinkle — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:10:00 EST

Even Rocky had a montage -- and now it's video games' turn!

Here's a test: see if you can guess every single game featured in this montage of video game deaths from Boing Boing, posted just past the break. If you get 'em all right, we promise to love you forever. That's a good enough prize, right?

More like the best prize ever.

Continue reading We're gonna need a video game death montage

We're gonna need a video game death montage originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man creator reminisces about classic game design, calls for creativity

JC Fletcher — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST

Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani wants the next Pac-Man game to be about "a singing Pac-Man." Not a musical, "not Chicago," but more of a Blues Brothers type thing, he told a packed house at his GDC postmortem. Nobody there knew what that meant either.

In the hourlong presentation, Iwatani shared concept art from the thirty-year-old arcade classic, including the hand-drawn concept for the famous Pac-Man death animation, and even a chart of ghost speeds. He identified the design of Pac-Man as female-focused, with an emphasis on "eating" as a verb ("Girls love to eat desserts," Iwatani explained. "My wife often eats desserts.") and cute characters, including cute enemies.

Continue reading Pac-Man creator reminisces about classic game design, calls for creativity

Pac-Man creator reminisces about classic game design, calls for creativity originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hand-cranked mechanical Pac-Man gobbles up our heart

Griffin McElroy — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:20:00 EST

Here's a thing we didn't know we wanted until the internet showed it to us: a hand-cranked, clockwork Pac-Man sculpture. Its creator, Jonathan Guberman, hopes to create a fully playable mechanical Pac-Man machine called "Pac Machina" -- but this proof of concept is cool enough for the time being.

Continue reading Hand-cranked mechanical Pac-Man gobbles up our heart

Hand-cranked mechanical Pac-Man gobbles up our heart originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ms. Pac-Man coming soon to iPad, followed by free Valentine's update for iPhone Pac-Man

David Hinkle — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:30:00 EST

Prior to the Hallmark holiday, Valentine's Day, Namco-Bandai Games will unload an iPad version of its iOS game, Ms. Pac-Man. Sadly, we don't have any idea how much it'll cost, but the $4.99 iPhone version that's currently available on the App Store seems like a good starting point for speculation.

If you like your pellet-chomping and ghost-accosting a bit more on the masculine side, Namco Bandai Games promises a free update to the iOS version of Pac-Man, which gives the game a special holiday-themed makeover. The re-skinned game is visible in our gallery below. Wakka wakka!

Gallery: Pac-Man (Valentine's Day update)

Ms. Pac-Man coming soon to iPad, followed by free Valentine's update for iPhone Pac-Man originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Researchers pit microorganisms in deadly game of 'PAC-mecium'

James Ransom-Wiley — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST

At first glance, the so-called "biotic games" research conducted by a Stanford University team that's installed microorganisms into crude, real-life video games merely raises the question: Wow -- that's a job?

A summary of the team's experimentation on living organisms (red flag!) in this month's Lab on a Chip journal suggests that biotic games could "have significant conceptual and cost-reducing effects on biotechnology and eventually health care," not to mention that they could also "educate society at large to support personal medical decisions and the public discourse on bio-related issues."

Those sure sound like complicatedly-worded, yet noble goals -- or at least good cover for playing video games all day -- but we sense a distressing undertone in the work here. Just watch the clip (after the break) of the researchers' Pac-Man prototype clone, "PAC-mecium," wherein, ostensibly, a player would "guide" unwitting paramecia to happy-face yeast pellets and attempt to keep the poor protozoa from being devoured by a giant zebrafish larvae, or not.

It's pretty clear to us that the next "guinea pigs" in this diabolical plan will be mice, and then probably monkeys. The final stage? Gerard Butler.

Continue reading Researchers pit microorganisms in deadly game of 'PAC-mecium'

Researchers pit microorganisms in deadly game of 'PAC-mecium' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Pac-Man reality series in development

Andrew Yoon — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:30:00 EST

Certainly, this must be one of the signs of our inevitable doom. According to Deadline Hollywood, Merv Griffin Entertainment is planning video game-themed reality series where contestants compete in a series of loosely game-related challenges for a chance to win a job as a video game tester. Just kidding! Unfortunately, that just makes too much sense. No, the company supposedly plans on adapting Pac-Man as a reality series. Wait, what?

"The idea we have is to take what Pac-Man is and bring it to life, to bring what is essentially the world's biggest game of tag to television," Merv Griffin's Roy Bank told Deadline, presumably while wiping some brownie crumbs off his face. The pitch, inspired by ABC's Wipeout, comes in time for the mascot's 30th anniversary. At least there's some reason behind this madness.

We can only assume that the end result will look exactly like this fan-made movie adaptation. And if Pac-Man: The Reality Series manages to find an audience, who knows what other game franchises we'll see adapted for the TV screen? Cho Aniki, perhaps?

Report: Pac-Man reality series in development originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man Battle Royale now shipping to US arcades

JC Fletcher — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST

Great news for people who live anywhere near an arcade in the US: Distributor BMI Gaming is now shipping the wonderful Pac-Man Battle Royale to American arcade operators. When we played Battle Royale at E3, our sheer delight was tainted by sadness, as we figured that many of you would never get to experience this game if it only saw a limited Japanese release. While this isn't the home version we so dearly want, even the slightest possibility of being able to play this four-player Pac-vs.-Pac game is enough to put a smile on our faces.

Arcade Heroes reports that the $4275 price tag for the cocktail-style cabinet is low relative to other new-release arcade games, meaning that arcade operators will have an incentive to choose Battle Royale over other games. And that's good for everyone except the first three Pac-Men we meet in our local arcade.

Pac-Man Battle Royale now shipping to US arcades originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man glows 'green' in Switzerland's Festival of Trees and Lights

JC Fletcher — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:00:00 EST

With a few simple additions, artists Benedetto Bufalino and Benedict Deseille turned Geneva, Switzerland's Festival Arbres et Lumières ("Festival of Trees and Lights") into a festival of trees, lights and ... ghosts. The artists added giant Pac-Man characters to an existing string of public ~~pellets~~ lights, creating an installation that requires no extra energy consumption.

Pac-Man, of course, looks to be in dire need of some power -- in power pellet form -- in this chase scene, also from the festival, photographed by DeviantArtist Attila-le-Ain.

Pac-Man glows 'green' in Switzerland's Festival of Trees and Lights originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Body and Brain Connection's Pac-Man minigame on video

JC Fletcher — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:38:00 EST

During a demonstration of Dr. Kawashima's Body and Brain Connection, we experienced an odd Kinect Pac-Man minigame. Now, you can see the oddness for yourself. It's not Pac-Man CE by any means, but it is another weird variant of the 30-year-old game.

Continue reading Body and Brain Connection's Pac-Man minigame on video

Body and Brain Connection's Pac-Man minigame on video originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gorge yourself on new Pac-Man CE DX media

David Hinkle — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:30:00 EST

We can identify with Pac-Man. No matter how much he consumes, it will never fill the hole in his heart. It's kinda how we feel waiting for Pac-Man Championship Edition DX: empty inside. At least these new screens and trailer make the wait a bit less agonizing.

Continue reading Gorge yourself on new Pac-Man CE DX media

Gorge yourself on new Pac-Man CE DX media originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Nov 2010 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man CE DX trailer is madness

Justin McElroy — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST

Imagine an '80s gamer hurled into 2010. He rushes to Joystiq, freaks (because the internet) and finds the future of gaming is ... a Pac-Man: Championship Edition DX trailer. It's gotta be a little disconcerting, if only because the people of today have turned Pac-Man into an LSD-fueled nightmare.

Continue reading Pac-Man CE DX trailer is madness

Pac-Man CE DX trailer is madness originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Treat yourself to this Pac-Pumpkin Halloween lawn decoration

James Ransom-Wiley — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

There's really ever only one excuse to drop $100 on an 8-foot Pac-Man lawn decoration. Thank you, Halloween.

Continue reading Treat yourself to this Pac-Pumpkin Halloween lawn decoration

Treat yourself to this Pac-Pumpkin Halloween lawn decoration originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 16 Oct 2010 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man to appear on Japanese food pac-kages

JC Fletcher — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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 to appear on Japanese food pac-kages originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 Sep 2010 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man, Micro Machines, Air Hockey created in LittleBigPlanet 2 beta

Griffin McElroy — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:40:00 EST

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.

Continue reading Pac-Man, Micro Machines, Air Hockey created in LittleBigPlanet 2 beta

Pac-Man, Micro Machines, Air Hockey created in LittleBigPlanet 2 beta originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 17 Sep 2010 12:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video game characters need business cards too

Alexander Sliwinski — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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.

Continue reading Video game characters need business cards too

Video game characters need business cards too originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 08 Sep 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Namco remakes arcade classics again in Wii's Namco Museum Megamix

JC Fletcher — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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: Namco Museum Megamix (Wii)

Continue reading Namco remakes arcade classics again in Wii's Namco Museum Megamix

Namco remakes arcade classics again in Wii's Namco Museum Megamix originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Pac-Man Party

Ben Gilbert — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST

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: Pac-Man Party

Continue reading Preview: Pac-Man Party

Preview: Pac-Man Party originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The past and future Pac-Man

JC Fletcher — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:35:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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.

Continue reading The past and future Pac-Man

The past and future Pac-Man originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Preview: Pac-Man Battle Royale

Ludwig Kietzmann — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EST

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.

Continue reading Preview: Pac-Man Battle Royale

Preview: Pac-Man Battle Royale originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 21 Jun 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man Championship Edition coming to PSP and PS3

Ludwig Kietzmann — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:15:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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 coming to PSP and PS3 originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man Championship Edition DX coming to XBLA, PSN this fall

James Ransom-Wiley — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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 Championship Edition DX coming to XBLA, PSN this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pac-Man Party partying on Wii this fall

JC Fletcher — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:25:00 EST

Filed under: Weird But True, Opinions, New In Pop Culture

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!]

Pac-Man Party partying on Wii this fall originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 15 Jun 2010 10:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone having a 'PAC-Match Party'

Randy Nelson — Thu, 27 May 2010 23:00:00 EST

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.

Continue reading iPhone having a 'PAC-Match Party'

iPhone having a 'PAC-Match Party' originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 27 May 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Pac-Man made permanent

Justin McElroy — Wed, 26 May 2010 02:00:00 EST

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]

Google Pac-Man made permanent originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 26 May 2010 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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