Pac-Man (SSB4)

Pac-Man in Super Smash Bros. 4
Universe	Pac-Man
Availability	Starter
Final Smash	Super Pac-Man
Tier	F (46)

“	PAC-MAN Hungers for Battle!	”
—Introduction Tagline

Pac-Man (パックマン, Pakkuman), rendered in-game as PAC-MAN in non-Japanese versions and as PACMAN in the Japanese version, is a newcomer in Super Smash Bros. 4. He was revealed on June 10th, 2014 during the E3 2014 Super Smash Bros. roundtable, alongside the Mii Fighters. Pac-Man is one of six third-party characters in SSB4, alongside Capcom's Mega Man and Ryu, Sega's Sonic and Bayonetta, and Square Enix's Cloud.

Pac-Man's moveset involves signature aspects of his home series, such as utilizing fruits and eating Power Pellets, while also referencing numerous other Namco games in a few ways, most notably via his up taunt. While Pac-Man retains his classic "wedge" form, he only uses it occasionally, such as for his down tilt and his side taunt. Instead, he mostly uses his "ball" form that appeared on game cabinet artwork and advertising before it debuted in-game in the Japanese version of Pac-Land.

Pac-Man is currently ranked 46th out of 55 on the tier list. In addition to placing him at the top of the F tier, this renders him as the highest ranking low-tier character and the lowest ranking third-party character. Pac-Man's strengths lie in his unique item-oriented playstyle, which involves a capable camping and projectile game via the use of Bonus Fruit for a range of items, along with Pac-Jump and Fire Hydrant for stage control. These traits synchronize well with Pac-Man's regular moves, the overwhelming majority of which allow him to rack up damage effectively because of their low start-up lag and low base knockback. Pac-Man also boasts a great recovery thanks to Power Pellet and Pac-Jump covering great distances, both of which are further supplemented by his ability to wall jump.

However, Pac-Man suffers from numerous flaws, which include mediocre mobility and average range. The aforementioned low base knockback of his moveset also significantly hinders his ability to KO effectively, which is further compounded by his strongest attacks having high overall lag. Finally, his most notable flaws include what is considered the most ineffective grab game among the cast, along with all his special moves being exploitable either via reflection, direct usage by his opponents, or even gimping his recovery. This, in turn, gives Pac-Man particularly disadvantageous matchups against characters with projectile-nullifying abilities, most notoriously Villager and Rosalina & Luma.

Overall, Pac-Man excels at mindgames and damage racking, although he has a high learning curve because of his items requiring constant micromanagement. Pac-Man's weaknesses and learning curve have resulted in him being considered non-viable in the current metagame, as well as overall attaining a small playerbase throughout SSB4's lifespan, but he has nevertheless achieved a decent amount of success. Prior to switching to Mewtwo, Abadango achieved several impressive placings at both the regional and national levels, while Koolaid (prior to switching to Sheik), Ginko, Sinji, Tea, and Zage have each managed to achieve decent results at the regional and national levels, as well as utilize his edge trapping abilities and shield break capabilities to devastating effect. Despite this, a number of professionals, including ESAM and Mr. R, view Pac-Man as one of the worst characters in the game.

Attributes

Pac-Man is a middleweight whose attributes slightly deviate from the typicality of his weight class. Although his air speed is average and his air acceleration is above average, his walking and dashing speeds are slightly below average, whereas his falling speed, gravity, and traction are below average. As a result, these traits make him a rather floaty character, albeit not to the degree as middleweights such as Luigi. Pac-Man is also able to crawl and wall jump, although the former is largely impractical because of his crouch's tall height.

Pac-Man, like Diddy Kong, is reliant on his item-producing special moves to control the flow of battle and win in the neutral game. Two special moves, Bonus Fruit and Fire Hydrant, grant him numerous mix-ups for almost any situation: each object provided by Bonus Fruit has different attributes, which makes them good spacing, combo, and edge-guarding options, and some notably possess early KO potential as a way to overcome his smash attacks' slow speeds and low ranges, such as the Apple or the Key. This allows him to confuse and force movements from his opponents to put them in disadvantageous positions, especially off-stage. With extreme technical skill, Bonus Fruit can even be used for footstool jump-initiated zero-to-death combos, making Pac-Man one of the few characters with this ability in no-item scenarios.

Fire Hydrant, when used in the air, functions similarly to Stone, which makes it useful for covering landings or breaking combos. It is also Pac-Man's most powerful projectile when launched, which makes it a viable KO option from a distance. In addition to its offensive potential, Fire Hydrant has defensive potential, thanks to its shots of water possessing a push effect. As a result, the water can be used to space, gimp poor recoveries, and even force opponents into Pac-Man's attacks. Apart from his projectiles, Pac-Man also possesses a slow, but potent, KO option in Power Pellet, which functions both as a great recovery and mindgame option, as it can be aimed prematurely and made to curve in creative angles using his Fire Hydrant's push effect, and can also be confirmed off of Bonus Fruit's Bell. Pac-Jump is an effective vertical recovery should all three trampoline jumps be used, and makes it safe to edge-guard off-stage, as Pac-Man will likely make it back onto the stage. It is also difficult to gimp, especially from an overhead perspective, thanks to Pac-Man's jumps having unblockable hitboxes, and can function as a great out of shield option when used properly.

Outside of his specials, Pac-Man has a good combo game. Though his ground attacks are weak with slight ending lag, his neutral attack and tilts are fast and extend his hitboxes (forward tilt) or slide him forward (down tilt), letting him attack out of shield easily or poke opponents at a safe distance. His up tilt can chain into itself at low percentages and up aerials, while his down tilt can reliably combo into his dash attack. The latter hits multiple times with nearly no ending lag and allows Pac-Man to follow up with almost any ground move, such as his safe and fast neutral attack. Pac-Man is also capable in the air; his aerials are fast and can chain into themselves, especially his forward and up aerials, his neutral aerial is a useful out of shield option and both it and his back aerial are effective off-stage finishers, making him overall good at damage racking and edge-guarding.

However, Pac-Man has many exploitable flaws. One of his biggest issues is his inability to KO early because of the overwhelming majority of his moveset having low base knockback. Although his tilts and aerials are fast, only his clean neutral aerial and clean back aerial possess actual KO potential. This, in turn, is further compounded by their reliability being most apparent at high percentages and/or while near the left or right blast lines. His main KO options, his smash attacks, can KO near the edge easily thanks to their respectable damage outputs and knockback growth, but are very punishable and predictable because of their considerable amounts of start-up and ending lag. Pac-Man also has viable KOing options in Bonus Fruit's key and flying Fire Hydrant, but former needs to be charged for 2.37 seconds (specifically 142 frames) in order to be accessible, whereas the latter can be easily used against Pac-Man just as he is about to launch it. Additionally, Pac-Man's average range and awkward hitboxes can make landing hits or spacing difficult against opponents with high reach, while his below-average movement speed can make it difficult to both chase down opponents or create space and charge his Bonus Fruits, especially against rushdown-oriented characters.

Another prominent issue is his grab game: his grabs carry extremely high risk due to their extreme lag and notoriously awkward hitboxes, with only the starting animation having three separate grab hitboxes that last for very short times. This makes it far riskier to use his grab for punishes compared to other characters. This is further burdened by his unimpressive throws, with only his down throw having combo potential, most notably into Bonus Fruit's key, Power Pellet, a dash attack, or a short hopped forward aerial into neutral aerial. Although the latter combo does not work on characters whose hurtboxes are low after missing a tech, it can still be beneficial, as Pac-Man can instead lock the opponent with a short hopped forward aerial at low to medium percentages.

Despite the perks of Pac-Man's special moves, all of them can also be turned against him. Bonus Fruit's objects are items that can only exist once at a time, hence opponents can grab them out of the air, nullifying one of Pac-Man's only projectiles so long as they hold onto it. So long as Bonus Fruit is nullified, Pac-Man is disadvantaged at spacing, KOing and mindgames, while a competent opponent can use his own Bonus Fruit against him. This significantly hinders Pac-Man's matchups against characters who are able to reflect projectiles, with two particularly notable examples: Villager can Pocket Bonus Fruit for long periods and thus strongly hinder his offense, whereas Rosalina & Luma can use Gravitational Pull to completely nullify both of his projectiles and render him absolutely helpless at zoning.

His Fire Hydrant can be turned against him as well; it can be knocked back or reflected by opponents, even in the first few frames when it is released, making it possible for Pac-Man to immediately be dealt noticeable damage. Its push effect also affects him, and can cost Pac-Man a stock if he is careless. Despite being strong, Power Pellet is highly predictable and can be interrupted by any attack, which drops a healing Power Pellet that can be used by the opponent, and his Pac-Jump, though giving great vertical height, can also be used by opponents for gimping Pac-Man's own recovery. Due to these possibilities, a good Pac-Man player must keep watch of where his items are in order to inflict the highest knockback possible at a safer range, and avoid his items' abilities being turned against him.

Pac-Man benefits from his custom moves. Freaky Fruit deals less damage, but each fruit and object has its own erratic pattern and thus can provide even greater mix-ups. Lazy Fruit is slower and deals less damage, but the fruits and objects take longer to disappear, which enables them to be usable more than once and provide different mix-ups. Power Pac-Jump functions like a traditional recovery move in that it only provides one jump, but it immediately launches Pac-Man very high and enables him to hit multiple times while ascending, making it suitable for offensive playstyles. Meteor Trampoline decreases in height after each jump, but the fourth jump can bury grounded opponents and, true to its name, meteor smash airborne ones, as its name implies. On-Fire Hydrant does not shoot out as far, but it shoots fireballs instead of water, shoots three times instead of twice, takes less damage to launch, and the hydrant itself deals more damage.

Overall, Pac-Man excels at mindgames and damage racking, yet his moveset's overall low base knockback and poor range make him unable to KO opponents early. As a result, he is dependent on utilizing traps and zoning in order to continually deal damage and set up a KO, such as collectively using his air game, Bonus Fruit, and varied recovery to edge-guard. While Pac-Man's special moves grant him a uniquely versatile moveset, they can also hinder him in battle, as one careless move can ultimately decide the momentum of not only himself, but even the whole match itself.

Update history

Pac-Man has received a mix of buffs and nerfs in game updates. Update 1.0.4 increased the ending lag to his up smash and lowered the damage output of Bonus Fruit's Galaxian. Fire Hydrant and Power Pellet had their durability and healing output slightly increased respectively, necessitating players using them even more wisely than before, lest the opponent capitalizes on using their effects to their own advantage. The changes to shield mechanics brought about by 1.1.0 and 1.1.1 enable Pac-Man to utilize some new options for pressuring shields through combinations of back aerial, Bonus Fruit's key, and Fire Hydrant. Lastly, update 1.1.5 marginally increased the knockback of his smash attacks and back aerial, which slightly improved his KO potential.

1.0.4

• Up smash's ending lag increased: frame 38 → 50.
• Bonus Fruit's Galaxian deals less damage: 11% → 9%.
• Power Pellet heals more damage: 1% → 2%.
• Fire Hydrant takes more damage to be launched: 12% → 13%.

1.0.6

• Pac-Jump can no longer be Pocketed.

1.1.0

• Fixed a glitch where Pac-Jump could send opponents through the stage.
• The formerly removed glitch where Pac-Man could send Fire Hydrant through stages has returned. This is the first known case of a removed glitch returning to the game.

1.1.5

• Forward smash knockback growth: 97/100 → 99/102
• Up smash hit 2 knockback growth: 95/90 → 97/92
• Down smash knockback growth: 84/90 → 86/92
• Back air knockback growth: 98 → 100

Moveset

• Pac-Man can crawl and wall jump. However, Pac-Man's crawl is largely impractical because of his crouch's tall height.

		Name	Damage	Description
Neutral attack			3%	A one-two combo followed by a bicycle kick. It has decent range for a neutral attack and thanks to its very minimal start-up lag, it is useful as an anti-pressure option as a follow-up from his dash attack.
			2%
			4%
Forward tilt			8%	A side kick. It can be angled, with its downward angle being capable of jab resetting at low percentages. It is also useful for spacing beginning at 45%.
Up tilt			7%	An upward headbutt. It can combo into itself from 0% to low percentages, into back aerial at low percentages, and into neutral and up aerials from low to medium percentages. It also renders Pac-Man's head intangible throughout its hitbox's duration. However, its hitbox is somewhat misleading because of it following the trail emitted by its animation, meaning it is possible to miss a small or crouching character.
Down tilt			6%	Transforms into his wedge form and chomps at a downward diagonal angle. It has deceptive range, thanks to Pac-Man chomping forward before retreating, which makes it useful for spacing. Using it repeatedly also allows Pac-Man to pseudo-crawl. However, its hitbox has a very short duration.
Dash attack			2% (hits 1-2), 5% (hit 3)	Transforms into his wedge form and chomps thrice while sliding forward. It has a windbox that hits on frame 3, which makes it the second fastest dash attack in the game, being surpassed only by Little Mac's. When coupled with its very minimal ending lag, it can easily combo into his forward, up, and neutral aerials, or used as a cross-up to escape pressure.
Forward smash			16% (clean ghost), 15% (clean arm), 9% (late)	Thrusts Blinky forward to slam into the opponent. It is Pac-Man's strongest smash attack, as its clean hit KOs middleweights at 109% while near the edge, and has disjointed range. However, it has very high start-up and ending lag, as well as a late hitbox (active right before Blinky disappears) which is significantly weaker.
Up smash			3% (hit 1), 14% (hit 2 clean), 8% (hit 2 late)	Thrusts Inky upward to slam into the opponent. It has a weak initial hitbox that launches the opponent into a stronger second hitbox, the latter of which KOs middleweights at 129% when clean. It also has the lowest amount of start-up lag out of Pac-Man's smash attacks, as well as disjointed range. However, it has noticeable start-up and ending lag, as well as a significantly weaker late hitbox. Despite having disjointed vertical range, it has poor horizontal range, to the point that it requires Pac-Man himself to almost touch a grounded opponent.
Down smash			13% (clean), 7% (late)	Thrusts Pinky and Clyde on each side to slam into the opponent. It has disjointed range and can punish rolls, while its clean hitboxes are semi-spikes that are strong enough to KO middleweights at 135% while near the edge. However, it has the lowest damage output out of his smash attacks, very high start-up and ending lag, and significantly weaker late hitboxes.
Neutral aerial			10% (clean), 6% (mid), 3% (late)	Transforms into his wedge form and backflips repeatedly. It has sex kick properties and thanks to it hitting on frame 3, it is his fastest aerial attack, and one of the fastest aerials of any kind in the game. It also has the lowest amount of landing lag out of his aerials. In addition to being a very useful combo breaker, its clean hitbox's respectable damage output and very high knockback growth enable it to function as a KO option, as it KOs middleweights at 128% while near the left/right blast lines.
Forward aerial			5.3%	A roundhouse kick. It has very minimal start-up and ending lag. When coupled with its almost nonexistent base knockback, it is useful for damage racking and can lock at low percentages, although the latter requires Pac-Mac to use it just before landing or with the aid of platforms. Easily combos into itself, and can lead into a neutral aerial as a KO or gimping option offstage. Thanks to Pac-Man's above average air acceleration, this move is also a useful spacing option, as he can retreat while using it. Unlike theirs, however, it is unsuitable for approaching because of its very low power and minimal range.
Back aerial			11.8% (clean), 7% (late)	A dropkick. It is Pac-Man's most damaging aerial, as its clean hitbox KOs middleweights at 124% while near the left/right blast lines. Despite its power, it is quite fast, as it hits on frame 9. It also has sex kick properties like his neutral aerial. However, it has the highest amount of landing lag out of his aerials.
Up aerial			10%	A bicycle kick. Its long range and almost nonexistent base knockback make it a reliable juggling option and a decent anti-air attack. Lasts longer than one expects while having consistent damage throughout, allowing the late hitbox to connect against opponents or Fire Hydrant for unique followups. Like up tilt, its hitbox is somewhat misleading because of it following the trail emitted by its animation, which can cause it to miss even if Pac-Man's leg touches an opponent. It is seemingly based on his Flip Kick from Pac-Man World 2.
Down aerial			1.5% (hits 1-3), 6% (hit 4)	A series of stomps, similar to Lucas' down aerial. Although it has minimal start-up lag, it is Pac-Man's overall least useful aerial attack, due to its initial hits not keeping the opponent properly trapped, while it only deals average knockback and has the second highest amount of landing lag out of his aerials.
Grab			—	Emits Boss Galaga's tractor beam from his hand. Oddly, it consists of a series of three hitboxes with short delays in between, with no grabboxes when the beam extends fully and retreats. This, along with its significant start-up and ending lag, makes it notoriously punishable and often considered the worst grab in the game.
Pummel			3.25%	A headbutt. Moderately slow, but tied with Mario's pummel as the second most damaging pummel in the game.
Forward throw			6%	Shoves the opponent forward. Due to its low damage output, very low base knockback and below average knockback growth, it is one of the weakest throws of any kind in the game. However, it can potentially act as a set-up into Bonus Fruit.
Back throw			11%	Spins twice and then tosses the opponent backward. It is Pac-Man's most damaging throw and his only throw with KO potential. However, it does not KO middleweights until 170% while near the edge because of its below average knockback growth. Additionally, its deceptively high ending lag prevents reliable followups, and the throw's spins don't possess any damaging hitboxes, unlike other similar back throws (such as Mario's),
Up throw			5%	Tosses the opponent straight upward. Though it is not very damaging and lacks combo potential, it can still be used as a kill throw starting at about 200%.
Down throw			1.5% (hits 1-3), 6% (throw)	Pins the opponent to the ground and transforms into his wedge form to chomp them. It has decent combo potential, most notably into Bonus Fruit's key at 0% and up to medium percentages, although it can also combo into his dash attack or Power Pellet at low percentages. At low to medium percentages, if the opponent fails to tech the down throw, Pac-Man can also lock them with a short hopped forward aerial and thus perform another set-up.
Forward roll Back roll Spot dodge Air dodge		—	—
Techs		—	—
Floor attack (front) Floor getups (front)			7%	Kicks around himself while getting up.
Floor attack (back) Floor getups (back)			7%	Kicks around himself while getting up.
Floor attack (trip) Floor getups (trip)			5%	Performs a side kick to the left and then to the right while getting up.
Edge attack Edge getups			7%	Performs a legsweep while climbing up.
Neutral special	Default	Bonus Fruit	4% (cherry), 6% (strawberry), 8% (orange), 9% (apple), 12% (melon), 9% (Galaxian), 8% (bell), 15% (key)	Holds out his hand and cycles through the collectable fruit and items in the Pac-Man series. Each fruit and object has distinct properties, and is associated with a distinct level of charge. It takes 2.37 seconds (specifically 142 frames) to fully charge, and Pac-Man can either throw the charged fruit/object if the special button is pressed once, or continue charging if the button is held down. If charging is interrupted, holding down the special button will make Pac-Man resume charging from the most recent charge. It can be charge canceled and, while charging in midair, Pac-Man's gravity will be decreased. The thrown projectile functions as an item, which can be grabbed by Pac-Man or opponents with good timing. Opponents can hit Pac-Man to forcibly drop his fruit, either while he's charging or holding his fruit; the latter can also be done to opponents by hitting those who are holding a fruit. Pac-Man can only create one fruit/object at a time, and cannot create another if it is being held by an opponent. Due to its fast speed and high power, Bonus Fruit's key is one of Pac-Man's most viable KO options, as it KOs middleweights at 140% while near the edge. Outside of this, Bonus Fruit can be used for intricate zero-to-death combos that are initiated by repeatedly using jab resets and footstool jumps on an opponent while dropping any of its fruits/objects. Can aid Pac-Man's already impressive recovery if immediately thrown.
	Custom 1	Freaky Fruit	2% (cherry), 4% (strawberry), 2% (orange), 9% (apple), 13% (melon), 7% (Galaxian), 6% (bell), 10% (key)	Each fruit/object deals less damage, but has more erratic behavior, such as the key instantly disappearing but meteor smashing aerial opponents instead of launching them. Also takes much longer to cycle past the orange, and fruits disappear upon hitting any hitbox, with the exception of the Galaxian and Bell. The visual effect surrounding the fruit/object during the cycle is orange instead of yellow.
	Custom 2	Lazy Fruit	2% (cherry), 5% (strawberry), 8% (orange), 9% (apple), 12% (melon), 3% (Galaxian), 8%/10% (bell), 10% (key)	Each fruit/object moves much slower and deals less damage, but takes longer to disappear. It also takes longer to cycle past the orange. The visual effect surrounding the fruit/object during the cycle is green instead of yellow.
Side special	Default	Power Pellet	10% (start-up), 4% (dash), 12% (ending), 17% (combined hit)	Extends a trail of Pac-Dots that ends with a Power Pellet, and then transforms into his wedge form before propelling himself to eat them. The trail can be extended to a maximum of six Pac-Dots, while the dash has a controllable trajectory that can allow for mindgames and even recovery. It also grants super armor after Pac-Man eats the Power Pellet, and upon extending a full trail, its last hit will be strong enough to KO middleweights at 119% while near the edge. Pac-Man is able to fast fall immediately during the move's ending lag, and will not go off ledges during a grounded chomp if the trail does not go past a ledge. Interrupting it during its start-up drops the Power Pellet, which heals 2% and can be eaten by any character. Pac-Man can act out after the move and is able to automatically ledge-snap throughout its duration, but if he bumps directly into a surface during the chomps, it stops and he suffers from a lengthy tumbling animation that can cause him to self-destruct or be punished.
	Custom 1	Distant Power Pellet	10% (start-up), 1% (initial dash), 2% (dash), 6% (ending)	The trail deploys faster, consists of eight Pac-Dots, and grants significantly improved maneuverability. However, it is overall weaker.
	Custom 2	Enticing Power Pellet	4% (dash), 15% (ending, full charge)	The last hit is much stronger and the Power Pellet pulls opponents towards it, but the trail takes much longer to deploy and consists of two Pac-Dots.
Up special	Default	Pac-Jump	7% (clean), 6% (mid), 5% (late)	Transforms into his wedge form and produces a trampoline to bounce off of. One of the fastest moves of any kind in the game due to coming out on frame 1. Subsequent bounces grant more height, but the fourth bounce breaks the trampoline and renders the attempted user helpless. Pac-Man himself can hit opponents while ascending and, due to his jumping hitbox being unblockable, he can ward off overhead gimps. When used on-stage, the trampoline can be used for mindgames and set-ups. In team battles, it is notable for being potentially game breaking, as two Pac-Men could infinitely bounce off each others trampolines past the upper blast line, similarly to the Luigi Ladder. The trampoline originates from Mappy.
	Custom 1	Power Pac-Jump	1.5% (loop), 3% (last)	Functions like a traditional recovery, as it launches higher than the first jump of Pac-Jump and allows Pac-Man to hit multiple times while ascending, but the trampoline vanishes instantly.
	Custom 2	Meteor Trampoline	3% (jump), 4%/5% (meteor)	Subsequent jumps are lower instead of higher, while the fourth jump will bury grounded users and meteor smash aerial ones. There is a weak meteor smash hitbox below the trampoline on start-up. However, it overall deals less damage.
Down special	Default	Fire Hydrant	9% (drop), 13% (flying), 10% (tumbling), — (water)	Drops a fire hydrant below himself that shoots water. When it receives enough damage, it is launched as a powerful projectile that travels in the trajectory of the move that launched it. The launched hydrant can be used to hit opponents, or potentially Pac-Man himself if it is sent flying by an opponent. While flying, it is powerful enough to KO middleweights at 147% while near the edge. If placed on a steep enough slope, it will tumble down the slope until it disappears. The water does not deal damage, but has a push effect that can allow for mindgames, mix-ups, and even gimps. Due to it functioning as a constantly active hitbox, the hydrant can actually be counterattacked and Pocketed while it is stationary.
	Custom 1	On-Fire Hydrant	6% (drop), 15% (flying), 4%/5%/6% (tumbling), 6%/4% (fireballs)	The fire hydrant shoots fireballs instead of water, which can harm opponents and Pac-Man himself. The flames do not fly out as far, but the hydrant shoots long bars of fire instead of shots of water, and does so three times instead of twice. The hydrant itself deals more damage, but has less knockback, and requires less damage to be launched compared to Fire Hydrant.
	Custom 2	Dire Hydrant	9% (drop)	The fire hydrant explodes on impact with an opponent, surface, or after a set distance. The explosion does not harm Pac-Man, but it has low knockback and lacks Fire Hydrant's versatility.
Final Smash		Super Pac-Man	15% (per hit)	Simultaneously eats a Power Pellet and a Super Pellet, transforming into a noticeably enlarged version of his 2D wedge form. Upon transforming, Pac-Man can move in the four directions and attempt to chomp his opponents, which deals damage and moderate knockback. Victims aesthetically turn into ghost eyes until hitstun ends. It is also unique in that, unlike other mobile Final Smashes, it allows Pac-Man to wrap around the screen if he moves off-screen, making it very effective at edge-guarding.

On-screen appearance

• Opens his mouth while in his 2D wedge form, then transforms into his ball form.

Taunts

• Up taunt: Performs the "Namco Roulette", which produces sprites of classic Namco items, characters and enemies, similarly to Bonus Fruit. It is the only taunt in the game with variable visual and sound effects.
• Side taunt: Transforms into his wedge form and chomps to the right and left at varying intervals while emitting his iconic chomping sound.
• Down taunt: Lays down while Blinky, Pinky, and music notes hover over him while an arrangement of the first five notes of the intermission theme from Pac-Man plays.

Up taunt	Side taunt	Down taunt

Namco Roulette's sprites

• King from King & Balloon
• A vulnerable ghost from Pac-Man
• Andor Genesis from Xevious
• A Runner from Metro-Cross
• Valkyrie from Valkyrie no Densetsu
• Clovis from Dragon Buster
• Don-Chan from Taiko no Tatsujin
• The fighter from Bosconian
• The main ship from Galaga
• Galaxip from Galaxian
• Gilgamesh from The Tower of Druaga
• Mappy from Mappy
• The blue car from Rally-X
• A Paccet from Baraduke
• A Pooka from Dig Dug
• Red Baron from Sky Kid
• The "Hypership" from Gaplus
• The Solvalou from Xevious
• Topcup from Libble Rabble

Idle poses

• Scratches his head.
• Looks at the screen and winks while giving a thumbs up, similarly to his pose in his official art.

Crowd cheer

	English	Japanese
Cheer
Description	Pac-Man!	Go! Go! Pac-Man!
Pitch	Group chant	Group chant

Victory poses

A remix of the jingle that plays when starting a new game in Pac-Man, as well as completing levels in Pac-Man World 2.

• Chases a vulnerable ghost in his wedge form, then shifts to his ball form and poses akimbo.
• Appears on screen in his wedge form, trips onto the floor and transforms into his ball form, before raising his fist up while sitting down clumsily.
• Drops from the sky in his ball form and lands while a sign displaying 7650 pops up from the ground, before striking a winking, thumbs up pose. This is based on Pac-Land, with 7650 being Japanese wordplay on "Namco".

In competitive play

Official Custom Moveset Project

Character	Custom sets available
Pac-Man	1132	1131	1122	1121	2132
	2131	2122	3131	3132	3121

Notable players

Active

•  Elexiao - Placed 4th at PPT Summer and 17th at Smashdown World and Smash Valley. Ranked 1st on the French Power Rankings.
•  ForbiddenOne - Placed 13th at Low Tier City 4, Battle on the Strip, and PG Key to Frostbite 2017.
•  Ginko - Placed 3rd at Hyper Sumabato, 9th at Sumabato Niconico Qualifiers, 13th at Umebura F.A.T., 17th at Sumabato for THE BIG HOUSE, 13th at KSB 2017, and 33rd at Umebura Japan Major 2017.
•  Kiwi - 65th at various A/S-tier majors, including Shine 2017 and Super Smash Con 2017. Ranked 10th in Connecticut.
•  PEPESPAIN - Placed 9th at Roll Dynasty and Adapt Kingdom, 17th at Tech Republic and Tech Republic 2, and 49th at Syndicate 2016. Ranked 16th on the Spanish Power Rankings.
•  POW - Placed 65th at EVO 2016. Ranked 5th on the Idaho Power Rankings.
•  Sinji - The best Pac-Man player in the world. Placed 9th at KTAR XIV, 25th at Shots Fired 2, 17th at Apex 2016, 7th at Collision XIV, 9th at KTAR XIX, 33rd at GENESIS 4, and 17th at MomoCon 2017. Formerly ranked 7th on the New York City Power Rankings. He has notable wins over 6WX, ANTi, dyr, Darkshad, and False.
•  Tea - Placed 9th at Sumabato Niconico Qualifiers, 5th at Sumabato 9, and 7th at Sumabato for THE BIG HOUSE.
•  Zage - Placed 65th at Apex 2015, 17th at Super Smash Con 2015, 33rd at Glitch, 49th at Super Smash Con 2016, 2nd at PG Key to Frostbite 2017, and 33rd at Frostbite 2017.

Inactive

•  Abadango - Placed 2nd at Umebura 8, 7th at Apex 2015, 2nd at Umebura 12, 5th at Umebura 13, 9th at KSB 2015, 4th at EVO 2015, 1st at Umebura 19, 17th at Umebura F.A.T., 7th at The Big House 5, 4th at Sumabato 6, 7th at Umebura Niconico Qualifiers, and 2nd at Sumabato Niconico Qualifiers before switching to Mewtwo.
•  Koolaid - Placed 49th at Apex 2015, 4th at KTAR XV, 65th at Pound 2016, and 25th at Shine 2016 before switching to Sheik.

Tier placement and history

When SSB4 was initially released, Pac-Man was perceived positively due to Fire Hydrant allowing for stage control, Bonus Fruit being useful for spacing and mix-ups, and both Power Pellet and Pac-Jump granting him a long-distanced recovery. When these traits were coupled with the revelation of Pac-Man's advanced footstool set-ups, many thought that he could be a very viable character when mastered, thanks to players such as Abadango, Tea, and Koolaid showcasing these strengths in competitive play during the early metagame.

However, Pac-Man's flaws would quickly become more apparent and, in a turn for the worse, more significant than most would think. Many found out that Pac-Man had a significantly high learning curve, below average damage output compared to most of the cast, and that his special moves were double-edged swords due to being susceptible to being used against him. He also had lackluster fundamental advantages as well, such as his laggy smash attacks, unimpressive KO potential due to his moveset's overall low base knockback, and abysmal grab game. Lastly, his reliance on projectiles gives him infamously difficult matchups against characters that are capable of negating them, such as Rosalina & Luma and Villager, both of whom are common at high-level play. Altogether, these aspects would lead many to believe that Pac-Man was not as viable as originally thought, and would culminate with him being ranked 29th on the first 4BR tier list.

However, with Abadango switching to Mewtwo, Koolaid switching to Sheik upon his return from an indefinite hiatus, and the rest of his playerbase simply not being as consistent as they previously were, Pac-Man's tier status underwent a noticeable decline. He would drop to 38th on the second tier list, which saw him become the second highest ranked low-tier character. Pac-Man would then drop to 46th on the third tier list; in addition to being tied with Ness' for the largest drop between the second and third tier lists, Pac-Man's tier drop was the largest overall tier drop between lists. Currently, Pac-Man remains on the 46th place on the fourth and current tier list, though despite this, there has been some debate within the community over whether Pac-Man should be ranked higher or even lower than he already is, as some within the community (most notably ESAM and Mr. R) view him as one of the worst characters in the game, while players have pointed out at great placings such as Sinji's 25th placing at Super Smash Con 2017.

Reveal trailer

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Trophies

PAC-MAN

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.

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.

PAC-MAN (1980)

PAC-LAND (1984)

PAC-MAN (Alt.)

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!

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!

PAC-MAN (1980)

PAC-LAND (1984)

Super Pac-Man

PAC-MAN's Final Smash turns him into this huge form that appeared in SUPER PAC-MAN. In this form, SUPER PAC-MAN eats his foes to deal damage to them and reduce them just a pair of eyes. He can move freely in all four directions, loop around the screen, and... obtain a score of up to 7,650 points!

PAC-MAN's Final Smash turns him into this huge form that appeared in the arcade game also called Super PAC-MAN. In this form, PAC-MAN can eat his foes to deal damage to them and reduce them just a pair of eyes. He can move freely in all four directions, loop around the screen, and... obtain a score of up to 7,650 points!

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  Classic (3DS)

• PacManAllStarTrophy3DS.png

  Alt. (3DS)

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  Classic (Wii U)

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  Alt. (Wii U)

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  Super Pac-Man

In Event Matches

Solo Events

• New Challengers 2: Pac-Man is one of the seven opponents fought in this event alongside Greninja, Palutena, Robin, Shulk, Dark Pit, and Mega Man.
• The Big 7650!: Pac-Man must use his Final Smash, Super Pac-Man, and land six hits with it within 15 seconds.
• The FINAL Final Battle: The player must defeat Pac-Man, Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man.
• Yellow Devils: As Mega Man, the player must defeat a giant Pac-Man, Pikachu, and the Yellow Devil.

Co-op Events

• A Fairy Nice Trip: Pac-Man and Link must survive on Pac-Land until the stage reaches Fairy Land as four Kirbys try to hinder the players' progress.
• Food Fight: A damaged Kirby and a damaged King Dedede must defeat Pac-Man, Wario, and Yoshi.
• Getting Healthy: Little Mac and Wii Fit Trainer must defeat Pac-Man and Kirby.
• The Ultimate Battle: Two players select a character and must defeat the entire roster.

Alternate costumes

Gallery

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  Pac-Man's poster used on the official website.

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  Pac-Man's splash art.

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  Pac-Man's amiibo.

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  Pac-Man alongside fellow third-party characters Sonic and Mega Man.

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  Pac-Man, Mario, Sonic, and Mega Man fighting on Battlefield.

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  Using his forward aerial against Zero Suit Samus' forward aerial.

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  Using Power Pellet.

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  Using his up taunt alongside Kirby.

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  Using Fire Hydrant on Sheik.

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  On Pac-Land, next to the Mother Fairy.

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  Using Super Pac-Man, his Final Smash.

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  Using his forward tilt on a Pooka in Smash Run.

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  Pac-Man and Mario taunting on Pac-Maze.

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  Pac-Man using Bonus Fruit.

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  Using his up taunt.

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  The various Namco-related sprites produced by Pac-Man's up taunt.

Trivia

Pac-Man's two different head icon styles.

• Pac-Man makes a few references to his home series:
  • During some animations, he emits sound effects highly similar to the ones from Pac-Man instead of vocalizing.
  • During his Super Pac-Man, he can wrap around the screen like in Pac-Man.
    • When his token in StreetSmash is KO'd, the death sound effect from Pac-Man is played instead of being silent.
  • The pose in his official artwork matches the pose in his Pac-Man World artwork.
  • His sleeping animation is a reference to a painting found in Pac-Man World 2.
  • He has alternate costumes that are based on the winged shoes power-up from Pac-Land.
• Pac-Man is noted within his trailer for being one of the two oldest characters among the cast, with the other being Mr. Game & Watch. Both debuted in 1980, a year before Mario and Donkey Kong, which was also noted at the end of his trailer.
• Pac-Man is the only character to have different head icons in both versions of SSB4. In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Pac-Man's arm is exposed, showing whatever armband he is wearing if he has one. In Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, Pac-Man is striking a thumbs up with his opposite hand.
  • Interestingly, each icon also represents one half of his pose in his official artwork.
• Pac-Man and the Mii Fighters are the only characters who do not show panicked facial expressions when drowning. In Pac-Man's case, he drowns while maintaining his grin.
• In an interview, Masahiro Sakurai said that he would have considered dropping Pac-Man from SSB4 if Bandai Namco had required the usage of his design from Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures.
• Pac-Man, Duck Hunt, and Villager are the only characters who have moves based on a series other than their own.
• In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Pac-Man's alt. trophy shows him using Power Pellet, making it impossible to tell which alternate costume is being used, or if one is even being used at all. This makes him the only character with this distinction.
• Pac-Man is the only third-party character in SSB4 that can crawl.