Editing Pac-Man

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{{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= ''Pac-Man SuperFast!'' (2024)
|lastappearance= ''{{s|wikipedia|Pac-Man World Re-Pac}}'' (2022)
|games        = ''[[SSB4]]''<br>''[[Ultimate]]''
|games        = ''[[SSB4]]''<br>''[[Ultimate]]''
|console      = Arcade
|console      = Arcade
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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 ''Pac-Land'' and 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. 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, usually adapting to the trends in children's entertainment at the time — 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. The present-day incarnation of Pac-Man has been depicted as athletic, universally friendly towards even villains (to the point of ''Pac-Man World Re-Pac'' relegating the source material's infamously cruel comeuppance for Toc-Man to a bad ending, and adding a new, peaceful good ending), and supportive; with promotional materials featuring motivational advice. Regardless of personality and 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]]''==
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*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>
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*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==

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