Editing Pac-Man

{{articleIcons|ssb4=y|ssbu=y}}
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{{For|the universe|Pac-Man (universe)}}
{{Infobox Character General
|name         = Pac-Man
|image        = {{tabber|title1=Anthropomorphic|content1=[[File:Pac-Man.png|250px]]|title2=Original|content2=[[File:pacmanvintage.png|x250px]]}}
|caption      = [[File:PacManSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]
Official artwork of Pac-Man's two main forms.
|universe       = {{uv|Pac-Man}}
|firstgame    = ''{{b|Pac-Man|game}}'' (1980)
|lastappearance = ''{{iw|wikipedia|Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds}}'' (2026, via DLC)
|games        = ''[[SSB4]]''<br>''[[Ultimate]]''
|console      = Arcade
|species      = Pac-Person
|gender       = Male
|homeworld    = Pac-Land
|creator      = Tōru Iwatani
|artist       = Tōru Iwatani<br>Tadashi Yamashita 
|voiceactor   =
|interwiki    = wikipedia
|interwikiname= Wikipedia
|interwikipage= Pac-Man (character)
}}
'''Pac-Man''', also stylized as '''PAC-MAN''' ({{ja|パックマン|Pakkuman}}, ''Pacman'', originally written ''Puckman''), is the main character in the eponymous {{uv|Pac-Man}} series. He is [[Bandai Namco]]'s mascot and one of the most widely recognized video game characters in the world.<ref>[https://www.ibtimes.com/gobble-gobble-pac-man-turns-40-2980847 Gobble Gobble: Pac-Man Turns 40]</ref>

==Origin==
Pac-Man debuted as the main playable character in the arcade game, ''Pac-Man'', in 1980. His minimalist design is an icon of video gaming; according to designer {{s|wikipedia|Toru Iwatani}}, the popular story that he was inspired by a pizza missing a single slice is "half true", and his primary inspiration was a rounded stylization of the Japanese kanji 口 (''kuchi'', mouth). His name is derived from the Japanese onomatopoeia ぱくぱく (''paku paku''), meaning to rapidly open and close one's mouth.<ref name="Programmers At Work">{{cite book |last=Lammers |first=Susan M. |title=Programmers at Work: Interviews |year=1986 |page=[https://archive.org/details/programmersatwor00lamm_0/page/266 266] |publisher=Microsoft Press |location=New York |isbn=0-914845-71-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/programmersatwor00lamm_0/page/266 |url-access=registration}}</ref> The toy company {{s|wikipedia|Tomy}} released products featuring a round, yellow character named "PacMan" prior to the release of the arcade game; while it is disputed whether this was a conscious inspiration, it is known that Tomy settled out of court in exchange for the right to produce licensed ''Pac-Man'' toys.<ref>https://www.theoldrobots.com/Je-Je-Pac-Man.html</ref><ref>https://www.theoldrobots.com/Pacman.html</ref><ref>"Tomy Corporation also has a license to produce its own handheld Pac-Man electronic game. This license expires on December 1, 1983 and was part of a quit claim assignment by Tomy to Midway of any rights it might have claimed in the mark Pac-Man as well as in Tomy's mechanical game of the same name." (https://web.archive.org/web/20240724222453/https://casetext.com/case/midway-mfg-co-v-bandai-america-inc)</ref>

Japanese promotional art for the ''Pac-Man'' arcade game depicted Pac-Man with a slightly more humanoid design, featuring limbs with orange gloves and red boots, as well as a long nose; this design would be refined over time and subsequently featured in the games beginning with the 1984 arcade title ''Pac-Land''. The international cabinet art, released by {{iw|wikipedia|Midway Games}}, depicted Pac-Man as a more surreal, animalistic creature with red eyes and no arms, but this design would be short-lived, and international license holders were given leeway to experiment with the character design, a common practice in the 1980s, and typically either skewed much closer to the original Japanese design or made him more anthropomorphic by placing a yellow head on a human body.

As a character, Pac-Man initially began with very few personality traits, reflecting his simplistic appearance in the games. Cutscenes throughout the original ''Pac-Man'' arcade games titled "Coffee Breaks" would show various cartoon scenarios with Pac-Man, revealing a somewhat quick-witted character capable of outsmarting enemies on the fly, but not revealing much else. Later installments in the franchise, such as the ''Pac-Man World'' series, expand on the character and his backstory. In these games, he is a father with a large family that he deeply cares about, and he is characterized as a relatively laid-back hero who is willing to help wherever he is needed. Both of these traits were first established in Hanna-Barbera's ''Pac-Man'' cartoon series, which — unlike American multimedia adaptations of other Japanese franchises such as {{uv|Mario}} and {{uv|Sonic}} — was greatly influential to the ''Pac-Man'' universe and set the groundwork for most media that followed, thanks in part to a large portion of ''Pac-Man'' titles having been developed outside of the character's home country. His relationship with the [[ghosts]] (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde) has also changed over the years: they have been depicted as archenemies, allies of circumstance, or even friendly rivals.

Various ''Pac-Man'' games released during the 1980s, particularly those produced by Midway with minimal Namco oversight, would introduce new friends and family members for Pac-Man, primarily sharing his basic character design with some kind of stereotypical accessory added. These include {{iw|wikipedia|Ms. Pac-Man}}, Pac-Man's wife who wears a bow and possesses a mole on her cheek; {{iw|wikipedia|Baby Pac-Man}}, Pac-Man's daughter who initially bore a pink bonnet; and {{iw|wikipedia|Professor Pac-Man}}, who wears glasses and an Oxford cap. These characters held over in new games after Midway lost the license to use Pac-Man, though the majority of them would later be replaced by conceptually similar characters due to legal feuds with microconsole manufacturer {{iw|wikipedia|AtGames}}. Pac-Man's world has also been developed with characters from other Namco games, such as [[Pooka]]s from {{uv|Dig Dug}} and [[Boss Galaga|Galaxian]]s from the {{uv|Galaxian}} series, existing as a natural part of his insular universe as opposed to a multiverse or shared canon.

Due to his simplistic character, Pac-Man's personality has also varied between depictions; while he is universally shown to have a ravenous appetite (owing to the original game's focus on eating dots and [[Bonus Fruit]]), the way he is depicted often reflects trends in children's entertainment in the Western world.

For instance, ''Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures'', released in the 1990s during a large-scale revival of vintage slapstick cartoon tropes, portrays the character as an archetypal golden-age cartoon anti-hero who is overly emotional and often selfish, needing the player's intervention to succeed in his goals. ''Pac-Man World 3'', released in the 2000s following a shift towards snide verbal comedy in children's media, portrays Pac-Man as a flippant, sarcastic hero who is prone to cracking somewhat edgy jokes and does not take the conflicts he faces seriously. The ''Pac-Man & the Ghostly Adventures'' franchise, introduced in the 2010s at a time where children's cartoons were embracing serialised plotlines, reinterprets the character as an orphaned high school student with a mysterious, tragic backstory.

In the present day, most depictions of Pac-Man feature his abstract form and depict him with little to no personality, as in the original arcade games. When shown in his anthropomorphic form, the current-day Pac-Man is most consistently depicted as compassionate, athletic, and supportive; promotional materials feature the character living an active lifestyle and giving motivational advice. This iteration of the character is prominently featured in ''Pac-Man World Re-Pac'' and ''Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac'', the latter of which gives Pac-Man plenty of in-game dialogue that did not exist in the original. Particularly emphasized is his pacifism; he prefers not to fight if given the opportunity, and he will unconditionally forgive his enemies if he believes he can reason with them. This aspect is best shown in ''Pac-Man World Re-Pac'', which adds a "true" ending not present in the original game — where Pac-Man forgives the game's villain Orson for stealing his identity and kidnapping his family — and relegates the original game's ending — where Pac-Man simply eats Orson — to a non-canon "false" ending, which is achieved by not clearing goals that were mandatory in the original. When necessary, Pac-Man is willing to defend himself in combat, and he does not hold back towards truly evil villains who mortally threaten him, his family, or his home, such as Wormwood and Spooky.

==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
While Pac-Man is completely absent from ''Brawl'', he was reportedly requested by [[Shigeru Miyamoto]] to be another third-party character in ''Brawl''. However, Sakurai rejected the idea as he felt that Pac-Man appearing in his famous 2D form seemed too far-fetched.<ref>[http://mynintendonews.com/2014/07/03/miyamoto-requested-pac-man-in-smash-bros-brawl/ My Nintendo News: "Miyamoto Requested Pac-Man in Smash Bros. Brawl"]</ref>

==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]''==
===As a playable character===
{{Main|Pac-Man (SSB4)}}
[[File:Pac-Man SSB4.png|thumb|left|Pac-Man in ''Super Smash Bros. 4''.]]
Pac-Man is a playable character in ''Super Smash Bros. 4'', revealed behind closed doors at the E3 Smash Bros Q&A and made known to the general public via [https://twitter.com/NintendoAmerica/status/476547936881369088 Nintendo of America's official Twitter account] before being covered on 'Pic of the Day' the following morning.

Pac-Man ranks at 46th place on the ''Smash 4'' [[tier list]] in the F tier. His [[Bonus Fruit]] special move acts as an effective projectile with differing attacks depending on its state upon being thrown. He also has a strong combo game at his disposal, able to perform combos both on the ground and in the air. However, his Bonus Fruit, [[Power Pellet]], and [[Fire Hydrant]] specials can all be turned against him easily, creating some risks for himself in battle. He also suffers from an unreliable grab due to its high lag, and has trouble scoring KOs. Nevertheless, Pac-Man can excel by using his combo ability and the versatility in his specials. Currently, Pac-Man has a few dedicated players, but low tournament results.
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===Trophies===
{{main|List of SSB4 trophies (Pac-Man series)}}
{{Trophy
|name=PAC-MAN
|image-3ds=PacManTrophy3DS.png
|image-wiiu=PacManTrophyWiiU.png
|desc-ntsc=The yellow, circular hero of the game PAC-MAN, which is recognized as the "Most Successful Coin-Operated Arcade Game" by Guinness World Records. In Smash Bros., he uses several moves inspired by the original PAC-MAN. Wakawaka your foes by charging up the Power Pellet move and aiming at them.
|desc-pal=The yellow, circular hero of the game PAC-MAN, which is recognised as the "Most Successful Coin-Operated Arcade Game" by Guinness World Records. In this game, some of his attacks are based on the original PAC-MAN. Charge up his Power Pellet move, then aim it right at an opponent to wakawaka them extra hard.
|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=Arcade|game1=PAC-MAN|release1=1980|console2=Arcade|game2=PAC-LAND|release2=1984}}
|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=Arcade|game1=PAC-MAN|release1=1980 (JP)|console2=Arcade|game2=PAC-LAND|release2=1984 (JP)}}
}}
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{{Trophy
|name=PAC-MAN (Alt.)
|image-3ds=PacManAltTrophy3DS.png
|image-wiiu=PacManAltTrophyWiiU.png
|desc-ntsc=PAC-MAN's Fire Hydrant down special pushes opponents away with blasts of water. You can drop the hydrant on top of your opponents to damage them, but they can also attack it to damage you if you're standing on it! His Pac-Jump up special spawns a trampoline he can jump on three times—the third jump is especially high!
|desc-pal=PAC-MAN's Fire Hydrant down special pushes opponents away with blasts of water. You can drop the hydrant on top of your opponents to damage them, but they can also attack it and hit you with it to cause damage! His Pac-Jump up special spawns a trampoline he can jump on three times, and the third jump is especially high!
|gamelist-ntsc={{Trophy games|console1=Arcade|game1=PAC-MAN|release1=1980|console2=Arcade|game2=PAC-LAND|release2=1984}}
|gamelist-pal={{Trophy games|console1=Arcade|game1=PAC-MAN|release1=1980 (JP)|console2=Arcade|game2=PAC-LAND|release2=1984 (JP)}}
}}
{{clrl}}

==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''==
===As a playable character===
{{Main|Pac-Man (SSBU)}}
[[File:Pac-Man SSBU.png|thumb|200px|Pac-Man in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''.]]
Pac-Man returns as a playable character alongside the series' entire playable cast in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'', this time as an unlockable character.
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===Spirit===
<center>
<gallery>
SSBU spirit PAC-MAN.png|946. '''''PAC-MAN'''''
</gallery>
</center>

==Names in other languages==
{{langtable
|ja={{ja|パックマン|Pakkuman}}, ''PAC-MAN''
|en=PAC-MAN
|fr=PAC-MAN
|es=PAC-MAN
|de=PAC-MAN
|it=PAC-MAN
|nl=PAC-MAN
|ru={{rollover|ПЭКМЕН|Pekmen|?}}
|ko={{rollover|팩맨|Paekmaen|?}}, ''PAC-MAN''
|zh={{rollover|吃豆人|Chīdòurén|?}}, ''PAC-MAN''
|zhM=Bean eater
|pt=PAC-MAN
}}

==Trivia==
*With his debut in May 1980, Pac-Man is one of the earliest-created characters introduced in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, alongside Mr. Game & Watch. He is the oldest third-party character, and the oldest character introduced in ''Smash 4''.
*Pac-Man appeared as a playable character in ''[[Super Smash Bros. 4]]'' 34 years after his debut, therefore having the largest gap of any playable character in the ''Smash'' series between their first appearance and ''Smash'' debut.
*''Super Smash Bros. 4'' is not Pac-Man's first appearance in a crossover fighting game; he had previously appeared in ''{{S|wikipedia|Street Fighter x Tekken}}'' in a {{S|wikipedia|Mokujin}} mech, as an exclusive guest fighter on the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions. This game also features [[Ryu]] and [[Ken]] from the ''Street Fighter'' side, [[Kazuya]] from the ''Tekken'' side, as well as a version of [[Mega Man]] based on the North American box art of the original ''Mega Man'' game for the NES.
*Pac-Man has had several prior crossovers with Nintendo franchises (mainly Mario) before ''Super Smash Bros.'' He previously appeared in all three ''Mario Kart Arcade GP'' titles as a playable racer. In addition, Mario appeared as the announcer in the Nintendo-developed installment of his series, ''Pac-Man Vs.''
*Masahiro Sakurai stated in an interview that he would have considered dropping Pac-Man from ''Smash 4'' entirely if Namco didn't allow them to use his classic design over his more modern ''Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures'' design.<ref>[http://www.sourcegaming.info/2015/06/26/800/ Source Gaming: “My First Conception is My Landmark,” Sakurai’s Famitsu column vol. 456]</ref>
*Pac-Man is one of the three playable third-party characters with no voice clips. The other ones are [[Mega Man]] and [[Steve]].
*Pac-Man and [[Kazuya]] are the only characters to have a [[taunt]] with an official name, with Pac-Man's being [[Namco Roulette]]. Incidentally, they are both owned by [[Bandai Namco]].
*Pac-Man is the first third-party character to debut in the arcades.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*Article on [https://pacman.fandom.com/wiki/Pac-Man PAC-MAN Wiki]

{{Characters}}
{{Pac-Man universe}}
[[Category:Pac-Man| ]]
[[Category:Third-party characters]]
[[Category:Bandai Namco]]
[[Category:Trophies (SSB4-3DS)]]
[[Category:Trophies (SSB4-Wii U)]]
[[Category:Spirits]]
[[es:Pac-Man]]
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