Pac-Mania

Video Game T-Shirt #3: Pac-Man

Availability: Check Defunkd for Pac Man T-Shirts

Available to Play Online: Yes

Released: 1980

Platforms: Every platform in existence.

Gameplay: Waka Waka Waka Waka Waka Waka Waka Waka Waka. Go through a maze gobbling up Pac-dots and avoiding the ghosts: Blinky, Pinky, Inky and…Clyde? Use the four power pellets to make ghosts digestible, otherwise contact with them will cost you a life.

My mom ended up getting addicted to this game because they had a table top version at her place of work. She ended up buying me the Atari 1200 version and played it more than I did. It was quite common to come home from a hard day at school and find her playing it in my room.

“Computer games don’t affect kids, I mean if Pac Man affected us as kids, we’d all be running around in darkened rooms, munching pills and listening to repetitive music.” – M. Brigstocke

Facts: Rumor has it in 1982 Ronald Reagan wrote a letter to an 8-year old boy congratulating him on his Pac-Man high score. A score that was only possible if he passed through the split screen mode (video below) which is caused by a programming glitch at the highest level. The very idea of this has caused a heated debate in video game circles because no player has ever demonstrated the feat is possible.