We all know the game Pacman and have played it at least once in our lives in some form or another. The game was released in the 1980s, so you can trace it back to your great-grandparents! The Pacman 30th Anniversary Google Doodle was brought to life in 2010 to commemorate 30 years of the game.
Let’s get deeper into the history and what Pacman is all about, shall we?
Pacman History
As previously mentioned, Pacman was created in 1980 by Namco, based in Japan. The original title was Puck-Man, but it was changed to Pac-Man instead. Since its release, Pacman has been added to every gaming platform. It’s a classic in video gaming and has made its mark in its history.
From arcade machines to consoles and PCs to mobile phones, a version of Pacman exists! All this is credited to Toru Iwatani for designing a video game with a non-violent theme to shake up the gaming sphere at the time.
Over the years, more spin-offs and media tie-ins were created based on Pac-Man, like Ms. Pac-Man, Pac-Man World, Professor Pac-Man, and more. Even in today’s day and age, everyone still enjoys a little arcade fun with Pacman. This was evident by releasing a playable version of Pacman on our browsers by Google for the Pacman 30th Anniversary Google Doodle.
How It Works
Players control the yellow creature with a moving mouth as he goes through the maze eating bits or dots while being chased by four colorful ghosts – Blinky, Clyde, Pinky, and Inky. The goal is to consume all 240 beads in the maze without getting caught by the ghosts. Each ghost has different attack strategies and three modes – Chase, Scatter, or Frightened.
Blinky (Red): Nicknamed Shadow, Blinky enjoys trailing behind Pac-man and changes to cruising at Pac-Man’s speed or faster as he eats more dots. He moves the fastest.
Clyde (Orange): Nicknamed Pokey, Clyde heads after Pac-Man after leaving the ghost box but changes directions shortly after to initiate the scattering phase. A dangerous ghost when dealing with the lower part of the maze.
Pinky (Pink): Pinky follows Pac-Man’s direction but tends to move towards the closest walls around him to catch him off-guard. Sort of like a block or surprise around the corner.
Inky (Turquoise/Light Blue): The wildcard; Inky is a mixture of every ghost in the game, which makes him the most dangerous spirit. He’s unpredictable, so you might want to keep tabs on where he is in the maze.
Pacman also incorporated power-ups into its gameplay, with four pellets for each game. Once these power pellets are consumed, ghosts turn dark blue and can be eaten. Once eaten, they return to their ghost box, leaving you free for a short while. Other fruits would appear, and these could be eaten to earn more points in the game.
Overall, you’ll have three lives. Once your three lives are gone, the game ends.
Pacman’s Impact
Some have attributed Pacman to incorporating power-ups in video games that could boost morale and allow players to strategically put their power-ups to use. Cutscenes started gaining traction in games as well after Pacman was popularized.
Pacman created a new wave and interest in games, especially for those looking for a non-violent option. It’s also a fast game that challenges players, making it highly addictive. The Pacman mania back in the 1980s truly comes as no surprise.
Where to Play Pacman
Sure, you can play Pacman everywhere, but where exactly is ‘everywhere’? Well, here are some top choices! Of course, the easiest one is to open up your browser and just type in Pacman. You can play the Pacman Doodle version of the game directly in your browser on any device; tap Play!
There’s also the Pac-Man app that you can download on the App Store or Google Play Store if you’re itching to have it on your mobile devices. For consoles and PC, you can buy the game from your respective platforms: PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, or even the Nintendo Switch. It is usually found under the Arcade Game Series pack.
Naturally, there are various game variations now as people have expanded on the idea of Pacman and created their own versions. As some of them are locked behind a paywall, you can get some Google Play Gift Cards from OffGamers here to get past them!
There you have it! This article enlightens you on Pacman and the Pacman 30th Anniversary Google Doodle, which we hope will exist until the end of the internet.
