Editing Pac-Man

From SmashWiki, the Super Smash Bros. wiki
Jump to navigationJump to search
Warning You aren't logged in. While it's not a requirement to create an account, doing so makes it a lot easier to keep track of your edits and a lot harder to confuse you with someone else. If you edit without being logged in, your IP address will be recorded in the page's edit history.

The edit can be undone. Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then publish the changes below to finish undoing the edit.

Latest revision Your text
Line 4: Line 4:
{{Infobox Character General
{{Infobox Character General
|name        = Pac-Man
|name        = Pac-Man
|image        = {{tabber|title1=Anthropomorphic|content1=[[File:Pac-Man.png|250px]]|title2=Original|content2=[[File:pacmanvintage.png|x250px]]}}
|image        = [[File:Pac-Man (PMVS).png|250px]]
|caption      = [[File:PacManSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert-dark]]
|caption      = [[File:PacManSymbol.svg|50px|class=invert]]
Official artwork of Pac-Man's two main forms.
Official artwork of Pac-Man from ''{{s|wikipedia|Pac-Man Vs.}}'' (Nintendo Switch).
|universe      = {{uv|Pac-Man}}
|universe      = {{uv|Pac-Man}}
|firstgame    = ''{{b|Pac-Man|game}}'' (1980)
|firstgame    = ''{{b|Pac-Man|game}}'' (1980)
|lastappearance= ''{{s|wikipedia|Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs}}'' (2024)
|lastappearance= ''{{s|wikipedia|Pac-Man World Re-Pac}}'' (2022)
|games        = ''[[SSB4]]''<br>''[[Ultimate]]''
|games        = ''[[SSB4]]''<br>''[[Ultimate]]''
|console      = Arcade
|console      = Arcade
Line 27: Line 27:
Pac-Man debuted as the main playable character in the arcade game, ''Pac-Man'', in 1980. His minimalist yet iconic design was inspired by multiple sources: a rounded simplification of the Japanese character 口 (''kuchi''), meaning "mouth"; a 1970s toyline by Tomy; and a pizza missing a single slice. His name is derived from the Japanese onomatopoeia ぱくぱく (''paku paku''), meaning to rapidly open and close one's mouth. Japanese promotional art for the 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''.
Pac-Man debuted as the main playable character in the arcade game, ''Pac-Man'', in 1980. His minimalist yet iconic design was inspired by multiple sources: a rounded simplification of the Japanese character 口 (''kuchi''), meaning "mouth"; a 1970s toyline by Tomy; and a pizza missing a single slice. His name is derived from the Japanese onomatopoeia ぱくぱく (''paku paku''), meaning to rapidly open and close one's mouth. Japanese promotional art for the 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''.


As a character, Pac-Man initially began with very few personality traits, reflecting his simplistic appearance in the games. 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 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 in Japan. 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.
As a character, Pac-Man initially began with very few personality traits, reflecting his simplistic appearance in the games. 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 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 in Japan. 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.


Due to his simplistic character, Pac-Man's personality can also vary between depictions — for instance, ''Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures'' 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'' 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 reinterprets the character as a naïve high school student with a mysterious, tragic backstory. More modern promotional materials have shown an athletic and supportive side to the character. Regardless of appearance, he is typically shown to have a ravenous appetite, owing to the original game's focus on eating dots and [[Bonus Fruit]].
Due to his simplistic character, Pac-Man's personality can also vary between depictions. For example, ''Pac-Man World 3'' shows him as somewhat flippant and sarcastic, while in ''Pac-Man & the Ghostly Adventures'', he uses a different design, becoming a naïve high school student. Regardless of appearance, he is typically shown to have a ravenous appetite, owing to the original game's focus on eating dots and [[Bonus Fruit]].


==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Brawl]]''==
Line 100: Line 100:
*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''.
*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.
*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.
*''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 "Bad Box Art [[Mega Man]]", who is based on the Mega Man featured 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.''
*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 & 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>
*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 & 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>
Line 106: Line 106:
*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 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.
*Pac-Man is the first third-party character to debut in the arcades.
*As the first appearance of a yellow, hungry character named Pac-Man was a Tomy bank toy in the 1970s, he is technically the only playable ''Smash'' character to not be created specifically with gaming in mind, and the second to debut in a medium outside of gaming or direct promotional materials for games after [[Lucario]], though whether the game was based on the toy or simply a coincidence is often disputed by ''Pac-Man'' historians.


==References==
==References==

Please note that all contributions to SmashWiki are considered to be released under the Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported license (see SmashWiki:Copyrights for details). Your changes will be visible immediately. Please enter a summary of your changes above.

Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!

Cancel Editing help (opens in new window)